You Can Take It To The Bank

The first bank in Nebraska was established even before Nebraska became a state. The Kountze Brothers Bank was opened in Omaha in 1857, when Nebraska was still a territory. It later became First National Bank of Omaha. As more and more of Nebraska was settled, more banks were established. Nebraska Memories contains many images of banks in Nebraska cities and towns, from many different points in the history of the state. First National was just one of many banks in Omaha. This print from the 1880s shows five different Omaha banks, only a few of the city’s banking institutions. Of course, smaller towns in Nebraska had banks, too. The bank in Sidney in 1900 shared a stone building with a dry goods store and a millinery shop. This image of the Bank of Brainard gives us a glimpse into the interior of an early twentieth century bank. A slightly more recent picture, from the 1920s, shows a bank in Richfield, Nebraska. My co-workers and I were commenting that the four percent interest rate advertised in the window is better than what we are currently receiving on our accounts! Visit Nebraska Memories to search for or browse through many more historical images digitized from photographs, negatives, postcards, maps, lantern slides, books and other materials. Nebraska Memories is a cooperative project to digitize Nebraska-related historical and cultural heritage materials and make them available to researchers of all ages via the Internet. Nebraska Memories is brought to you by the Nebraska Library Commission. If your institution is interested in participating in Nebraska Memories, see http://nlc.nebraska.gov/nebraskamemories/participation.aspx for more information, or contact Beth Goble, Historical Services Librarian, or Devra Dragos, Technology & Access Services Director.