Date: 1855

 

Description: Traditionally small money boxes like these were used to transfer money by carriage from place to place. However, this box was actually used as the safe of Sioux City’s first bank, started by George Weare. The bank started in a small wood frame building that came to town from St. Louis on a steamboat in 1857. Then it was called Green, Weare, Graves & Co., Green and Graves providing the financial backing and Weare as the company’s educated head. The company was originally based out of Cedar Rapids, where Weare also facilitated development. When Weare decided to stay in Sioux City he opened up his own bank with J. P. Allison in 1860 and moved his office to a brick building on Pearl Street. When it started the bank only had this tin box for a safe and a dry goods case for a counter, but soon it grew into a major banking firm. The bank ran under the partnership until 1901, when Weare & Allison was consolidated under the Iowa State National Bank with Weare as its president. This bank was then bought by First National Bank in 1870 started by Thomas Stone, which operates today as US Bank.

 

Donor: Paul Howe

 

On display