In Wells Fargo's Sacramento history, the one name that stands out is Felix Tracy. Tracy was widely known for his reliability as an express agent, but that position was only one he held during a life full of accomplishments. He served in public office, was appointed to expand education, worked for civil rights, and was active in community groups. Tracy's life was productive — for himself, his Company and his community.

Tracy was born in Moscow, New York and emigrated to California when he was 20 years old. Working first as a merchandiser in San Francisco, he then moved to the gold fields to take his chances . Soon after, he gave up prospecting and began his career as express agent.

Tracy began with Adams and Company Express  in 1855, opening an office in Salt Lake City. But later that year, Adams and Company went out of business; Felix Tracy was unemployed. Two years later, Tracy started as Wells Fargo's agent in Shasta, California . He was elected Shasta County Treasurer in 1861 and held that position for four years.

One year after his tenure as Treasurer, Tracy was selected to serve on the board that established a location for the University of California. After looking at several places, the board decided on Alameda County. By 1873, classes were being held at the University of California, Berkeley , because of Tracy's efforts.

But his brightest years were yet to come…in Part II, that is! Stay tuned!

Posted by Greg at 03:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in At Work, Experts, Misc, Museums, Perspective, Remember, Sacramento, Wells Fargo Bank

In my Monday post about Kate Buick, I related a story from her niece, Veva Buick Poorman regarding Kate's use of Morse code.

Here's another one about Kate from Ms. Poorman that describes how her aunt safeguarded Wells Fargo gold.

In Roseburg, Oregon , gold sometimes arrived on the evening train after the local bank was closed. Armed with a small pistol in her handbag, Kate Buick carried Wells Fargo gold home in a satchel. If it was too heavy for the satchel, Kate lugged the gold in Veva's lunchbox. The next morning, Buick would deposit the gold in the bank.

In December 1912, George Sewell replaced Kate Buick as Agent. Roseburg's newspaper, the Daily Review, declared:

In relieving Miss Buick as its local agent, the company was merely following out its newly adopted policy of placing all of its branch agencies in the hands of men. Many of its offices besides the one in this city are affected. Miss Buick, on account of her long experience and thorough efficiency, will be retained by the company as an assistant to Mr. Sewell.

Kate Buick had the last word when she married George Sewell seven months later.

In 1918, the federal government consolidated all express businesses, including Wells Fargo's, under a government-run corporation called American Railway Express . Mrs. Sewell continued work as an agent for Railway Express until 1939, and sporadically thereafter into the 1950s.

Today, nearly two-thirds of Wells Fargo employees are women.

As a tribute to women in the workforce, the Wells Fargo History Museum is collaborating with the Portland Police Museum  and Portland State University's Friends of History  to showcase a free presentation entitled Lola Baldwin, America's First Policewoman.

Posted by Steve at 02:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in At Work, Experts, First-hand Accounts, Gold, Misc, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank, Women's History

Wells Fargo has a good history of employing women. Between 1873 and 1918, Wells Fargo hired over 350 women as agents, whose duties included handling shipments of money, delivering mail, loading gold aboard trains and stagecoaches, selling money orders, and transferring funds by telegraph. Hundreds more women worked at Wells Fargo as auditors, clerks, copywriters, stenographers, and telephone operators.

One agent of note was Oregonian Kate Buick, employed by Wells Fargo & Co.'s Express in the Roseburg office from 1898 to 1912. Ms. Buick learned Morse code from her father, who was one of the first telegraph operators on the Southern Pacific Railroad line  between Roseburg and San Francisco.

In 1880, President Rutherford B. Hayes  made a trip across the West  and visited Oregon. A newspaper reporter covering the President’s visit came to the telegraph office to wire his report back East. Her father was overwhelmed with work at that moment, so Kate volunteered to send the telegram.

As Kate started to tap the message, the reporter said that he preferred an adult send the message—Kate was only thirteen years old at the time!

Immediately, the reporter penciled an addition to the story and announced to the nation that a young girl from Oregon sent the telegram. Kate's niece, Veva Buick Poorman, further recalled in a later interview that Kate Buick contributed to the war effort by using her knowledge of Morse code  to instruct over fifty people during World War I.

Posted by Steve at 10:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Found in Artifacts, At Work, Experts, Misc, Museums, Perspective, Railroads, Remember, Transportation, Wells Fargo Bank, Women's History

So Guided By History marks its second anniversary today. That's right, two years of bringing History to The People!

