Historic Hood River
First National Bank Building
1-11-2013
Notes
This nice real photo postcard shows the First National Bank Building shortly after its construction in 1910. Shortly thereafter the streets were paved. Does anyone know when the nice clock was added?
Here’s a more recent view of the building. We saw inside the bank here and here.
The message:
Sept. 8 Dear Carrie got your card every body is as usual. Ross and Forest Slutz have been married since I came home. Forest is up on Willow Flat- works for H.H. Davidson.
When people make fun of our little city let them see this!
Category: Downtown Hood River
Tags: 1910s, 3rd Street, automobile, bank, First National Bank, Oak Street, postcard
Tags: 1910s, 3rd Street, automobile, bank, First National Bank, Oak Street, postcard
charlott
Good shot. As to the clock I don’t know when it was added, but I still am in favor of attempting to get that clock running. Arthur……you are the mayor, what can we all do?????
charlott
Ross Slutz did live in the Hood River area, coming from Van Buren County, Iowa Apparently he did not have a long life as he was born in 1893 and died in 1923.
Jeffrey Bryant
The WWI Draft Registration Card for Forrest Virigel Slutz shows he was born 28 March 1891 in Keosauqua, Iowa, was married with one child, and worked for Davidson Fruit Co. in 1917.
Dan K
Love the old street light hanging there. Showed this picture to my mother and she told me that my grandfather use to have the job of turning out the street lights at 10 PM out in front of the stores.
nels
Nice ornamental door on the building. Wonder why/when it was removed.
Arthur
I wonder if the door was moved from the middle of the building to the left side so the entry would be at grade (no steps). Anyone know when that major change happened?
I’ll ask the owner if he has any plans to restore the clock.
Judy
Last time they talked about restoring the clock, they discovered that it was so cost prohibitive to keep it maintained. Who would do it and the cost? The chimes, etc. and all of the mechanisms needed to be done by hand and by someone that knew what they were doing.
l.e.
I looked up the history of the bank building for photo #515.
All I could find for a date on the clock was "in the 1920’s".
The historic paperwork for the building is at
http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/05001555.pdf
Yes the door was moved during remodeling between 1936 and 1945.
l.e.
In photo #509, the businesses in the basement have changed, the street is paved and the door is still in the center.
Bill P.
The door and inside stairway to the left of the Bank enterance led to the office space on the second floor. This was occupied by the Ration Board and Selective Military Service Board. This area was closed when the Bank Building was found to be unsafe and was reconstructed with the second floor occupied with reinforcing timbers you see today.
We need to research the conditions of the nomination of the First National Bank Buliding as to the responsibility of maintaining the "Clock".. This is a hall mark of all the FNB’s of that time. If the owners abanded the clock, would this violate the nomination without consent of the Dept. of Interior?
Bill P.
Jeffrey Bryant
The Hood River Glacier, May 13, 1909
FIRST NATIONAL TO BUILD THIS YEAR
The First National Bank is making arrangements to build this summer on the corner of Oak and Third street which they recently purchased. J. M. Parry & Co., had a lease on the building until November, but they have disposed of their stock of goods to the Paris Fair and surrendered the lease, so that ground will be broken for the new building as soon as the stock is transferred to the Paris Fair.
While plans for the new building have not been definitely decided upon, it is settled that the new building will be a handsome two story structure, of pressed brick, and the bank will occupy the entire Oak street front and fifty feet deep. The rear fifty feet of the building will be made into store rooms with an entrance on Third street.
A proposition has been made to the Commercial Club to lease the top floor for five years and is now being considered. If the floor is not leased for this purpose it will be made into modern office rooms.
J. M. Parry & Co., having disposed of their stock of goods will retire from this line, but may conclude to put in another line of goods in some other location. Fleming & Taft will seek a new location for their feed store, as will also J. M. Culbertson for their real estate office, as the bank wish to commence building operations as soon as possible, and the present wooden structures will have to be removed the first thing to allow excavating for the basement.
Jeffrey Bryant
Article on the new First National Bank banking room:
http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83009939/1910-09-21/ed-1/seq-1/
Jeffrey Bryant
Another article on the new bank, from the Hood River Glacier:
http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071110/1910-09-22/ed-1/seq-1/
Pat Strupp
Earl and Forrest were my grandfather’s brothers. My grandfather was wilbur :Lee" Slutz. I spent many Memorial Days in Hood River with my family decorating the graves at the cemetery. If I recall correctly, the huge Post Office or courthouse was across the street from the bank. I have been in contact with the museum about getting information on my great grandfather Ephraim Slutz, but they had no record. I’ve started researching the genealogy starting with all the slutz family buried in the cemetery. My great grandfather was the night watchman and lay vet for the Hood river area for many years, bu no one remembers him. any info?. (by the way, Slutz addition is where my family lived and I understand the powers that be changed the name because they pronounced slutz wrong and thought it was slutts. Oh well
Karen Miller
Ross Slutz was married to my great great aunt Dolley Pearl Polk in Hood River on August 5,1915. Their children were Robert and Margaret. I have not been able to find an obituary for him, and I would like to know what he died of. How interesting to find this little piece of history about him! I wonder who received the card, and who sent it.
Jeffrey W Bryant
In May 1924, the 20th Century grocery store was moving to the First National Bank building location formerly occupied by the PP&L Office. It was next door to the Glacier office.
https://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn97071110/1924-05-01/ed-1/seq-4/