Branch Bank of Colville - Chewelah, WA
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T0SHEA
N 48° 16.583 W 117° 42.866
11U E 446991 N 5347266
Chewelah's first bank building, on East Main Avenue at North Second Street, housed the First National Bank of Chewelah until 1957, when the bank was purchased by the Seattle First National Bank and moved across the street.
Waymark Code: WMK7DX
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 02/23/2014
Views: 2
This site was purchased for $1,000.00 by the Branch Bank of Colville on which to construct their bank building in June, 1904. The contractor was Frank Thomas of Colville who began construction in July. The building was completed and ready for occupancy in December of that same year. Most of the bricks used came from the Clayton, Washington kilns and included a concrete vault, 6x12 feet. It was considered to be the most modern bank structure north of Spokane. In 1907, the bank was reorganized and renamed The First National Bank of Chewelah, referred to by the organizers as "Old Reliable". Among the directors and staff in those early years were Fred Dickey, C.W. and T.A. Winters, Fred Reinoehl and C.A. LaVigne.
The second story was reached by stairs along the outer back wall and for several years a portion of that upper story was used as living quarters. Some of the occupants of the offices on that floor during those earlier years were T.L. Montgomery, U.S. Commissioner, 1908-1910; Dr. J.R. Pritchard, Physician and Surgeon, 1907-1910; W.H. Brownlow, Real Estate, 1908; Dr H.E. McIntire, Physician, 1907-1908; Dr. D.D. Monroe, Physician and Surgeon, 1910-1917; Dr. G. T. Henwood, Dentist, 1915-1918; and Dr. G.W. Farmer, 1917-1918.
A.I. Kulzer, attorney, who began his practice in Valley, Washington, opened his office in Chewelah in the Blackwood Building in 1912 and in 1923 moved to this location, occupying the west half of the second floor. He remained until he moved the law office to his new building north of here in 1950. The Reinoehl and Russell Insurance Agency then occupied the space from 1951-1955. During the mid 1970s Chris Eklund Molesworth, a local artist, maintained the southwest corner of this office as a studio for her painting.
Dr. Milton B. Acorn, dentist, opened his office in 1918 in the east half of the upper floor and practised there until 1946. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Frank Christoffersen opened his dental practice in that office and remained until 1948 when he moved to the Blackwood Building. It has remained unoccupied since that time.
The First National Bank continued to serve the people of this community, and among the directors and staff in the later years were C.A.LaVigne, Fred Reinoehl, James Raftis, A.I. Kulzer, Thelma Danilson, James Culverwell, Bette Paulsen, Eileen Raftis Reilly, Thelma Ganoung, Yvonne LaVigne. Janet Potter Nussbaum, Mary Jean Hentges Sherwood, Vi Parry, Elsie Koziuk Thayer and Shirley Blomgren Skok.
On September 22, 1938, the only recorded bank robbery in Chewelah occurred at 2:30 p.m. when two bandits held up the bank and escaped in a hail of bullets with $802.00 in cash. The robbers were never captured.
In 1956 the Bank was purchased by the Seattle First National Bank and, a year later, moved to their new quarters across the street in what is now the post office. The building stood empty for 2 years until September, 1959, with some alterations to the ceiling and front windows, it housed the Chewelah Flower Shop until 1984. It remained unoccupied for several months. After some remodelling, it opened in March, 1984 as Georgie's Ladies Apparel.