Frankly, I deserve all the credit, but I want to share it because that's just the kind of guy I am — a sharer.  I choose to share credit with:

• Valerie, our best buddy in Minneapolis.

• Joel and Ed, who do more things for the production of this blog than they're actually allowed to do.

• Henrik, who pushes 3 accurate buttons for every 12 wrong ones I push. (And who really oughta consider a safer sport...)

• Tim, who thought it was a pretty good idea and probably wonders if he made the right decision.

• All my colleagues in the History world of Wells Fargo who write so well.

And of course I share credit with all of you who drop by every day and check in with us. No YOU, no Guided By History. Period.

Thanks, Everyone!!

Posted by Charles at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Found in Experts, Get Involved, Holidays, Misc, Participate, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank

In Stagecoach days, drivers carried Wells Fargo treasure shipments and passengers across the frontier. It took skill to drive a coach and Wells Fargo added rigorous standards of its own: superior reinsmanship, self-reliance and upstanding character.

(FYI, it still takes driving talent and good character to drive Wells Fargo stagecoaches today.)

In 1855, 11-year old George Monroe came west from Georgia. When Monroe had grown, he came to exemplify the greatness of fact and legend of the best stagecoach drivers. He was described by his employers as "the best all-round reinsman in the West."

Early on, George Monroe exhibited a knack for training and driving horses. At age 22, he took a job driving for the A.H. Washburn and Company stage line into Yosemite . That stage line carried passengers and Wells, Fargo & Co.'s Express into Yosemite Valley. Monroe expertly navigated the treacherous cliff-side roads into the Valley and became the best driver around.

One time, the brakes of Monroe's coach failed between Mariposa  and Merced  while full of passengers. Monroe stayed cool, and at an opportune moment drove his team into a clump of brush, bringing the stage to a safe halt. Grateful passengers passed the hat and presented Monroe with $70.

In 1879, the celebrated Monroe was asked to carry a fellow celebrity into Yosemite — Ulysses S. Grant , 18th President of the United States. Grant's schedule took him and Mrs. Grant down the dangerous, 26-mile route into Yosemite Valley, with hairpin turns and fallen rocks and chuckholes. There was a stretch so narrow, the stagecoach's wheels brushed against the granite walls of the cliff. Inches from the other wheels was a thousand-foot gorge.

The crusty General chose to sit next to the driver, a place of honor in those days. An expert horseman in his own right, Grant's assessment of Monroe's skills would make or break his reputation as a stagecoach driver. Monroe did his magic and Grant was duly impressed: "He would throw those six animals from one side to the other," the President marveled, "to avoid a stone or a chuckhole as if they were a single horse."

By 1885, Monroe had driven two more Presidents to Yosemite: James A. Garfield and Rutherford B. Hayes, as well as General William T. Sherman. George Monroe died in 1886 when a stage overturned and mortally injured him. Ironically, Monroe was not the driver, but a passenger — it's a good bet he'd have avoided the accident entirely if he had been "in the box" as driver.

Posted by Charles at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in African American History, Animals, At Work, Branding, Events, Experts, Misc, Remember, Transportation, Wells Fargo Bank

Robberies of treasure carried by Wells Fargo Express aboard stagecoaches, unfortunately did take place. But Wells Fargo's crack detective force pursued the bandits with cold calculation and didn't stop pursuing till they netted the bad guys and locked them away. The legend "Wells Fargo Never Forgets" is the single best artifact from those years.

The town of Umatilla, Oregon  is nestled on the Columbia River  about three hours east of Portland. On October 21st, 1875, six miles outside of Umatilla, two men robbed the stagecoach from Boise City  and made off with gold from the Idaho mines .

Wells Fargo's detective force immediately sprang into action. Portland's Special Agent H. C. Paige sent a telegram to John J. Valentine, General Superintendent of Wells Fargo, to inform him that the extent of loss was unknown — but agents were in pursuit of the robbers. On October 29th, Paige wrote a letter to Valentine from Baker City , reporting a loss of up to $4,000, based upon the value of the gold listed on the manifest. Once the loss was known, Paige distributed a reward poster .

At first, Paige went after a red-headed fellow he had been suspicious of, based on a comb with red hairs found at the crime scene. A nearby hotel keeper confirmed the comb belonged to the suspect. On November 5th, Paige wrote Valentine from Pendleton . Two other suspects had confessed to the robbery and were in custody.

