Historic Hood River
Safe Safe
Notes
Hood River used to have many banks, and every bank building needed to have a safe like this. Sally Donovan captured this image of the safe at the Butler Bank Building (301 Oak Street) in 1999, and of course it is still there. No one is moving a door that size!
The door was manufactured by the Diebold Safe and Lock Company of Canton, Ohio, and was installed in 1924. I know the building’s current owner is planning an appropriate celebration for the 100th birthday of this Hood River landmark.
I have to wonder how much of this magnificent door was for security and how much was for marketing. A bank vault door convinced you your money would be secure in those days before federal banking system guarantees. This one is truly a work of art, which is appropriate for the building’s current life as an art gallery.
Tags: 1990s, bank, Butler Bank Building, Donovan collection, Oak Street, safe
nails
Where is the proverbial dial lock? Or is it a key lock?
DALE NICOL
It’s hard to tell from the photograph, but it looks like a dial or key slot at the 1 o’clock position on the face of the safe. Perhaps Arthur can enlarge the photo and see more details.
Arthur Babitz
This was a 35mm slide so not any more resolution, but I think there are two dials, one at 1 o’clock and another at 4 o’clock relative to the central actuator.