Pomeroy Washington Downtown National Historic District
Historic District Downtown Building Inventory
The front of the"Pacific Power & Light Building" as it appears in the Fall of 2021.
Current (2021) address: 620 Main Street
1953 address: Pacific Power & Light, 717 Main street, Phone 35
Classification: Historic Contributing
According to the 1922 and 1930 Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, the building was used for offices and a electric supply shop for Pacific Power and Light. Later, a beauty shop moved into the structure. An insurance company currently occupies the building currently.
The one-story brick building has a raised parapet, brick facade, aluminum display window and door, and a brick bulkhead. The transoms above the windows have been boarded over.
Description and much of the Cultural Data based on
research by Donovan & Associates
From a front page story in the february 7, 1914, East Washingtonian
A dozen persons appeared before the City Council Tuesday evening and for the most part they were there for the purpose of making a complaint against the service rendered by the Electric Light Company, but at the suggestion of the Mayor the Council took the initiative in the matter and instructed the City Attorney to file a complaint with the State Public Service Commission with a view of securing an investigation. Before the Mayor had recommended this action, however, one man had stated that he had been informed by a former official [of] the Company that Pomeroy people need not expect better service so long as they refused to grant the fifty-year franchise. The Mayor takes the position that if the matter of regulating rates rests with the Public Service Commission, as claimed by the P. P. & L. now is the time to prove the claim.
Manager Humphrey, of the Electric Power & Light Co., attributes any failures that have occurred to furnish good service to a break in luck. He says there have been three breaks in the machinery on the creek, within the last two months, and that these were unforeseen and unavoidable occurrences. "The intermittent service of last Tuesday night," said Mr. Humphreys, "was due to the whipping of trees through which the wires pass, by the high winds. The head operator at the plant on the creek is Phil Agee, who occupied the same position under Manager Drennan."
Mr. Humphreys said he would not oppose an investigation by the Public Service Commission, but, on the other hand, would be pleased to have such an investigation made, as there was nothing to conceal.
Thor Washers, May, 1919
August 22, 1957:
The PP&L conversion which increases the capacity of the power system, in west Pomeroy from 4,000 to 12,000 volts was completed this week, Jim Beck, district manager announced.
Included in this $70,000 improvement was the installing of new street lighting in the entire west end of Pomeroy from 10th street on west. Twelve new street lights were added and the existing ones increased to 4,000 lumen with the exception of one which was made 6,000 lumen.
The street lights now in operation in the west end are as modern as can be found in any city and almost all towns in the area served by the PP&L are making the change to the new street lights.
One crew that has been working on the conversion is expected to leave town (Monday and the other crew will stay a few days longer to clean up on odds and ends.
Here's a snippet from the November 3, 1960, issue of the East Washingtionian:
Among the large tax payments received at the Garfield county courthouse this week was Pacific Power & Light company's check for $2,348 for the final installment of $4,697 property taxes the company is paying in the county this year.
Jim McCabe's Garfield County Title and McCabe Insurance ran this advertisement in the December 24, 1970, issue of the E-W.
Wandering Pomeroy's Main Street
Area Traffic Cameras
Alpowa Summit
Delaney (20+ miles W on
Highway 12)
SE Washington Traffic
Alerts
This Web site has been financed by Castlemoyle Books and Gifts for the Pomeroy Historic Preservation Committee.
The Committee gratefully acknowledges donations of time, photographs, scans, and other
assistance from the Garfield County Museum and individual citizens of Pomeroy and Garfield County.
The Pomeroy Historic Preservation Committee
66 South 7th Street
Pomeroy WA 99347
Copyright © 2002-2021 John R. Gordon