Paige had solved the case.

There is more about Wells Fargo's detective force at the Portland Museum. Our new exhibit, "Crime Scene Investigation: Officers in Pursuit," officially opened on January 16th. Check it out!

Posted by Steve at 09:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Found in Artifacts, At Work, Crime, Experts, First-hand Accounts, Misc, Museums, Perspective, Remember, Stagecoach, Wells Fargo Bank

Wells Fargo's Minneapolis History Museum has a program this month commemorating the 1982 Thanksgiving Day Fire. The Fire and people's memories are also featured on Wells Fargo's History site.

That blaze in downtown Minneapolis destroyed the Northwestern National bank headquarters, the company that rebuilt itself as Norwest and later merged with Wells Fargo.

The fire took everyone by surprise and the event was seared in the community's memory.

This year marked the 25th anniversary of the Fire. Minneapolis Curator Megan Schaack blogged about the fire, developed exhibits and hosted events that culled memories of the disaster, good and bad.

WellsFargoHistory.com has video memories from employees, including today's CEO John Stumpf, who began work immediately to get business back on track. The fire occured on Thanksgiving Thursday and burned through the weekend, but the Company opened first thing the following Monday morning. Rock stars!

The fire is a big deal in the Twin Cities. The Museum's events got a lot of attention from the media, in print from the Downtown Journal  and on TV at KARE  (Channel 11) and Fox 9 

(Check out how Channel 5   uses WellsFargoHistory.com as their content — that darn media!)

Posted by Charles at 02:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Found in At Work, Events, Experts, Fires, First-hand Accounts, Minneapolis, Misc, Museums, Natural Disasters, Participate, Perspective, Prepare, Remember, Thanksgiving, Wells Fargo Bank

I have been watching Ken Burns' The War  on PBS this past week. As a History guy, wars aren't my favorite topic (I'm more the Eyes on the Prize  type). But Burns has made some monumental pieces about stuff I like – baseball, Jazz and the West. I've seen none of them.

Frankly, it's an issue of time. Watching a two-parter is easier to arrange than seven parts of two hours over a week and a half. Invariably, I miss the first, half of the third and then the entire last night, only to struggle to see the repeats on Saturday afternoons. I end up on my bicycle instead, or distracted by college football (anyone see the Cal-Oregon  game? That was monumental!). Plus, after the success of The Civil War years ago, all documentaries since have been Burnsian – pans across photos, celebrities reading letters in character voice, slow fades with sad piano that jump to happy photos and barn dance music. It's a little hard to salute the guy who perfected that form when it's the only history you see – good, bad or History Channel .

My impression so far is that Burns' greatest strength is the ability to demonstrate the human experience in all his films. Burns stresses that wars may be necessary, but they're never "good." He records the events, then lets human beings and their feelings provide the last analysis: letters, a chuckle, the wry comment. It's quite effective because it's real. And no matter how zippy Americans were on the home front, or how stoic soldiers acted despite the grim purpose of their job, the reality of wholesale, anonymous death is the final message.

That's the only message, really. Courage, heartbreak, national identity and prosperity all proceed from muddy roads littered with dead bodies.

As I watch, I wonder what motivations may be at work, pro- or anti-war. I think Burns is above that, presenting watchable history that helps us decide for ourselves. But there is something at work, a generational thing  that is, in my estimation, as historical as the events in The War. As Baby Boomers  near retirement age, there is an appeal to reach out to their parents, the same people who experienced the Second World War firsthand.

Baby Boomers were the American dividend after the War. Thousands of GIs returned home expecting payoff for their sacrifices and got it – marriage, family, the GI Bill and a world-driving economy. For 15 years or so after the war, couples with suburban tastes churned out millions of babies who were reared on Ricky Nelson and weaned on the Beatles. They rejected their parents' world in the '60s by pretending to uncover a new consciousness, only to become conservative Republicans in the '80s with a 20-year consumerist mania that made the '50s look positively quaint. Feeling a certain guilt for unparalled social destruction for its own sake, Boomers pine to celebrate their parents' successes.

