| 45 | Community History, Zearing, Iowa | 45 |
tory of the Zearing banks was obtained from the 1905 supplement to The Zearing Enterprise.
The Farmers Bank, private, was founded in 1887 by Bennett A. Armstrong. The bank was sold to Nathaniel R. Clift and the capital raised to $10,000. The bank was located on the north side of Main Street, west of Center Street, when it was founded. When Robert R. Pollock finished building the Pollock Block on the south side of Main Street in 1902, the bank was moved to the new building.
Miss Anna E. Fry became an employee of the Farmers Bank on May 1, 1888. Anna was cashier of the bank when she retired in 1918.
Thomas E. Pollock purchased the bank from Nathaniel R. Clift in 1892. Thomas J. Pollock bought the bank from Thomas E. in 1896. Thomas J. Pollock died in 1912. His son, W. Albert Pollock, inherited the Farmers Bank.
In 1921, H. G. Van Orsdel bought the bank from W. Albert Pollock. Van Orsdel changed the bank from private to a stock company. Orphe Z. Burkhead succeeded Van Orsdel as manager in 1924.
The severe depression of the early 1930's forced the Farmers Bank to close its doors on March 2, 1931.
The State Savings Bank was organized on June 1, 1901. Elwood C. Ingledue was the first president. He died soon after his election. William H. Golly was elected president after the death of Ingledue.
James S. Smith was the first cashier. The first directors were William H. Golly, Jacob S. Horst, James S. Smith, Nathaniel R. Clift, August Henry Grimm, and F. P. Ellicott.
The State Savings Bank was located in the building built by the bank and Dr. J. A. Brown. The location was on the north side of Main Street midway between Center Street and Pearl Street. The State Savings Bank never moved from its original location.
James S. Smith died in 1918. Ernest M. Hedges succeeded Smith as the cashier of the bank. Osgood B. Batchelor succeeded Hedges in 1925.
The depression forced the State Savings Bank to close its doors on January 14, 1931.
The Whitten-Union branch bank Of Zearing opened for business on September 8, 1931. Assistant cashier, T. F. Reynolds, was in charge. On December 3, 1931, the Story County State Bank of Story City, Iowa, took over the branch. On July 25, 1933, William H. Brown became the manager of the branch bank in Zearing.