 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.
In 1960, they converted the grocery store into a laundromat. They operated the Dutch Girl Laundry until 1979  Mike Lannigan in Dutch Girl Laundry, November 1961  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”.  June, 1990 - Evelyn Lannigan with new owners, Nick and Freida Sebok
Credits:
Washington State Archives, Central Region Branch Grant County Journal Ancestry.com Freida Sebok Linda Bonneville
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