The story of Enumclaw’s second bank is really the story of Byron Kibler. The first called State Bank was formed in 1904 by Sam Lafromboise, J.J. Smith with two Stone brothers set up as President and Cashier. Six years later, Bryon Kibler, S. L. Sorensen, J. W. Davis, and Chris Borgaard opened People’s State Bank. Kibler was the guiding light and a remarkable transplant to Enumclaw. “The professor” as he was sometimes known started teaching country school in Virginia soon after graduating from 8th grade as was the custom of the day. Kibler migrated to Colorado at age 22 finding work in a silver mine, then studied law at the university. He met Nellie Lauritzen, married, quit law school, and began work as county clerk which enabled him to continue studying law. He took the law exam, passed with honors and moved to Seattle. But the only job he could find was teaching school in the coal mining town of Cumberland. Each day he walked to school from their home in Enumclaw. From 1902 to 1908, Kibler taught in Enumclaw but decided his salary was too low to support a family. Having made severable profitable land investments in the growing town, he started People’s State Bank, the name being a nod to the town’s many citizen-owned cooperatives. Kibler also was the Enumclaw’s first lawyer, retiring at age 83 when he handed the practice over to Phillip Biege. Kibler died at 102 to great honor in his adopted home town. The elementary street and Kibler Avenue both bears his name.
As for People’s Banks, it renamed itself Enumclaw National Bank in 1922. The following year the bank constructed a grand building on the northwest corner of Cole and Griffin. During the Great Depression, the bank suffered when their foreign securities and bonds lost value. In July 1932, bank examiners advised liquidation. There was no Federal Deposit Insurance in those days so local customers in Enumclaw faced loss of all their deposits. Fortunately, the First National Bank of Enumclaw (Sam Lafromboise’s enterprise which had also renamed itself) agreed to assume the deposits of their rival, albeit at a 20% discount. Long, grueling hours were spent working out details with Sheriff Tom Smith standing guard at the bank door to ensure order. Enumclaw’s depositors were saved.
In 1941 First National constructed their new headquarters on the east side of Cole Street facing the old bank they absorbed. First National Bank of Enumclaw prospered under a series of bank presidents including Anton Johansen, Sam Lafromboise Jr., Rufus Smith (son of J.J. Smith), and Bob Abramson before eventually being swallowed up by Puget Sound National and finally Key Bank. As for the failed bank building across the street, a Greek cobbler named Steve Polenus, opened his Steve’s Shoe Service business on the ground floor with doctors, dentists, and other professionals (including Byron Kibler) occupying the second-story office spaces. Later those offices became apartments. In 2016, the stately building being lovingly restored by Peggy and Toby Wenham was granted landmark status by King County.