As Steven M. Levine wrote , many Boomers "have the feeling that back in the Sixties they went a bit too far. Sometimes they even put the Idea of America into question, asking not when America would live up to its ideals but whether America could live up to those ideals." Levine continues:

Dissent meant making America live up to its vision of itself, it did not mean questioning whether America could actually do it and still be another ordinary nation-state. The Sixties mostly did not ask this question either, but it was posed. In posing it, one transgressed the so-called 'rituals of consensus,' as Scavan Bercovitch calls them, which tied together the Idea or Symbol of America. Not only did Boomers transgress these rituals, but they also transgressed them while having a good time. Of course, there were many, many serious young men and women...but there were many other young men and women who mouthed the slogans.... One has the feeling that the Boomers, now looking at themselves retrospectively, don't think this really stood up compared with the trials of their parents, the so-called Greatest Generation (another Boomer obsession).

William Strauss and Neil Howe  have written interesting books on this generational thesis of history (and as Boomers, have also built a thriving business around it). Their first, Generations, is very detailed, well-written, and easy to recommend. If this generational thesis is off the mark, and it's just good ideas entertained on a blog, Burns has done well enough making me think about history and about events that shape my world.

If this thesis is correct, then Burns' film continues a chronicle of Boomer apology.

Posted by Charles at 04:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Found in Baseball, Experts, Films, Misc, Movies, Perspective, Protests, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank

Once upon the '90s, SPY magazine  had a section called "Logrolling in Our Time"  that described how authors would hail each other's works in turn. The upshot was a certain lack of objectivity. Well, Logrolling is an art, I guess, and I have a regular Stradivarius  in this blog.

First off, there's a new feature in here, "Ask the Expert." Have a question and want a personalized, somewhat smart-alecky answer? Welcome aboard, matey—hit the button, and your response is only hours away (maybe months—it's up to me.) But The Expert is IN.

Seriously, though, we get questions in the comments box, and we want to answer reasonable questions with reasonable answers. (And the opposite, too.) So ask us those tough questions you expect on exam day. We're here to help.

Now to Logrolling. The bloggers at our companion site, The Student LoanDown, are about to celebrate their one-year anniversary in the 'sphere, and it's my duty to not only wish them a Happy Birthday, but to send you, dear reader, to The LoanDown. You see, the blogosphere was developed in anticipation of The LoanDown—it combines all the best of knowledge, service, help, wit and flat-out graphical beauty.

It's the promise of the Internet, fulfilled.

And I'm not just saying that. Earlier this week we all met and discussed stuff that affects us as bloggers—and, yes, as artists—and it was all those bloggers at LoanDown who are driving the Wells Fargo presence on the blogosphere. What you see here was built there.

Happy Birthday, LoanDown! Keep it going! But slow down a little, will ya? It's hard for an old fogey like me to keep up.

Posted by Charles at 12:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Found in At Work, Branding, Experts, Holidays, Misc, Perspective, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank

The history of the American West  is a changing field, which makes sense if you follow the history of the environmental West. That is directly concerned with the changes in landscape from human actions. But the West as history has several interesting dimensions.

First, the West is a place that is hard to accurately plot: Minnesota was way out there in the 1830s. Daniel Boone  made a name for himself leading pioneers West—to Kentucky. St. Jo  was the edge of the earth for most Americans in the 1840s and California was, well, another country entirely, seen only by sailors as a sort of high seas rest stop. California and the Pacific Northwest have their own coastal distinction, and Texas is it's own thing entirely. But all are the West. Count in the Dakotas and the Great Plains, too. And how many of you thought of Nebraska as the West?

Western historians have been arguing for a generation about where the West "begins." One operating consensus is the 100th Meridian , which marks the western reach of moist air. (See also the contentious 98th Meridian .) Westward from there, agriculture relies heavily on irrigation.

After the Civil War, industry in the United States developed rapidly. Corporations, transportation and technologies moved people westward, along with their schemes for getting rich. The West urbanized rather quickly due to the huge migration. The "wide-open spaces" of our national myth is in truth the most urbanized region , and much of the expanse is federally controlled land or possessed by large-scale resource extraction—mining, agriculture, water projects, etc.

The West has experienced the effects of several layers of people and cultures. Effects as real as layers of geography in shaping the region. Humans apparently arrived in the West  between 10,000 and more than 40,000 years ago, following megafauna . These people evolved across the continent; there was a great variety of cultures when Europeans arrived. The West had indigenous empires, French mountain men, British trading outposts, Russian forts, and flourishing Spanish and Mexican colonies. Anglo and African American populations of the United States pressed west from the original colonies. The California Gold Rush  brought the whole dang world to the West. Asian populations crossed the Pacific to the Wild, Wild East.

