Timeline of Important Events in the History of First Bankers Trust Company
Prior to 1946
Great Depression, bank closures, people lost money deposited
Friendly competition between Southside Businessmen’s Association and the Northside Businessmen’s Assocation
1946
A large group of businessmen and farmers met to discuss the need for a bank on the North side of town. Among them was attorney Delbert Loos who later documented the history of the bank’s beginning into a book “A Bank is Born”
Former Peoples Bank building was purchased for $18,000. Board was made up of business men, who quickly realized that they needed a strong banker to run the bank. J. E. Kline was hired from a bank in Liberty and eventually became the first President of Broadway National Bank.
1946 November
Opening day for the new Broadway National Bank at 1201 Broadway in Quincy, Illinois
Six employees
Cashier ($4,000 annual salary)
Assistant Cashier ($2,700 annual salary)
3 Tellers ($1,500 - $1,200 annual salary)
Janitor ($15/ week)
1954
Outgrew the small bank building and needed to expand to the vacant lot to the east.
Façade of existing building covered with brick and a more modern style with addition of front and back walls made of framed glass.
Drive-up window added to the North
1968-69
Expanded into 1205-1207 Broadway
Addition of a bookkeeping department and a loan department
Computers were used for records but not used by the tellers. All work was manually handled and receipted then sent to a local data processing center.
Bankers Hours: The bank lobby closed at 2:30 to allow the tellers to balance and manually file checks. Reopened on Fridays from 4-6:30.
4 TV Drive-up windows in a building North of the main building
1970
Donald K. Gnuse becomes President, started with the bank in 1956.
1971 – 1972
Community National Bank opened a temporary bank in a trailer on the east end of Quincy at 34th & Broadway.
Branch Banking wasn’t legal at this time so Community National Bank was considered an affiliate bank of Broadway National Bank. Building completed in 1972.
1978
Broadway National Bank name changed to First National Bank
Opened an additional new branch on the south end of Quincy at 24th & State.
1983
First National Bank and Community National Bank merge
1984
Joined an affiliation with First Midwest Banks
1986
Joined an affiliation with First Midwest Banks
First National Bank changed name to First Midwest Bank of Quincy
1986
August 20, 1986 Mendon State Bank in Mendon, Illinois was closed by regulators. Re-opened the day after it closed as a branch of First Midwest Bank of Quincy.
1988
August 25, 1988 First Bankers Trustshares Inc., the holding company, was formed under the leadership of Donald Gnuse for the purpose of raising money to by First Midwest Bank of Quincy.
1989
June 30, 1989 First Midwest Bank of Quincy bank is sold to First Bankers Trustshares Inc. and renamed First Bankers Trust Company, N. A.
1997
March 7, 1997 Opened a new branch on the north end of Quincy at 24th & Koch’s Lane.
2002
May 14, 2002 Art Greenbank becomes President and CEO of First Bankers Trust Company N. A.
2004
July 1, 2004 The Trust department within First Bankers Trust becomes First Bankers Trust Services, an affiliate company within First Bankers Trustshares
2004
September 14, 2004 Acquisition of 5 branches from Union Bank. First Bankers Trust Company N. A. now has branches in 4 counties in Illinois.
Quincy – Adams County
Paloma – Adams County
Carthage – Hancock County
Macomb – McDonough County
Rushville – Schuyler County
2006
May 9, 2006 Donald Gnuse retires and Art Greenbank is named CEO of First Bankers Trustshares Inc.
2008
First Bankers Trust Company N. A. opened an Operation Center at 24th & Spring in Quincy.
The center consisted of the following departments:
Finance
Information Technology
Deposit Operations
Loan Processing
Human Resources and
Marketing
The Branch at 25th & Broadway which was acquired in the Union Bank acquisition was closed when the Operation Center opened.
2009
November 23. 2009 Acquisition of a branch in Springfield, Illinois (Sangamon County) from First Banks Inc. of St Louis.
2012
April 9, 2012 Opened a second branch in Macomb on East Lafayette Street.
2012
September 29, 2012 Paloma branch closed, due to close proximity to Mendon and Quincy branches.
2016
Art Greenbank retires as President/CEO, but he will remain on the Board of Directors.
Allen Shafer becomes the fourth President/CEO in the history of First Bankers Trust Company.