Lebanon #24: Lebanon National Bank

809 South Main Street

Lebanon National Bank on October 21, 2006

This building was built in 1910 by the Lebanon Development Company to house the Lebanon National Bank. The bank had been established in 1909 by Dr. J.C. Booth with the aid of S.C. Stewart and attorneys W.M. Newport and N.M. Brown, and originally operated in a building further north on main street. A.M Reeves was vice president of the Lebanon National Bank. He was born in Yamhill County in 1861, graduated from Willamette University in 1887 and taught in Philomath and Halsey and served as a postmaster before coming to Lebanon in 1905. Reeves founded the Reeves Clark mercantile business with E.L. Clark and V.S. Wennersten. Reeves was chairman of the board during the construction of the high school, was a trustee of the Methodist Church when its church building was constructed, and served as a councilman and mayor of Lebanon. Reeves was president of the Lebanon Development Company when it built this building. Originally, the Lebanon National Bank was located in the northwest corner of the building, with an I.G.A. market wrapping around it to have entrances on both the north and west sides. The Reeves-Clark department store originally occupied the south half of the ground floor. Reeves died in 1926 but his son reopened his store a year later.

First National Bank Night Deposit Safe on October 21, 2006

In 1932 the Lebanon National Bank merged into the First National Bank of Lebanon. The merged bank took the First National Bank of Lebanon name but operated in the Lebanon National Bank’s space in this building. Eventually, the bank expanded to fill the north half of the building, which it owned, and rented the rear of the south half. The Reeves-Clark department store was eventually replaced by a feed store. In 1948, the First National Bank of Lebanon became affiliated with the 1st National Bank of Portland, and in 1951 the bank became a branch of the 1st National Bank of Oregon, later known as 1st Interstate Bank. The bank is still in operation today, as a Wells Fargo branch. There is still a night deposit safe outside the entry with a large bronze seal bank seal of the First National Bank of Lebanon.

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