Many people still imagine the West as a mythic thing, a point in fancy where white men ride tall and silent, women long to serve them, and diverse peoples don't exist unless they're outlaws or corrupt officials. But it ain't so and, frankly, never was. Even Western stories have changed, from simplistic cowboy heroes on the silver screen to the trenchant cowboy fiction of Cormac McCarthy . The West is still in transition because it's a vital, changing place.

Posted by Charles at 02:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Found in Animals, Experts, Hollywood, Latin America, Misc, Movies, Perspective, Remember, Westerns

This morning I find a plaque on my desk with a note, "Blog?" That's an easy question, because the answer is always "Yes"—if it exists, it's as good as blogged about. Which is both existential philosophy  and grammaticide . Whatever.

Anyway, the plaque commemorates a partnership between Wells Fargo and TIME Magazine , "40 Years of Partnership in LATIN AMERICA."

In 1941, Wells Fargo Bank & Union Trust Co. ran an ad in TIME that showed booming levels of trade with Latin America. Much of Latin America enjoyed recovery from the worldwide Great Depression  of the 1930s, thanks to better prices for their exports and a nicer exchange rate of international money. Some nations were able to settle their debts, stimulate internal economies and meet demands for their products in world markets. Industry in Latin America  had reached maturity, and with the Depression affecting the whole world, that maturity came at a good time. Things were looking up.

World War II  broke out in Europe in 1939, and industry became the vital component of alliances. Combatants needed stuff and lots of it. Latin American industries were ready, but as with every business, they wanted cash. North American and European banks stood in line to invest, and Wells Fargo Bank & Union Trust was one.

The Company established representative firms and correspondent relationships throughout the region, and—after other institutions moved on to other business—Wells Fargo stuck around. By 1981, Wells Fargo's Interamerican Bank was able to boast of a long and stable history of business in the hemisphere.

Presently, Wells Fargo has bustling foreign exchange and international operations that span geographies and commodities. Wells Fargo has had correspondent international offices since the first day of business in 1852—because a wider field of business is a wider field of opportunity.

Posted by Charles at 12:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Found in Artifacts, Experts, Latin America, Misc, Perspective, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank

Did you feel the excitement in the air this week? No? Well, this wasn’t broadcast live on television.  It wasn’t made into a musical.  The winners probably won’t throw the first pitch  at a major league baseball game. But, for a select few, this week was the highlight of months of effort, and a time they’ll likely remember for years to come. I won’t keep you in suspense any longer—it’s National History Day! 

For lack of a better comparison, think of a science fair only starring young historians doing original historical research and interpretation. Students choose topics relating to a broader theme, conduct research through libraries, archives, museums, oral history interviews and historic sites. After organizing the research and drawing conclusions, students present their work through categories such as original paper, exhibit, and performance. Students proceed through local and state competitions, hoping to make it all the way to national. The National Contest just finished this week. Even Ken Burns—a historical interpretation celebrity(!)—was there.

I had the pleasure of judging history day for the first time a number of years ago, and look forward to it every year. (I am proud to support a home team, and mention Sacramento County  has two contestants at nationals this year.) Considering our company history, it is no surprise that other Wells Fargo employees enjoy supporting National History Day in some way. Some of the Wells Fargo History Museum  curators have judged and recruited large numbers of other employees to participate at local or state competitions. Wells Fargo has sponsored local and national prizes for special topics. And, the Wells Fargo History Museums serve as teaching environments to support parents and students.

So if this has piqued your interest, or you can think of a young aspiring historian or curator to share this information  with, find out more and be part of the excitement  next year!

Posted by Anne at 07:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Found in Events, Experts, First-hand Accounts, Get Involved, Holidays, Misc, Museums, Participate, Perspective, Sacramento, San Francisco, Wells Fargo Bank

Wells Fargo's Public Relations Department circulated these memos regularly in the late 1940s. There are hundreds of them in the archives. The purpose was to encourage employees to practice self-confidence and keep cool under pressure. The ultimate benefits were better relations among co-workers and better customer service.

What's interesting to me, besides the stunning letterhead, is the ordinary use of psychology at this time. So many of these circulars discuss the mental roots of everyday problems and the psychological methods individuals can employ to neutralize bad tendencies and heighten the positive. Remember, this comes from Public Relations, which exists to construct a message that reassures the public. If there's psychology involved, you can bet it's pretty standard.

