Dwight Centennial, 1854-1954
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977,361 GULF MOBILE & OHIO R.R. DEPOT D964d 1 "I J n m f i f THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF DWIGHT DWIGHT, ILLINOIS THE EARLY PART of the year 1905 had just moved to Dwight and also an INCol. Frank L. Smith, an enterprising and attorney. successful townsman, became interested in According to the records, the Comptrol- the establishment of a National Rank in ler of the Currency of the Treasury Depart- Dwight. He secured the services of Frank ment of the United States of America Lloyd Wright, the well-known architect, reserved the title of "The First National and arranged for the erection of a hand- Rank of Dwight" on June 7, 1905 for the some stone building, including furniture persons mentioned above. Shortly after the and fixtures. Mr. Wright, now recognized notice was received from the Comptroller as the dean of architects in this country of the Currency, the bank received its and abroad, created a structure that stands charter number, 8044 and was authorized as an example of lasting functional plan- to commence the business of banking as ning. The general structure of the building provided in Section fifty-one hundred and has never been changed since it was origin- sixty-nine of the revised statutes of the ally built, however interior changes were United States. The bank has been operating made in order to keep abreast with modern under this charter since the date of organi- banking conditions and the growth of the zation. institution. The first meeting of the stockholders was The stock was all purchased by local held on the 10th day of January, 1906 at people and the bank started with a $50,000 which time directors were elected as fol- capital and $5000 surplus. Col. Smith, the lows: Frank L. Smith, Charles L. Rom- president, was the leading spirit in the berger, Curtis J. Judd, R. S. Ludington and institution. Other local people who were Joe Miller. also interested in the establishment and Immediately following the election of the contributed to the early success of the bank directors, they held a meeting for the pur- were John R. Oughton, President of the pose of electing their officers which were Leslie E. Keeley Company; Major Curtis as follows: Frank L. Smith, President; of the Leslie E. Keeley Curtis Judd, Vice President; John R. J. Judd, Treasurer J. Company; Charles L. Romberger, also an Oughton, Vice President and John J. officer of the Leslie E. Keeley Company Doherty, Cashier. E. M. Hoffman, the first and a practicing attorney; Joe Miller, a bookkeeper, is still employed by the bank leading merchant and R. S. Ludington, who and now holds the office of president. PRESENT OFFICERS, DIRECTORS AND EMPLOYEES OFFICERS DIRECTORS E. M. Hoffman, President C. J. Ahern, Jr. E. M. Hoffman James H. Oughton, Jr., Vice President Clare R. Mc Namara C. J. Ahern, Jr., Vice President Martin N. Nelson Ralph F. Sodini, Cashier James H. Oughton, Jr. R. W. Dempster, Assistant Cashier Richard C. Oughton EMPLOYEES — Velda T. Erickson, Velda Paulsen, Beverly Weller, Regina Neville, Phyllis Pedersen ILLINOIS HISTORICAL SURVEY A GREAT PAST - A GREATER FUTURE thanks to WITH tongue in cheek, it ma\ be said that, his Scotch ancestry, the banking profession came ine quite naturally to David McWilliams. of 22 year a The fact of the matter is that, in April 1855, white old David McWilliams opened a "bank" in the building pictured on the Dwight Centennial Seal — the as a D. McWilliams Store, which also functioned shelter for newcomers, and even as a place of wor- and ncatclkecL ship. At that time, the bank had no charter no capital structure. All banking transactions were based on faith in the character of McWilliams. and consisted of deposits against which Mc- Williams would issue his personal check upon present-day bank request I not unlike the (ML2IS) drafts). The first regular depositor, inci- dentally, was Hugh Thompson ; his grand- son: today, is one of the bank's officers. Until its incorporation in 1006, the Bank of Dwight was a private bank: even today, the capital stock remains in the McWilliams family, with the Ifi&sm the exception of shares held by bank's officers and directors. John P. McWilliams, Charles D. McWilliams, Jr., J. Alex- ander McWilliams. Harold FAT April 14. VSl] J. West, Angus S. Lower. the Bank of I) wight Jn: y Earl N. Hager are di- Dwight's first "perma- rectors. nent business place", and the State of ' Illinois' fifth ^^^5 oldest bank — will have com- f pleled One Hundred Solid 1 Years of Service. ^^^^^ We are proud of the fact that these one hundred years are years of continuous service — unmarred by recessions, depressions, and failures — service made possible lis forward-look- ing, yet conservative hanking practices. \ good example of the workability