City puts unique items on auction block

In need of some jail cell bars? Maybe you’ve been searching for an elevator? Or looking for your very own vault door?

These are just a few of the items the city of Whitefish is placing on the auction block as it prepares to demolish the City Hall building this fall.

“You might get your own piece of history,” City Manager Chuck Stearns said.

The auction is Saturday, Sept. 5 at City Hall on East Second Street in the former fire department and back parking lot. There is no reserve on any item.

There are seven sets of jail cell bars available from the 1918 jail. To complete the purchase, there’s the chance to get a panel of bulletproof glass.

“We’ve had a lot of interest in the vault and jail cells,” Stearns said.

He cautioned that the buyer is responsible for removing the items after purchase. He noted that one interested party was unable to find a moving company willing to transport the extremely heavy vault door.

There are two Victor steel-reinforced vault doors from 1918 with combinations. Also falling in the vintage category, there is patterned tin siding panels from the side of the building and 40 glass street lamp globes.

There are a dozen toilets for sale, but only five toilet paper dispensers. There are 17 kitchen and bathroom sinks on the list. While there’s 12 paper towel dispensers. But only one bath tub that comes with a shower rack.

The City Council dais and staff seating dais from inside council chambers are also a part of the auction.

A potential set that seems designed for purchase together — the American flag and flagpole are for sale.

As expected the sale contains the usual office items, including fluorescent light fixtures, wall shelves, desks, chairs, window blinds and file cabinets.

There’s a hot water heater and a generator for sale. There’s natural gas-forced air furnaces and assorted heating/air conditioning units.

Hundreds of feet of irrigation pipe and boxes of various irrigation parts that came from the city cemetery are up for grabs.

A few vehicles made the sale list — a 1977 Ford dump truck, a 1979 Dodge power wagon and a 1993 Ford ambulance.

There’s office doors and exterior doors. There’s two sets of lockers and miscellaneous artwork. There’s kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities.

Who knows what could pop up in the mysterious miscellaneous category — other furniture, fixtures, equipment and supplies left over after City Hall is vacated.

Stearns told city staff to pack and take what is necessary, and other items would be left for the auction.

Public viewing of items is Friday, Sept. 4 from 1 to 5 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 5 beginning at 7:30 a.m. with the auction starting at 9 a.m.

For more information, visit www.bobbyroshon.com.