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Washington County Bank first opened its doors as the Washington State Bank of Washington, Nebraska on April 5, 1904. In May of 1930, the Washington State Bank merged with the Kennard State Bank of Kennard. Originally the Home State Bank, it changed its name to the Kennard State Bank in June of 1929, after reopening without restrictions following the bank moratorium. |
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On July 1, 1933, the Kennard State Bank moved its charter to Blair and opened as Washington County Bank. Charles Saunders was president, George Hedelund was cashier and Earl Jenkins was assistant cashier. Capital accounts totaled $148,000 and the directors were C.D. Saunders, George Hedelund, Earl Jenkins, Thomas Davis and Bess Brady Davis. Thomas and Bess Davis were the father-in-law and mother-in-law of John R. Lauritzen.
Lauritzen acquired control of Washington County Bank in 1955. In 1958 he formed the forerunner of today's Lauritzen Corporation, the holding company of Washington County Bank, to oversee his growing chain of banks.
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The Washington County Bank has had three locations since moving to Blair 71 years ago. It was first located at 1636 Washington Street, which currently houses the Hansen Agency. In 1958, the bank moved across the street to the corner of 16th and Washington where the present Huntel Systems offices are located.
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| In 1979, Washington County Bank completed construction on its present building. Taking two years to complete, the total cost was $1 million. The building was described by the Enterprise Newspaper as "…one of the finest banking facilities in Nebraska for a community the size of Blair (June 1976)." |
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| In 1992, the bank reached $100 million in assets. The following year, it added a 4,000 square-foot addition on the second floor of the building's west side, at a cost of $300,000. Washington County Bank celebrated a century of excellence in banking on April 5, 2004. In August of 2004, the bank completed a merger with sister bank, Burt County State Bank in Tekamah. |
The forerunner to Burt County State Bank was originally organized in 1873, only 18 years after Tekamah was incorporated as a city. It was a private bank owned and operated by Henry M. Hopewell and Wellington Harrington. On August 4, 1892 the bank was incorporated as the "Burt County State Bank" with capital stock of $30,000.00. The original officers were R.L. Adams, president; H.S.M. Spielman, vice president; and H.M.Hopewell, cashier. In 1914 R.K. Hancock purchased an interest in the institution and became assistant cashier.
On June 7, 1961, John Lauritzen purchased controlling interest in the Burt County State Bank. At that time, Charles Backer became executive vice president and Mr. Lauritzen assumed duties as president. R.K. Hancock remained as chairman of the board until several years later. In 1988 Charles Backer retired but remained as a director of the bank along with John R. Lauritzen, Ralph Holstine, Norman Kassmeier, Thomas Melcher, and Larry Nelson. John Lauritzen served as chairman of the board and Larry Nelson as president.
Total resources of the bank in 1892 were slightly more than $85,000; and in 1992 when the bank celebrated 100 years of service to the Tekamah community, the resources of the bank reached $35,000,000.00.
Courtesy of The Burt County Plaindealer", August 1992
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