of these Rank of Dwight practices is the fact that the Bank of was one of the first to open its doors after the ••Hank Holiday" of 1933. The success of any hanking venture depends, of course, on the support received from the bank's customers. The officers and directors of the Bank Dwight of Dwight express their humble appreciation for the . F.D.I.C. support given the bank b) the people of the area . MEMBER. since 1855. JOHN P. McWHAIAMS HAROLD J. WEST ANCI'S S. LOWER HUGH THOMPSON President Executive LP & Cashier Vice President Asst. Cashier [1] . DWIC.HT CENTENNIAL • 1854-1954 This page is dedicated to the memory of . PAUL C. PAULSEN To have an ambition in life is one thing. fire occured Saturday morning and Monday To accomplish the goal set by that ambition morning, Mr. Paulsen was ready for busi- is quite another. Too often in business the ness in space secured in Zappa's garage, sight of the goal is lost in the eagerness to through the courtesy of B. Hamilton, who make profits. was operating this garage. Paul C. Paulsen started in business in Back in 1925 Mr. Paulsen bought the Dwight in 1917 with an ambition to give building now occupied by Howard Paulsen, this community the best equipped automo- his son, but did not move into it until June, bile sales and service garage it is possible 1930. With this he acquired the sales to maintain. He set the mark high and then agency of the Chevrolet Automobile and started out with a determination to accomp- Trucks. He immediately built a new front lish his end whatever the cost in effort. Mr. to the building, the following year built the Paulsen attained his goal by always having south wing, where the repair shop is lo- the best equipped shop and turning out cated; in 1942 built the modern service every job as near mechanically perfect as station on the corner of Chippewa and possible. Prairie Streets, and in 1952 set up Dwight's Mr. Paulsen came to Dwight 37 years ago first Used Car lot on the south side of from Chicago and started in business in a Chippewa Street. Mr. Paulsen always kept space rented in the rear of Christopher abreast of the times in building and re- Brothers, operating a repair shop. In Janu- modeling. ary, 1924, he purchased the business and In 1945 Mr. Paulsen took his son Howard equipment of George Brumbach's garage into the business continuing thus as a part- in the Kepplinger building, where he in- nership until his untimely death on Decem- herited the sales agency for the Oakland ber 29, 1953. The business that Mr. Paulsen Automobile; to this was added the Pontiac started in 1917, continues to be operated in 1926. This business was conducted until by his son Howard as Paulsen Chevrolet 1929 when fire destroyed the building and who will give the community the best in caused Mr. Paulsen considerable loss. The Automobile Service. PAULSEN SYMBOLIC OF SAVINGS EMBLEM OF EXCELLENCE [2] A GREAT PAST -A GREATER FUTURE AUGUST 15 TO 22, 1954 Dwight Centennial Association Edw. C. Dickler, Chairman Herbert C. Boyer, Vice Chairman Hugh Thompson, Secretary Maurice Nelson, Treasurer Pictured above are the members of the Dwight Centennial Committee. Left to right, they are: First row — James Oughton; Miss Ruth Brendley, Recording Secretary; Edw. Dickler; Hugh Thompson; Maurice Nelson; Back Row: Chester D. Pierce; Jim Baker; Rev. Paul F. Hartmann; Warren D. Kuster; C. J. Ahem, Jr.; Dr. J. L. Campbell; Herbert Boyer; George Hager; Harold West. @o*pu*Uttee4 . Centennial Book Ilistorir.il Committee—Tuesday Night Literary Industrial Exhibits—Dwight Auto Dealers' Association Club Queen Contest—American Legion Auxiliary Centennial Book Advertising Committee—Rotary Club Window and Hobby Displays—Order of Eastern Star Pageant Committee— Senior Woman's Club Womens' Painters Club and Pale Face Club—VFW Auxiliary Centennial Ball Committee—Lion's Club Bearded Brotherhood and Little Shavers Club—Veterans of Centennial Banquet Committee—Junior Woman's Club Fori ign Wars Parade Committee—Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Kiddie Parade—Sunday Schools of Dwight Churches Legion Centennial Seal and other Artistic Designing—Louis Groll Alumni Reunion—DTHS Alumni Association Lighting Committee—Public Service Employees and Dwight Safety and Police Committee—Dwight Fire Dept. Electricians Special Events—Gen. Centennial Committee Grounds Committees—Dwight School Boards Food Concessions, Homemakers Exhibits—Home Bureaus Collection of Properties for Pageant—Dwight Truckers Asso. American Legion Hospital Day—American Legion Religious Observances—Dwight Ministerial Association [3] D WIGHT CENTENNIAL • 1854-1954 At the left, Edward C. Dickler, Centennial Chairman, has just announced that Julaine Short will reign as queen of the Dwight Centennial. Sunny Christian- sen, in the background, will be a member of the Queen's court.