In the early 20th century, Freudian psychology  was transforming away from taboo and scandal to a normal topic of conversation. But it was pretty subjective; the analysis of dreams and pondering the depths of the mind seemed impractical to many. Behaviorism emerged to explain that human action was based on conditioning. Learned behavior had more practical use than experimental stuff of dreams and repression.

Behaviorism  was especially popular with business studies. Certain stimuli evoke certain responses. B.F. Skinner  and Ivan Pavlov  were the stars, demonstrating that animals (including human beings) could be "trained" to behave in certain ways.

The psychology of these memos is especially grounded in action. If people regiment themselves to be cool as a cucumber, tough situations will lessen. If a person strives to finish each task, without going in several directions, they will become more important as well as more productive, etc. Each of us can change our circumstances as well as any laboratory.

Before the Roaring '20s , psychology was the domain of wickedness and crackpots. After World War I, it came into the open. By the late '40s, it was the subject of office circulars helping ordinary people do better work. Over the next generation, psychology would recast the mold on child rearing  and women's place in society . A complete evolution of the human potential.

All in one little memo.

Posted by Charles at 09:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Found in Animals, Artifacts, B.F. Skinner, Dogs, Experts, Freud, Pavlov, Psychology, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank

So here's the story: San Francisco's Crocker National Bank merged with First National in 1925 and moved the operations to First National's offices across the street. Big deal, right?

No. The move, though, was what you'd expect for the times—a bunch of guys with dollies, carts and ramps. But the cargo! A hundred million bucks, moving across the street. Never mind the value, folks: $100,000,000 weighs a lot.

So here's the picture from the San Francisco Chronicle, with the execs standing out of the way. Meanwhile, the dozen guys hired to schlep the cash are workin' hard. We historians like to gauge the class distinctions that live in this image, but I prefer to notice what all the men have in common—they are all dressed like it's a wedding or something.

In those days, you wore a necktie to work, be you president or Teamster. Ah, the past...

Fast forward to 1960 and another move. Wells Fargo opened its modern (groovy is a better word for it) round office. It needs a stagecoach, of course, and here come the same people in this project. While the stagecoach moves by crane across San Francisco skies, the execs are out of the way—although they do admire the work. Meanwhile, the four guys hired to schlep the icon around the block are workin' hard.

But they are not wearing suits to move the coach. We historians would celebrate the changes brought about by organized labor, allowing working people to define their own weltanschauung. I, however, prefer to notice what all the men have in common—headgear.

Not much changed in those 40-ish years. While fedoras have gone away, most men still wear billed caps.

In this world, nothing is certain but death and taxes. And hats—a historical constant.

Posted by Charles at 09:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Found in Artifacts, At Work, Experts, Museums, Prepare, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank

I Got A Meeting In The Ladies Room ...
I'll Be Back Real Soon ... 

I am intrigued about the concept of a Women's Lounge in a bank. Apparently, from roughly 1915 through the 1940s it was not unusual for a bank to provide a dedicated private space for its female customers.

I came across a brochure in the Archives, issued by Wells Fargo Bank & Union Trust Company (Wells Fargo's formal name from 1924-50), entitled "To Our Women Customers." The pamphlet reads, "The Women's Lounge on the third floor, is a place to rest, relax, and meet your friends. We invite you to use it."

Imagine ... an exclusive, attractively decorated space in a secure building where women can gather to relax, rest, and socialize after they do their banking. No minimum drink purchase required! This concept was not exclusive to Wells Fargo. I found examples of other banks that also provided such amenities for female customers.

On Sunday, May 30, 1915, the Omaha (Neb.) Daily News ran a story on the new United States National Bank building that featured an exclusive ladies room:

It is intended for the use of the patrons of the bank and is furnished luxuriously ... This is an innovation in banking methods that has recently come into rather general practice, to provide separate departments for the care of women.

The Northwestern National Bank of Minneapolis offered a "Ladies Lounge" in its main banking area and printed checks that featured "Women's Department."

These days, your local Wells Fargo store may not have an exclusive women's lounge. However, it is nice to know that they still have dedicated financial services for women. Just in case any bank executives happen to read this ... bring back the Women's Lounge, please! (Perhaps with a martini bar?)

Ladies—are you with me?

