In 1913, the bank received a National Charter and began its dual operation as Ames National Bank and Ames Trust & Savings Bank. The bank moved into a new home at the southeast corner of Main and Kellogg in 1914.
• 1965
In 1965, Ames Trust & Savings Bank converted from a State to a National Charter under its present name, First National Bank. Close on the heels of its change in name, First National opened their first branch banking facility in Ames in 1967. The new University Office, located in Campustown across the lake from the Memorial Union, was warmly received by the university community and has contributed significantly to First National's growth in the ensuing years.
• 1971
On March 29, 1971, First National opened its doors in its present Main Branch located at 405 5th Street. Service to the community continued with the increase in real estate, installment and commercial loans and a Trust Department.
• 1979
In 1979, a new, larger University Office was constructed just west of the previous location on Lincoln Way, improving the bank's services to Iowa State University and to West Ames.
• 1997
The North Grand grocery branch relocated to Cub Foods in 1990 and a new North Grand Office opened at the corner of 24th and Grand in 1997. Bank services expanded to include: New Horizons, secondary market real estate loan services, and investment services for the community. As the bank services continued to grow, so did the bank itself, leading to the Main Office's renovation and expansion on multiple occasions during the last decade.
• 2007
In 2007, the Ankeny Office opened its doors for business, bringing the total number of office locations to four. As First National Bank celebrates over a century of service and success, we'll continue our overwhelming commitment to Ames, Ankeny, the surrounding communities and to you.
• 2014
In 2014, First National Bank purchased First Bank in West Des Moines. This purchase allowed First National Bank to expand its footprint to Central Iowa to better service its customers and provided a variety of new banking services to the customers of First Bank. As community, family-focused banks, the partnership provided an excellent fit for both organizations.
• 2018
In September 2018, First National Bank celebrated the opening of three new locations; two in Osceola and one in Murray. This growth took us to 10 locations including seven locations throughout Ames, Ankeny and the Des Moines Metro.
First National Bank will strive to be the Premier Community Bank committed to high quality service to our customers and communities, while providing a consistent and rewarding experience for our employees and shareholders, in order to build on our tradition as “Your Bank of a Lifetime”
Guiding Principles/Core Values
Fulfilling First National Bank’s Mission involves the following principles, representative of the Bank’s core values:
- Top quality customer service
- Integrity along with ethical and responsible behavior in all we do
- Employee development and satisfaction
- Loyalty to our shareholders and communities
- Sound risk management practices
- Superior financial strength and stability
First National Bank is an independent, local community bank, established in 1875 in Bellevue Ohio. As a local community bank, we focus our attention on the needs of local families, businesses, and farmers. We pride ourselves in knowing our customers by their first name and the owners of the businesses in the communities we serve. Our Employees live and work in the communities we serve. They devote their time to coach local sports teams, serve on local not for profit boards, lead scouting groups and get involved in many other community activities. We take a responsible approach to financial services. We believe in excellent personalized customer service. When you put your money in First National Bank you are helping your friends and neighbors develop small business, run family farms, purchase homes, and build financial security. This is because your money is reinvested back in our community through loans to the neighborhoods where our depositors live and work, helping to keep our community vibrant and growing. We continue to offer competitive products and services that are beneficial to our customers. We have nine (9) convenient offices available to serve you and several ATMs located throughout the area.
We are totally committed to serving the financial needs of each community we serve. We’re Safe. We’re Trustworthy. We’re Local. We’re “Your Bank of a Lifetime®” First National Bank of Bellevue received its national charter on September 30, 1875. At that time, the founding fathers made a commitment to serve the needs of the Bellevue area, and this has been carried forth through the generations, from that day forward. The dedication of this independent, home-owned financial institution was maintained in the Bellevue area until leadership responded to the needs of the Catawba community.
On July 5, 1988, First National Bank opened its doors at 200 S.E. Catawba Road, Port Clinton. The full-service branch facility was housed in a modular office building and was staffed with quality, efficient personnel. Subsequently, in the summer of 1990, an automatic teller machine (ATM) was installed to better service the off-hour needs of our customers, as well as seasonal tourists.
