Rainier Oregon Historical Museum
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State Bank of Rainier

203 A Street East, Rainier, OR 97048
(Mike Clark collection)
State Bank of Rainier
by Robert West and updated by Mike Clark

     The State Bank of Rainier opened in 1906. John Dibblee was one of the original directors.

     On June 28, 1924, a devastating fire severely damaged the second floor of the State Bank of Rainier building. The fire also destroyed most of Rainier's businesses on the northside of "A" street. Dr. William E. Welch and dentist Dr. R. R. Peat both shared the upper floor and neither had insurance. Dr. Peat set his loss at $2,500. It was decided later to remove the upper floor of the bank building and to keep it as a single story.

     In 1961 it was enlarged and given a modern appearance, and in the 1980s some of the west side of the building was removed to make room for a drive through window. The bank has changed its name several times. On October 1, 1970, the State Bank of Rainier merged into the Oregon Bank. In 1988 it became Security Pacific Bank. Bank of America took over in 1992.

     The branch nearly closed in 2005, but a massive letter-writing campaign by Rainier residents convinced Bank of America to keep the branch open. In late 2012, Bank of America again announced it was planning to close the branch. This time, there was no apparent effort to save it, and the branch closed as scheduled on March 22, 2013.

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Image
Description
Advertisement from the April 6, 1906 issue of the Rainier (Oregon) Review.
An advertisement in the August 12, 1921 issue of the Rainier Review the bank announced that they had equipped their vault with "Poison Gas". It stated that a successful attack by burglars or a mob would be impossible. Beginning in the 1920s certain safes and vaults included (or were fitted with) theft-deterrent devices containing chemical vials of Chloropicrin that was used as a chemical weapon during World War I. It is unknown if the Rainier Bank had this or they were just bluffing to make a would-be burglar think that they did.
On June 28, 1924 a devastating fire that destroyed most of Rainier's businesses on the northside of "A" street also severely damaged the upper floor of the bank building where Dr. William E. Welch and dentist Dr. R. R. Peat had their offices. In a July 4, 1924 article in the Rainier Review, credit was given to the fact that the building was made of fireproof stone, saving most of the bank's contents.
A photo, from the Mary Scott collection, shows the bank building shortly after the June 28, 1924 fire (looking to the north west).
In a July 18, 1924 article it was announced that the bank would be remodeled, made into a one-story building and an extra room be added to the rear.
A Rainier Review February 9, 1956 article announcing Rainier State Bank's golden anniversary.
State Bank of Rainier Joins Orbanco Holdings And Becomes a Branch of the Bank of Oregon, from the September 25, 1969 issue of the Rainier (Oregon) Review.
Article on the merger of the State Bank of Rainier into The Oregon Bank, from the October 1, 1970 issue of the Rainier (Oregon) Review.
The Bank of America branch in Rainier on November 25, 2011.
The former bank building as it looked on March 22, 2014.

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