The Way We Were: Old Grants Police Station
By Paul Milan, Cibola County Historical Society, for the Beacon
Published: Friday, February 5, 2016
In the late 50's and early 60's, the first recreation building built by the City of Grants was completed. The indoor municipal swimming pool located on the hill towards Mount Taylor, north of Route 66, cost approximately $225,000.
Frederick Howden was the Mayor, and he invited residents to join him for an executive swim before 8 a.m. so they would be wide awake when they went to work. There was some controversy, because it was built on a hillside north of Grants. It was rumored that it was a political deal and should not have been built at that location because the land in the area had a tendency to shift, and to crack buildings. Unfortunately, the predicted shifting did cause problems, as the pool did shift, and could not hold the water.
During the time that commodities were provided by the Federal Government to be distributed by the City to the needy, the City of Grants warehoused these commodities in the old swimming pool. Through the years, there were rumors that individuals were interested in buying the property to remodel it to be used as a nightclub, but that never happened. In the 70's, when the town began to grow and money was abundant, the need for a larger police station was evident, and the pool was converted to the Grants Police Station and Jail. Sending a prisoner "to the tank" became a reality.
Editor's Note: It was announced recently that the old Grants swimming pool and police department will soon be razed in order to make room for communication towers.
Paul Milan contributes to the Beacon’s history column and is a longtime resident of Cibola County. His father, Salvador Milan, was the Village of Milan’s first mayor.
By Paul Milan, Cibola County Historical Society, for the Beacon
Published: Friday, February 5, 2016
In the late 50's and early 60's, the first recreation building built by the City of Grants was completed. The indoor municipal swimming pool located on the hill towards Mount Taylor, north of Route 66, cost approximately $225,000.
Frederick Howden was the Mayor, and he invited residents to join him for an executive swim before 8 a.m. so they would be wide awake when they went to work. There was some controversy, because it was built on a hillside north of Grants. It was rumored that it was a political deal and should not have been built at that location because the land in the area had a tendency to shift, and to crack buildings. Unfortunately, the predicted shifting did cause problems, as the pool did shift, and could not hold the water.
During the time that commodities were provided by the Federal Government to be distributed by the City to the needy, the City of Grants warehoused these commodities in the old swimming pool. Through the years, there were rumors that individuals were interested in buying the property to remodel it to be used as a nightclub, but that never happened. In the 70's, when the town began to grow and money was abundant, the need for a larger police station was evident, and the pool was converted to the Grants Police Station and Jail. Sending a prisoner "to the tank" became a reality.
Editor's Note: It was announced recently that the old Grants swimming pool and police department will soon be razed in order to make room for communication towers.
Paul Milan contributes to the Beacon’s history column and is a longtime resident of Cibola County. His father, Salvador Milan, was the Village of Milan’s first mayor.
