The Bank Saloon (now The Times-Journal) building on far left. Built in 1903 as a Gentleman's Club, The Bank Saloon operated until 1916 when it was closed for prohibition.
We’ve been chipping away at our restoration and renovation project at The Times-Journal building. It’s been a lot of work and there is a long way to go but the end is in sight.
Built in 1903 as The Bank Saloon by Fred Wilson, the building is a real gem. The story goes that Wilson hoped to build a bank on the property, but he was beaten to it and opted to instead open a saloon. Known as “A Gentlemen’s Resort,” the Bank Saloon was no doubt a beauty in its day. With tin-pressed ceilings and large windows at the front, the saloon could have been at home in San Fransisco.
The Bank Saloon closed in 1916 due to prohibition. The Condon Globe-Times moved in in 1930 and the building has been used for the newspaper and printing business since.
The building is made of sandstone that was quarried near Lost Valley. I have heard that it is the same stone that was used for the Fossil Mercantile but I’m not sure about that.
In 2022 we received the Oregon Main Street Revitalization grant from Oregon Heritage, the State’s Historic Preservation Office to restore the building. It’s been an incredible ride – at times terrifying, at times delightful.
When removing the old dark room, we discovered windows in the rear of the building. With the help of friends, we were able to install new windows and have natural light.
There have also been headaches. When trying to repair a wall, we realized that the hollow clay tiles inside had deteriorated, along with the support boards. We worked quickly to mortar the wall and secure it. We’ve also worked to clean the old ceiling tiles, which had 121 years of dirt and soot caked into them.
But perhaps the biggest breakthrough so far is the unearthing of a photo that shows the front façade in its original style.
Mac Stinchfield, the previous publisher and editor of The Times-Journal, had been looking for such a photo for 43 years. The photo was taken before 1910 and shows large floor to ceiling windows and the old boardwalk in Condon. Atop of the building is a banner which reads “We Welcome Caledonians.” It really made my heart soar.
Debbie Pappas, who lives part-time in Lonerock, found the old photo in the records at the Oregon Historical Society. I can’t thank Debbie enough for her deep dive and hats off to her sleuthing abilities. Debbie also found a coin that says “The Bank – Good for One Cigar” that is thought to be from the Bank Saloon.
With this new/old photo of the front facade in hand – we are working to restore the building and to get as close to that original style as possible. The large cast-iron eyebeams are incredible and are similar to the beams that are exposed at the Dunn Brothers Building and the Reisacher Building.
We have a few things to sort out before getting back into the building but I’m shooting to be there full-time in the coming weeks. We should be done with the remodel in September.
Being back on Main Street will be so good and I can’t wait. Thanks to everyone for your patience over the past year. I’ll look forward to giving you a tour.
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