First State Bank moves to its final location

Hannah Gross
NLJ Correspondent 
With Leonard Cash
 
After six weeks of diving into the history of First State Bank when it was located in the Mondell building on the corner across the street from present-day Cashbox Ceramics, historian Leonard Cash brings its story to a close with the seventh installment of this “History on Main” series. 
Starting with a News Letter Journal article from Sept. 27, 1951, we have a change of ownership. Jack Deveraux of Montana purchased the majority interest in the bank and was taking charge on Nov. 1. He grew up in western South Dakota and graduated from the University of Nebraska. He served in the U.S. Army, including during World War II, before beginning his banking career with First National Bank in Fairfield, Montana. He worked for various banks in Montana before moving to Newcastle. Although Cunningham and Hurtt were retiring from the board, Deveraux planned to operate the bank under the same policies. 
When Hurtt began working for the bank in 1924, capital stock was $15,000, but since that time, it had grown to reserves of over $245,000, and deposits increased during the nearly three-decade span to a total of approximately $4 million. Hurtt and his associates were “deeply grateful” to the community for “splendid co-operation” in making that growth possible and gave his full support and confidence to the Deveraux leadership. 
By June 19, 1952, a new sidewalk in front of the bank was being constructed by Julius Construction Co. because the old one had been condemned by the city. 
More changes for the bank took place around March 12, 1953, but this time, the remodels were done to the interior. The high ceiling was lowered, and V.C. Thompson was in charge of the
interior work.
Not long after, the April 16, 1953, issue of the paper reported that a contract was awarded to Harold Julien to add a second story to the bank building, which was at the time occupied by Lundberg’s Barber shop, Cap ‘n’ Bottle, Yellowstone Drilling Co. and the Club Café. The second story was to be made of brick and block, containing four air-conditioned and heated offices. 
By the end of the month, around April 30, 1953, the “magnificent” clock that stood outside of the bank for 30 years was permanently removed. 
Deveraux, who had assumed the role of bank president, announced in the March 4, 1954, News Letter Journal that First State Bank purchased a lot 50 feet by 140 feet on Sumner Avenue behind the Berry Hotel for a new bank (Cash said this is the present location of the bank). 
According to a news report from June 3, 1954, the contract had been awarded to Fulton Construction Co. of Douglas, and the excavation began for the 50-by-100-foot bank building, including a basement. 
By the end of the year, on Nov. 25, 1954, the paper reported that the bank was officially opening for business in its new building on Monday morning, Nov. 29. It had called the Mondell location its home for 24 years. 
With a new building came a new schedule. Instead of closing at noon for lunch during the week, the bank was to remain open during that hour, although a lunch break was to still remain intact on Saturdays. The public was invited to attend the open house on Monday. The 5,000-square-foot building was three times the size of the other, including half of a basement with two rental rooms. It had a modernistic design with over-the-teller counters, which had a new type of sloping front and micarta tops. The walls were covered in vinyl plastic wall tile, which was considered a new material in that day, and the lobby and vestibule were covered in ceramic tile. The director’s room had actual pigskin leather tile. Twenty-six people were employed at the bank when it opened in its new building, 21 of whom were women, according the article. 
The same issue of the paper reported that an extensive remodeling of the old bank building was taking place, which when completed, was going to house Newcastle Men’s Store (formerly in the Berry Hotel building). A new front with a display window was built, and later it was reported that the store had moved in around December.  
That concludes the history of First State Bank in the Mondell building. Because Cash already did a series on First State Bank a few years ago, next week he will move on to the small buildings located behind
the bank.