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| Baker Boyer National Bank |
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History:
Baker Boyer National Bank is proud of its unique distinction as Washington's oldest bank. Baker Boyer has enjoyed 140 years of success because of an eagerness to fulfill the varied and changing needs of our clients and our community. Still family owned and operated, the bank takes great pride in its long tradition of strength, stability, financial guidance, and exceptional personal service.
This tradition began November 10, 1869. A few years prior to that date, Dr. D.S. Baker and John F. Boyer became partners in a successful mercantile business. They supplied miners who were taking part in the Idaho and Montana gold rush, as well as stockmen and early settlers. Miners often brought their gold to the store asking that it either be traded for currency or kept in the store's large safe. As much as $40,000 in gold would be left in the safe for more than a year, and though it wasn't common to give or ask for receipts, no losses were ever suffered.
Dr. Baker and Mr. Boyer were avid supporters of the Whitman Seminary. In 1866, a new Seminary Building was constructed on four acres of land, donated by Dr. Baker, near the present site of Whitman College.
In November 1869, the mercantile was sold and Baker Boyer National Bank was founded. The mercantile was operated on the main floor by its new owners, and the bank moved upstairs.
Dr. Baker had a keen sense of future needs and, in 1871, began construction of a railroad that would connect Walla Walla with the Columbia River. This would provide area farmers and merchants a less expensive, quicker way to move their freight. The railroad was completed in 1875 and was sold soon after, eventually becoming part of the Union Pacific. That same year the bank moved downstairs, back into the old mercantile space.
By 1889, Walla Walla had grown, Washington had just become the 42nd state in the Union, and Baker Boyer Bank received its national charter. Walla Walla had become a financial and cultural center of the Northwest, offering visitors grand hotels and an opera house. Over the years, Presidents Hayes, Taft, and Theodore Roosevelt visited the town.
In 1890, a new bank building was erected on the same site as the original. Soon after, the growing bank found itself in need of more space once again. So the present seven-story building was created in 1911. For a short time it was the tallest building west of the Mississippi, housing the bank on the lower levels and everything from dentist to law offices on the upper floors.
Two decades later the Great Depression blanketed the nation and the Walla Walla Valley. March of 1933 saw the headline "Happy Days Here, Bank is Reopened." The governor, in an effort to ease the financial situation of the times, proclaimed a long bank holiday and closed all banks in the state. However, Baker Boyer was determined to remain open. Though persuaded by the governor that it was necessary to close, Baker Boyer allowed customers to use the back door of the bank until the license for reopening arrived.
Eventually President Roosevelt called a national bank holiday and all banks were forced to close until their records were examined and their soundness proved. Baker Boyer opened immediately after examination at 100% capacity, unlike many other area banks that didn’t open for up to a year, had to open at reduced capacity, or were dissolved altogether.
Despite economic hardship, the next two decades saw growth in Walla Walla and in Baker Boyer. Baker Boyer offered the town's first drive-thru banking in November 1956. The drive-thru window averaged 107 cars per day during that December, the first full month of operation.
In response to continued community expansion, Baker Boyer became the first locally owned bank in this part of the state to open a branch institution. The Eastgate branch was opened in August of 1958 and offered most services found at the downtown office.
Eighteen years later Walla Walla was still growing, this time toward the south. To meet the resulting need for services in the Plaza shopping area, Baker Boyer presented plans for the Plaza Branch. In 2006, the Plaza Branch will celebrate its 30th anniversary.
In 1986, Baker Boyer purchased Bank of Commerce in Milton-Freewater and Weston. That purchase resulted in the formation of Baker Boyer Bancorp, which served as parent company for both Baker Boyer and Bank of Commerce. The two banks were managed independently until April 2000, when they were combined under the Baker Boyer name. The combination was natural given the two banks' parallel traditions of community service and involvement.
In 1989, Baker Boyer converted its data processing to its own in-house system, allowing more efficient delivery of statements and other account notifications. It also increased the bank's flexibility in developing new products as well as allowing immediate access to account information.
An opportunity in 1994 was greeted enthusiastically as Baker Boyer celebrated the opening of the College Place Branch. That same year construction began on a new four-lane drive-thru facility and drive-up ATM at the Downtown Branch.
In the Spring of 1997, Baker Boyer Trust & Financial Services expanded into Tri-Cities. The Trust Office in Kennewick offers area clients the only local access to Trust Services. In August of 1999 the Tri-Cities branch expanded to include business services and became Tri-Cities Trust & Business Banking Center .
Also in 1999, Baker Boyer celebrated the opening of its Connell branch. This was the result of four years of work that began with the assignment of a commercial loan officer to exclusively serve the area. In 1997, plans for the full-service bank began in response to local demand for increased services. After five years of serving the Connell community, Baker Boyer felt it could not deliver the level of service its clients deserved with a satellite branch so remote from its hub cities, and decided it was in everyone's best interest to sell this location to someone it knew would serve the clients and the community.
Baker Boyer Bank has been proud to be a part of Walla Walla's rich history throughout many generations. As one of the few remaining independent banks operating in the state, Baker Boyer continues to grow and continues to build on the strong community ties established in 1869. Our tradition of treating customers with courtesy and consideration remains and will be the cornerstone of our lasting success. |
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