Insurance Store in Baker moving across street

It was a case of going.... going...gone.

Wells Fargo closed the branch in Baker months ago.

The bank's Automated Teller Machine (ATM) near the Main Street door was left behind.

Until last week when Wells Fargo decided to remove it.

Then both the exterior signs and the ATM were removed by contractors last Tuesday, according to the new owner of the building.

According to Jade Boggs, the new owner of the building, he will soon be moving his Insurance Store from across the street into the building.

With the closure of the bank branch in Baker, the nearest branch is in Bowman, approximately 50 miles east in southern North Dakota. That branch is currently open Tuesdays and Thursdays at the drive-thru window because of the COVID-19 pandemic and executive orders by the state's governor. The nearest Montana Wells Fargo Bank branches are in Sidney and Forsyth.

The current Insurance Store location across the street has about the same square footage, but it is a long and narrow location, Boggs said. The new location will offer better working conditions in the more rectangular format and even has several off-street parking spots his employees can use.

Both buildings have a long history. "This one is 1910," Boggs said, referring to the current location of the Insurance Store. "Across the street, there was an original building and then it was added on to in the late 1970s, so technically, there is an older portion to that (Wells Fargo) building... and a newer portion to it.

"When you are inside the building you can kind of tell what is the old structure versus what is the new. The way the buildings are designed I am not picking up any more square footage, it (the new location) is just more of a square space. I will be able to see all of my staff members," he explained. "It will be more inviting in the new space."

There will also be another advantage to the Wells Fargo building, Boggs explained. He said they have had to take files and file cabinets upstairs for storage. In the new location, the storage is mainly on the same floor.

There were no posted signs in the ATM area announcing the move, but the screen would display a message. "It basically had a warning, but didn't have a specific date... but it did say the ATM would be removed in the near future," Boggs said. "That was only on there for about two weeks."

Boggs bought the family business in 2016 from his father. "Prior to that, my dad had owned the business since the 1980s."

Eventually, he plans to sell the Insurance Store current location after moving the business. "I would say that (the move would be completed) by July 1," he said. There is already a potential buyer. "They are looking to do a complete renovation of the building."

The recent pandemic should not have too much impact, Boggs said. "We have time, fortunately for me, we are not forced to move at this time. I am basically sitting on two buildings here so I can get the old Wells Fargo building ready to go one day and just close the doors here (at 102 South Main Street). It is a turnkey and we are ready to go over there (24 South Main Street) with no hiccups," he explained.