This Week in Odessa History

New businesses were opening regularly early in the last century. One such was the Farmers and Merchants Bank, which was to serve Odessa for many years.

This report was in the December 10, 1915, issue of The Record:

The Farmers and Merchants Bank, Odessa’s newly organized banking institution, which was recently granted a charter for conducting business, opened its doors for business in temporary quarters in the Kleeman Millinery store in the Turner Building yesterday.

The new bank begins business with a capital stock of $25,000, and undivided profits of $2,500, which will make it a very substantial institution. On receipt of the charter, L.G. Nuelsen, the president, received a very complementary letter from the state examiner on the manner of the preparations of the papers and documents in connection of the bank’s organization and incorporation.

A fine new manganese New York steel safe, weighing 3,300 pounds, had been installed. Temporary fixtures have been supplied, and a general banking business will be transacted in their present location until the new quarters of the Odessa Hardware have been completed.

The entire stock of the concern is owned and controlled by local merchants and farmers, and the bank is associated with the Spokane and Eastern Loan and Trust Company of Spokane and the Dexter Horton Bank of Seattle, both of which are statewide.

Supervision of the bank will devolve upon L.G. Nuelsen, Odessa’s pioneer merchant, as president; O.F. Minch, formerly of the Portland Flouring Mills Company, vice president, and H.W Rieke, formerly of the Union State Bank, cashier.

100 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

December 8, 1911

An ordinance granting a 25-year franchise to the Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co., was passed by the council at an adjourned meeting held Tuesday afternoon. With the granting of the franchise a crew of men would be put to work at once to make extensive improvements in the local system, and the local exchange will probably be moved to larger quarters in the bank block. Twenty-four hours service will also be instituted within a short time.

75 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

December 10, 1936

A dust storm which gathered strength on Sunday was felt in the Odessa area, while from further west came word that it had reached excessive proportions. Traffic was stopped at Soap Lake because of the large clouds of dust that billowed across the Quincy flats.

A slight skiff of snow fell on Saturday night, which disappeared rapidly under the cutting edge of the wind. Dust roared through the fields and gathered in the air, settling over the town.

Mayor Jno. C. Jantz was reelected to his office at the city election on Tuesday, with 118 votes cast and but six ballots opposing the harmony ticket, under which he was running.

Others elected are C.A. Bragg and Merlin Phillips, councilmen and Al Wagner, treasurer.

50 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

December 7, 1961

Wednesday afternoon the community sat around and waited for progress. Power was off while the new Bonneville substation was connected up to the Washington Water Power lines, from which it will draw power.

During the outage the electric equipment of the community, ranging from machinery to heat, was not operating. Electric cash registers were being operated with cranks. The substation installation represented progress, as it assures power supply for the local REA lines.

Odessa’s five-death carnival explosion fire on August 27 brought a $165,000 suit in U.S. District Court during the past weekend.

25 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

November 27, 1986

Early this week strong breezes still prevailed in Odessa after the weekend’s heavy winds. At memorial Hospital, the American flag and windsock atop the hospital building also advertises the presence of moving air.

Odessa School District’s board of directors has scheduled a series of trips in early December to tour new high school facilities in the area.

Each of the trips will constitute a special session of the board, since a majority of board members will travel together.

10 Years Ago

From The Odessa Record

December 6, 2001

Just a year ago last week on November 24, 2000, The Record printed the photograph of a lonely bulldozer sitting in the middle of vacant sagebrush land south of Odessa on State Route 21, which was about to become the site of the Odessa Public Development Authority’s new industrial park. That same week, only a few days before, the state office of Trade and Economic Development announced a $1 million grant/loan to OPDA to develop the park. In the year that followed, four buildings covering a total of 74,500 square feet were built and North Basin Seed Company began operation of its seed cleaning and processing plant.

Odessa’s historical museum, which displays a wealth of early day artifacts from Odessa area pioneer farms hasn’t played to a full house for a long time.

The museum is given full recognition by the state Department of Community, trade and Economic Development Tourism Development Division. It is indicated as a point of interest in Washington’s official state highway map. Many Odessa residents have never visited the museum. Others are under the impression that exhibits never change, and so they never come back, after they’ve visited there once.