Historic building for sale in Huntington

By COREY BLUEMEL Staff writer

In 1897, Butch Cassidy and his Wild Bunch, pulled a daring robbery of the Pleasant Valley Coal Company payroll and netted $8,800. This was the only Utah hold-up undertaken by the robbers. Due to this incident, businessmen and residents of the Castle Valley area decided they needed a more secure place to hold the big money payrolls.
The Castle Valley Bank company spent several years coming up with a plan to do just that. In 1907, they purchased property in Huntington to construct the new bank. That property and subsequent building are still there today. It is the site and structure known as the Star Grill and Arcade. The bank was opened in 1913, and it remained Castle Valley bank until 1915.
During the following years, the site was owned by merchants and other banking companies. The old vaults remain, along with the living quarters upstairs in the building.
Present owner Percy Mounteer purchased the property, along with the theater next door, with the idea to provide activities for the younger generation in Huntington. The grill sold hamburgers, hot dogs and many other items. In the big room, numerous arcade games, pool tables, and other games were installed for the children to play.
Mounteer is now trying to sell the property and is hoping to preserve the historical value of the site. He has the original blueprints for the building, along with many documents relating the history of the building. It is his hope that whoever purchases the building will be interested in additional restoration and preservation of the building’s history.
Mounteer has researched the site’s history and many of the documents and other items are on display inside the business. The old photographs are very interesting and tell the story of what the building has seen over the years.
“During the World War II years, and for many years after, the basement in the building was Huntington City’s fallout shelter. These two buildings are very important in Huntington and Emery County’s history. I am hoping someone will come along with the interest to preserve this place. Some want to just tear it down, but I think the historical value is too much for that,” said Mounteer.