The Coquille Valley sentinel., September 10, 2002, Page 13, Image 13

September 2002 ~ Sentinel’s 120th anniversary issue ~ Page 13
Sentinel makes Building’s origin shrouded in mystery
several moves
The newspaper’s location has moved
around town during its long life. A photo­
graph of the then Herald building suggests its
original location was on Main Street next to
the Coquille River. Later, J.C. Savage reports
that “during this week (date unknown) the
office moved its location. The new site being
the office of the old pharmacy building which
was leased from .1. L. Thompson.’’ That loca­
tion is unknown. An undated photograph (top
photo) shows The Sentinel at the intersection
of Central and Second streets, about where
the present U.S. Bank is located. In 1926 it
moved - probably from that location - into a
new concrete building at what is now First
and Birch streets (which now houses Tadd’s
Restaurant).
The paper stayed there for 50 years and
in 1976 moved into its present home.
The history of The Sentinel spans the his­
tory of modem printing. When the paper was
started, type was set one letter at a time, by
hand; The Sentinel still has some of the origi­
nal type cases in its lobby. Later the Linotype
vastly speeded up the typesetting process.
Today the paper is composed on computers.
In its earlier days, the paper also had its
own printing press; photographs in the lobby
show the early composing room and press.
The date of construction
of the Coquille Valley
Sentinel’s current building,
and even its original location,
have been lost in the mists of
time. It is known that it was
occupied by
the First
National Bank of Coquille
from 1903 until 1910. At that
time it was located on the cor­
ner of First and Central
streets, directly south of its
present site.
An historic resource
inventory by the City of
Coquille
states
that,
“Although the bank pur­
chased the lot on which the
building as originally sited, it
is unclear if the building was
extent or if the bank built it.
Physical evidence suggests
that the building may have
been constructed at an earlier
date, and local informants
believe it was built as early as
1888 — maps indicate that
the site was occupied by a
large stable and feed compa­
ny from 1891 through 1898.”
The inventory statement
also says, “Although the bank
may have built it in 1903, it is
quite possible it was moved
to the site from another loca­
tion. Further confusing the
issue is the fact that the build­
ing looks as thought it may
originally have been a resi­
dence as evidence by interior
spatial arrangement and fin­
ishes such as picture mold­
ing.”
The inventory calls The
Sentinel building “the last
remaining early wood com­
mercial building in the his­
end “Bank,” and the paper
occasionally
receives
strangers who want to cash a
check. The vault, with its
heavy steel door and combi­
nation lock, remains.
Use of the building from
the time First National Bank
vacated it until the 1930’s is
unknown. In the 1930’s the
Barton family of Coquille
bought it as offices for their
title company and it was used
for title-company offices until
1965 when Ticor Title
Company, which then owned
the business, closed the
office. From 1965 until 1976,
toric downtown area.”
What is known is that in it housed various businesses,
1910, First National Bank of including an antique store. In
Coquille built the brick build­ 1976, Fred Haas, then owner
ing now on the comer of First of The Sentinel, bought the
and Central streets (which building and it has housed the
now houses Whoozit’s and a newspaper’s offices ever
martial arts classroom) and since.
An arson fire in August
moved what is now the
Sentinel building to its pres­ of 1991 led to extensive
ent location. The building, of repairs and remodeling,
white cedar, still rests on the which were completed in
skids upon which it was 1992, almost exactly on the
moved. The fanlight over the 110th anniversary of the
front door still bears the leg­ newspaper’s founding.