Fire Station
Reardan Farmers State Bank started in 1909
C.B. Thomas had the contract to lay a 30 (front) by 36 (side) foundation and a 8x10 foot vault with 36 inch walls. His price was 136.50 and work was to be completed by August 28, 1909.
J. A. Hansen built the superstructure of the bank for $1480 excluding glass, decorative facade, and stamped metal ceiling.
John Mahrt was elected to be the president of the bank annually for over 30 years. Emil Deuber was also an officer of the bank. Emil's son Jim was the assistant cashier of the bank for some years, except for service in WWI. He approved some questionable loans and may have improperly accepted commissions for the loans. He was murdered in 1924.
In August 1926, fire took the Bowie block (Hanel's Pioneer Drug Store) and the Inland Hotel next door. The heat damage was $500. Unfortunately the bank owned the Drug Store (I'm thinking it must have owned the Bowie block) for an uninsured loss of $1000.
The Lincoln County Fire District was formed in 1945. The fire truck was housed at 155 N Lake. (I think this is where the police office is today).
In 1955 the bank building was purchased from J. A. or J. J. McCullock for $2000.00 (Lots 6-7-8 Block 21). It was remodeled into the fire station by an architect named George Rasgue. Part of the fire station was a meeting room used for some community meetings and was a polling place for the South Reardan Precinct. This room included the bank vault. The commissioners were not sure what do do with the papers in the vault for many years. Eventually these records were archived with Eastern Washington University and were subject of a doctorate thesis "A History of the Reardan Farmers State Bank" prepared by __ for partial satisfaction of the degree requirements at Western Washington University.
In 1969 the station was added onto toward the south and west. And the next remodel was in 1994.
[Research by Linda Rettkowski Dogherty]
front view of Farmers State Bank
The bank between the harness shop and the Inland Hotel
The bank beside the harness shop
Fire station around 1961.
Fire station around 1961.
