In
the 1870's and 80's, before the First National Bank building
was erected, the corner at 100 East Main street in Trinidad
was the location of the town fire alarm and the Davis
& Barraclough pioneer store.
The
fire alarm consisted of a tall pole with a bell on top
and a rope hanging down to the street level. The idea
was that in the case of a fire, people would ring the
bell to summon the volunteer fire department.
According
to one of the owners of Davis & Barraclough however,
when there was a fire, the people sounding the alarm would
get so excited that they usually ran in the lobby of the
building shouting, "Fire!"
Needless
to say the merchant on duty would have to go outside and
ring the alarm on their behalf.
Around
1892 the corner gave way to the sandstone structure of
the First National Bank Building. The building is constructed
of sandstone milled from local quarries and is held by
many to be the most intriguing building in Trinidad.
The
front of the building and some of the side, is covered
with very detailed carvings in the sandstone. If you look
closely you can even see some faces hidden in the details.
There
are two on either side of the main entrance, one high
up on the front of the building, a bear with a fish in
its mouth on the west side of the bank above the sidewalk,
and a large round face on the building just to the east
which though separate, looks almost like the same structure
because of the architectural styles.
Two
major cattle companies called the First National Bank
building home at one time or another.
For
a time Murdo MacKenzie relocated the headquarters of the
famous Matador Land and Cattle Company to the second floor
of the building. He had a ranch in Stonewall and wanted
the headquarters of his operation nearby.
Frank
Bloom, who was vice president of the bank, was head of
the Bloom Land and Cattle Company which ran from Montana
to New Mexico.
Sources:
"A
Walk Through the History of Trinidad" written by
Jerry Stokes on behalf of the Trinidad Historical Society.
1986. Trinidad, Colorado.