This office soon grew beyond its capacity and the decision was made to expand the facility into a more permanent structure. Throughout the summer of 1992, the community anxiously awaited the completion of the enlarged, state-of-the-art facility. Along with this expansion, the ATM machine was housed in the drive-thru lanes complete with three modern drive-thru units. The completed facility was opened for business in October, 1992 and stands ready to service the full needs of the permanent residential and seasonal tourist communities, as well as the surrounding areas.
When a large bank announced its intent to close their branch office at Put-In-Bay, First National Bank seized the opportunity to service the needs of that community. On April 10, 1991, the Bank officially opened its full-service branch at 172 Delaware Avenue. This small office was located in the rear of the fudge shop. At this same time, an ATM was placed in the Island General Store to service the needs of the community during bank after-hours.
The Bank welcomed the opportunity to transfer this machine over to the newly constructed Bath House in DeRivera Park in the spring of 1992. With this location change, the residential and seasonal tourist users witnessed an improved accommodation for transacting their business.
With the expansion of business, the Bank soon realized its need to enhance its facility. Land was purchased at 180 Erie Street and plans to construct a modern office structure were underway by the fall of 1992. Local residents watched as the new building was “floated” across Lake Erie aboard the Miller Boatline Ferry. The building was completely constructed in a factory with final construction of the two units taking place on-site. By mid-summer of 1993, the Bank welcomed its customers to this enlarged facility exhibiting its nautical decor.
In 1995, the Bank announced its plans to again respond to the needs of Ottawa County residents and business concerns, with the purchase of the former Elks building at 117 W. Perry Street in downtown Port Clinton. The Bank razed that structure and erected an eye-appealing, functional office space designed to enhance the financial services of the area. We are proud to mention that this office building received the 1996 Beautification Award from the Port Clinton Chamber of Commerce.
First National Bank opened its first office located within the boundaries of Erie County, with the purchase of a former bank site located at 3410 Venice Road. Management then proceeded to complete extensive building modifications required to update the facility and extend financial services to the residents and businesses in that area. The doors at this office were opened to the public for the first time on January 30, 1998.
On February 18 of 2014, First National Bank opened a full-service pilot office in Clyde located at 103 E. McPherson Hwy. Due to the success of our pilot office, the decision was made to construct a new state-of-the-art facility. This structure is located across the street at 122 E. McPherson Highway. Services have now been expanded to include a drive-thru, night depository and ATM facilities. The new Clyde branch officially opened its doors on Tuesday, November 24, 2015.
First National Bank continues to grow. In August 2016, FNB announced that we had started planning to expand our banking network into the Fremont market by purchasing real estate at 1300 Oak Harbor Road in Fremont. We opened for business in June 2017 at that location. A Fremont office is part of the Bank’s strategic plan to expand our footprint in surrounding communities to our current locations. This latest addition will further provide our customers greater accessibility to banking services that meet their financial needs.
The groundbreaking of a 2,573 square foot addition and remodel of our Corporate Headquarters in Bellevue began in March 2019 and was completed in early 2020. This complete remodel of existing floor space of our North Street building was the first major renovation since 1978. Over the years, various modifications have been made to accommodate growth and staffing needs. The addition and redesign of the floor space brought operation and personnel all to the main level. ATM and Night Depository was relocated to the first lane of the drive thru to enhance safety and security.
Our Customers Asked. We Listened. In August 2019, President and CEO Dean J. Miller announced plans to expand into Perkins Township with the purchase of a branch office located at 4000 Milan Road in Sandusky. The bank opened for business on August 17, 2020. An office in Perkins Township expanded our footprint in the Erie County market which has been a priority of the Bank’s strategic plan for several years. This latest addition along the State Route 250 corridor further provided our customers greater accessibility to banking services that meets their financial needs.
FNB continues to grow once again. In May 2021, First National Bank announced its intention to open a new full-service location at 345 Milan Avenue in Norwalk. The Norwalk office will mark the 9th location in the bank’s branch network when it opened it’s doors on April 26, 2022. Dean Miller, President and CEO said, “Our main office is located in Huron County so it is a natural extension for us to open a location in the county seat. Norwalk is a vibrant city and the demographics are so similar to the other communities we serve. We are glad to be able to bring a branch facility to the area for the clients we already do business with in this market.”