Snapshot of History
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Great Western Bank in Mount Ayr, 2005.
BY MIKE AVITT
Last week, I skipped an important player in this series, Deb Creveling. She came to the William H. French Agency in 1994 after Bill’s daughter Amy left. Deb is still there today.
So, Firstar Bank became US Bank in 2002. Firstar was the name for only two years.
I missed when Citizens Bank became Great Western Bank but it was around 2004. In September 2005, mold was discovered in the walls at Great Western Bank, 100 E. South Street. The bank business was temporarily located to 107 E. Adams, the former Alliant Energy office. The old bank building was torn down in 2006.
Also in 2006, Abstract & Title Co. held an Open House at 115 S. Fillmore. Mr. and Mrs. Gerald McLain started the business and still own it today with their son, Mike. Last year, Abstract & Title bought Ringgold County Abstract from attorney Michael Travis.
Great Western Bank erected a new building on the old site and opened there in November 2006.
Ted Smith had begun work at W. B. Cunning Co. in 2005. In 2011, he purchased the insurance portion of the firm and would move to 111 S. Fillmore a year later under the name Cunning Insurance Co. Dan Cunning and Loretta Rotert were employees.
David Cunning joined W. B. Cunning Co. in 2003 as a real estate agent in 2003. In 2011, he purchased the real estate and farm management portion of his father’s business and would eventually move to 110 W. Madison.
On May 4, 2013, an open house was held at 103 W. South Street for Cunning Real Estate and Land Auction Farm Management, David Cunning being the owner. The building was erected by Sand Creek Post & Beam company. On August 1, 2013, First Federal Savings Bank at 110 W. Madison, became Page County State Bank.
In 2014, we would see the beginning of Mount Ayr’s fourth bank. I hope to wrap up this series with the next article.
I took this week’s photo in 2005. I was using a disposable camera in those days so the quality is less than great, but it’s better than no picture at all.
The only picture I took of Citizens Bank was of the drive-thru in 2003 because an Amish buggy was pulled up to it.
