First Merchants Bank records MSS.041

Transcription

1 First Merchants Bank records MSS.041 This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit May 27, 2015 Describing Archives: A Content Standard Ball State University Archives and Special Collections Alexander M. Bracken Library 2000 W. University Avenue Muncie, Indiana, libarchives@bsu.edu

2 Table of Contents Summary Information... 3 Administrative History...4 Scope and Contents... 4 Arrangement...5 Administrative Information...5 Related Materials... 6 Controlled Access Headings...6 Collection Inventory... 8 Series 1: First Merchants Bank records, Series 2: First Merchants Bank photographs, Page 2 -

3 Summary Information Repository Ball State University Archives and Special Collections Creator First Merchants Bank. (Muncie, Ind.) Creator Merchants National Bank. (Muncie, Ind.) Title First Merchants Bank records Date Extent 0.4 Cubic feet 1 box, 1 oversized folder, 1 folder Language English Preferred Citation First Merchants Bank records, Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries - Page 3 -

4 Administrative History First Merchants Bank was founded as Merchants National Bank on February 3, At that time, Muncie was enjoying the prosperity of a natural gas boom, which attracted many commercial and industrial enterprises to the city. Hardin Roads, a prominent local grocer, was named the bank s first president and chairman of the board, positions he held until In 1914, the bank moved from its original location at the corner of Main and Mulberry Streets to a new location at the corner of Jackson and Mulberry Streets. The new building, built for the sum of $45,000 was an impressive limestone structure with an elaborate marble interior. The building served as the Merchants National Bank headquarters for nearly sixty years. In 1933, at the height of the Great Depression, the bank emerged as one of two survivors of a merger of Muncie s clearing house banks (Merchants Trust and Savings Company was the other survivor). In 1946, the two banks were reorganized into separate institutions, with Merchant s Trust later becoming American National Bank. In 1951, Merchants National Bank opened the first branch bank in Delaware County at the corner of Madison and 14th Streets. In 1953, the bank acquired the Muncie Banking Company and opened up branches in Muncie Banking s old facilities at 115 E. Charles Street in Eaton. Two years later, the bank launched a renovation and expansion program of its downtown offices, completing the project in In 1958, the bank opened a branch in the Southway Plaza. A year later, it opened another branch in the Village near Ball State. In 1968, Merchants National Bank became the first commercial bank in Delaware County to attain more than $100 million in assets. In 1972, the bank moved into its new five story headquarters building on E. Jackson Street. The bank changed its name to First Merchants Bank in In 1992, the bank's assets topped $500 million. First Merchants Bank is currently a division of First Merchants Corporation, the largest financial holding company based in Central Indiana, with assets exceeding $5 billion. First Merchants Bank operates branches in Adams, Brown, Delaware, Fayette, Hamilton, Hendricks, Henry, Howard, Jay, Johnson, Lake, Madison, Marion, Miami, Morgan, Porter, Randolph, Shelby, Union, Wabash, and Wayne counties in Indiana, Cook and DuPage Counties in Illinois, and Butler County in Ohio. Scope and Contents The collection contains records of First Merchants Bank under its earlier name, Merchants National Bank, and under the name First Merchants Bank. The collection contains annual reports for the Merchants National Bank of Muncie (1959, , 1984) and a history of the bank ( ) written by Phillip F. Schooley, a long time employee. The architectural drawings series includes architectural - Page 4 -

5 drawings of Merchants National Bank from the Jackson and Mulberry location (1929). PSC 309 includes a portrait of Steven Anderson (1989) and the Merchants National Bank Calf Club (1921). Arrangement This collection is organized in the following series: Series 1: First Merchant's Bank records, Series 2: First Merchant's Bank photographs, Administrative Information Publication Information Ball State University Archives and Special Collections Conditions Governing Access This collection is open for research. Conditions Governing Use Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries, Muncie, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Archives and Special Collections. Custodial History The First Merchants Bank Records were received by Archives and Special Collections as a donation from Philip F. Schooley on 1979/05/07. Additions were received on 1980/4/17 and 1982/4. Accruals No additions expected. Processing Information - Page 5 -

6 Collection processing completed 1991/04/17 by K. Dean. Finding aid created 1991/04/17 by K. Dean. Finding aid revised 2008/03 by Maren L. Read. EAD finding aid completed 2012/09/10 by Bethany Fiechter. Related Materials Related Materials Materials relating to this collection may be found in the following collections in Archives and Special Collections, Ball State University Libraries, Muncie IN: Geelhoed, Bruce. A century of community banking : the story of Merchants National Bank and First Merchants Corporation, Muncie, Indiana: First Merchants Bank, 1993 (Archives and Special Collections and General Collection HG2613.M85 G ) MSS.350: Stefan S. Anderson papers Controlled Access Headings Corporate Name(s) J.M. Rotz Engineering Company. McGuire and Shook Corporation. Genre(s) Calendars Correspondence Documents Photographs Personal Name(s) - Page 6 -

7 Schooley, Philip F. First Merchants Bank records MSS.041 Subject(s) Banks and banking Stoeckel Archives of Local History - Page 7 -

8 Series 1: First Merchants Bank records, First Merchants Bank records MSS.041 Collection Inventory Series 1: First Merchants Bank records, Box Folder Annual reports, 1959, Annual reports, Annual reports, , Brochure, undated 1 4 Calendar, Schooley, Philip F. Merchants National Bank of Muncie, Muncie: PSC.309, POVA.041 Series 2: First Merchants Bank photographs, Page 8 -