Celebrate Soap Lake's Centennial
  • Home
  • Events
  • Volunteer Opportunities
  • Looking Back
    • Memorable People
    • Memorable Places
    • Remember When
  • Contact Us
  • Share Your Story
  • Home
  • Events
  • Volunteer Opportunities
  • Looking Back
    • Memorable People
    • Memorable Places
    • Remember When
  • Contact Us
  • Share Your Story

Soap Lake Laundry

3/19/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Soap Lake’s historical buildings hold many human stories.  One location, Lot 4, Block 1, Cottage City, better known as 19 South Division Street, has served the public since the 1920’s.  

We’re not certain when the Soap Lake Laundry was built.  However, Washington State Archives show Alfred Oscar Gustafson granted the property to Peter Hampen in September, 1933 “in consideration for one dollar”.  Gustafson, who remained a bachelor all his life, was born around 1877 in Sweden.  

The new owner soon opened Hampen’s Food Market. 

​Hampen sold the business to Mike and Evelyn Lannigan in 1936.  
Lannigan’s Market served the community until 1950 when they build a larger grocery store next door.

Picture
Lannigan’s Food Market 1936-1950

Picture
Mike Lannigan with customers

In 1960, they converted the grocery store into a laundromat.  They operated the Dutch Girl Laundry until 1979
Picture
Mike Lannigan in ​Dutch Girl Laundry, November 1961
Picture






​Years later, Nick and Freida (Notaras) Sebok purchased the laundry.

Freida Sebok writes, “When I moved back to Soap Lake in 1980, there was no laundromat. But I met a Hungarian who was interested in repairing one that had been out of operation for years. His name was Miklos (Nick) Sebok.  He was a man of all trades and in time all the washers were operating.  We married and operated for several years with one helper who lived in back and oversaw the operation”. 

Picture
June, 1990 - Evelyn Lannigan with  new owners, Nick and Freida Sebok

Picture
Sebok's Soap Lake Laundromat
Picture
Freida Notaras Sebok
Credits:
Washington State Archives, Central Region Branch
Grant County Journal
Ancestry.com
Freida Sebok
Linda Bonneville
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    December 2019
    November 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.