Remember When?

40 YEARS AGO • APRIL 7, 1983

FALLS BANK MOVING

This is moving weekend for officers and employees of the First State Bank of Montana and Monday the Thompson Falls financial institution will open for business in its new home across from the City Hall and south of the Towne House Hotel (restaurant in the Black Bear Hotel building).

While preparations for the move have been underway for several weeks, the actual moving of equipment, machines and furniture will start Friday afternoon. The bank will continue to maintain its regular lobby hours while the move is underway, President W.E. “Bill” Manley said.

The new home represents an expenditure of close to $1 million. A new feature for Thompson Falls banking customers will be a drive-in teller window. Motorists desiring to use the drive-in window should enter it from the Mill St. side, behind Gambles (now True Value).

Foot entrance to the bank lobby will be from both the west and east entrances.

Limited parking for customers will be available at the front entrance with more parking space at the east side adjacent to the new city parking lot.

The move from the bank’s present quarters will mark the end of more than a half century of banking in that location.

The bank is now in its 78th year.

MOVING AFTER 40 YEARS

Jack and Alice Banister found packing up to move to Missoula this past weekend to be a brand new experience.

“This is the first time we’ve ever moved,” Alice said. “We’ve resided for over 40 years in Thompson Falls as the Banisters.

Jack retired in 1977 from his position as president of the First State Bank of Montana after a 40-year career with that establishment. He also served over the years on the city council and school board.

Alice has been a member of the town’s library board “forever,” she says with a smile. Actually, it’s 24 years.

Alice comments that the city hall and library building has been a real improvement for the community.

“Years ago,” she said, “the entire library was contained in one tiny room at the back of the present fire station. When the fire engine was backed into the building after a fire call, the ladders would always knock over the non-fiction section!”

Jack came to Thompson Falls in 1936 as a “foreigner,” he says, from Kentucky to work at a CCC camp. Thompson Falls was just a village with approximately 400 to 500 people.

From 1937 to 1940 Jack worked at his father-in-law’s lumber yard and building supply, B.F. Saint and sons.

In September 1940 he began his banking career remaining with the bank in Thompson Falls until 1977 except for three years in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

Alice’s family, the Saints, came to Thompson Falls in 1929. Her father, B.F. Saint was the ranger at Noxon during the 1910 fire before he went into the building supply business.

Alice recalls, “It was a marvelous and remote childhood. There were no roads to many of the peaks which we rode up on horseback - all day trips back them.

TC DEALER MOVES MOUNTAIN OF TIRES

Mel Nelson, owner of the Exxon Service Station in Trout Creek, gets a lot of questions and flak from residents and customers about his ever-growing pile of used car tires.

“People think that all I do is collect the tires and toss them on top of the pile. But they don’t realize that I am constantly turning over the individual tires on the lot. I probably handle as many tires as currently exists at the station during the year.”

The Nelson used tire business takes the efforts of many of the family members. Mel, who has lived in Trout Creek since 1945 and operated the station for 17 years, has his wife, Marlene, to take care of the paperwork. Three of the couple’s six children help operate the gas station and convey tires. Sons Kelvin and Bruce work with their dad selling tires and casings to Spokane, while Bruce pumps gas after school.

Although Nelson stated that there is a great deal of competition in the tire and casing and business, he is one of the larger dealers selling to Spokane markets. And though to the observer the pile resembles a hodge podge, the Nelsons know just where each tire is - or there abouts.