Between 1911 and 1912, the population doubled from 1,000 to 2,000 people. Its importance was drawn from four factors: the railroad situation, its industrial advantages, the rich agricultural resources, and the location of a nearby medicinal lake.

In 1911 the future of Humboldt seemed bright, therefore on Aug. 16 that year, Brown Construction Company was contracted to build a 79 ft. by 36 ft. public building. Erected on the corner of Franklin Avenue (now 6th Avenue) and Main Street, it replaced a bandstand on the site.

The building was a multi-purpose edifice.

In the basement, there was a shooting gallery, a fuel room, a pump room, and a stairway hall. On the ground floor, the Post Office, a vault, a customs examining warehouse, a Weights and Measures

Above, on the first floor, was the Customs long room, the Collector's office, a place for the Customs records, two offices for Inland Revenue, a brick vault, an armory, a Commanding Officer's room, and two lavatories. The attic contained five living rooms, a bathroom, and a stair-hall.

A contract was awarded in December 1952 to Shoquist Construction Ltd. for an addition to the building. It was two and a half stories high with basement, 24 ft. wide and 28 ft. long and provided additional working space for the Post Office department.

At the time, locals regarded the building as a celebration of Humboldt's rising prestige as a centre of development in the West.

The proud tower juts heavenward, rising a full storey above the main building. Red brick, an expensive material in comparison to the day brick of the west, reflected the opulence of the age.