Posted by Keri at 12:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Found in Artifacts, Experts, Perspective, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank

While the holiday season is often referred to as extravagant, with a hyped-up "dispose of the old and upgrade to the new" mentality, I'm enjoying conversations with Wells Fargo History Museum visitors that seem to reflect the contrary. They refer affectionately to cherished toys—no matter how old and tattered—they hope to pull out on occasion for years to come and pass down to future generations. So here are some resources to help you do just that.

• For those "best friends" from your childhood 
• G.I. Joe and Barbie need long-term care, too! 
• To avoid the broken MONOPOLY box syndrome 

Plus, some other general sites:

• An overview 
• The hard work part of genealogy 
• A series of pamphlets about specific items and problems 

Archivist Christy Johnson also recommends the following:

• Keep items clean, whether that be in a nice UV-filtered display case (for limited light exposure) or the original packaging (keep in mind that light damage is cumulative and once the colors on your boxes fade, they will not return). Light damage and dust are probably two of the biggest concerns for toys. I would keep items out of direct sunlight.
• Keep a good list of your items. If something is destroyed or damaged, it is always good to track items and best to have photos of the items' original condition. Also, while storing items , make sure that the toys, whether still in packages or not, are in archival boxes, paper or sleeves.

From the personal side of helping the family clean out the houses of relatives, I can also suggest a few things. Tell people the stories and memories associated with your pieces. Write down and keep your stories stored with the objects. Put them in a special place, set aside from the items of daily activity. I'm not saying to hide things away, not at all. But make sure they won't get jumbled up and discarded during the stress of cleaning out .

There is an incredible amount of information out there, and it can feel a little overwhelming when you just want to care for that stuffed bear from the 1950s. Try not to feel daunted, and just do something. Pull out your beloved items, check out the condition, and think about its storage environment. Better to take just a few small steps now, as opposed to pulling beloved teddy out in five years to show someone, only to find it moldy, faded, or moth-eaten beyond recognition.

Posted by Anne at 09:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Found in Artifacts, At Home, Experts, Museums, Prepare, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank

Christmas comes but once a year. It means fun, gifts—and bills! But you can have a bill-free Christmas if you save for it systematically.

This was how Wells Fargo marketed its "Christmas Club" in the early 1960s.

I came across a few examples in the Archives of how Wells Fargo promoted savings accounts to assist with holiday spending. The idea was simple: Make weekly deposits to your Christmas Club Account, and toward the end of the year you receive a check for the amount saved—plus regular interest. You planned ahead for what you could afford and what you would spend.

How sensible! I think this worked rather well until credit cards became prevalent and allowed you to buy now and pay later (for which I am guilty).

I realize that growing up, I benefited from a solid holiday savings plan. My mother, a single parent with two children, regularly contributed to her Wells Fargo Christmas Club Account every month in order to pay for bills and Christmas gifts. Today, she recalled for me how "wonderful" it was to get that check at the end of the year. I'm sure it is how I was able to receive my most memorable Christmas gift—a Barbie Townhouse®.

Wells Fargo no longer offers a Christmas Club Account per se but does provide alternative savings plans to meet your financial goals, whatever they may be.

As for me, I plan on spending more on bills than presents or savings. Merry Christmas, heating bill!

Posted by Keri at 02:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Found in Artifacts, Experts, First-hand Accounts, Museums, Remember, Wells Fargo Bank

This from paradise:

Kilauea is ready to fall into the ocean, scientists fear . Well, not actually—the delta formed by continuous lava flow is about to break off the side of the volcano and return to Davy Jones' Locker .

The good news is that volcanoes are busily forming land masses,  at least over zillions of years. With a little patience, there will be more Hawai'i for more people.

And with more turf comes more life. Lush, tropical life  in paradise.

Posted by Charles at 01:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Found in Experts, Natural Disasters, Wells Fargo Bank

The Hurricane Season of 2006—in the U.S., that is—was a dud. That is, if you like hurricanes, evacuations, insurance claims ...

The latest  from both government agency  and academic research  sources suggests that 2006 was a no-hurricane year thanks to El Niño. The change in oceans directly affects hurricanes, which are brewed in the air over the oceans. Naturally, next year promises to be a doozy.

The news report added: "No hurricanes hit the U.S. Atlantic coast in 2006—only the 11th time that has occurred since 1945."

Lull before the storm?

Posted by Charles at 11:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Found in Ernesto, Experts, Hurricanes, Katrina, Natural Disasters, Prepare, Wells Fargo Bank

This from the AP: A high school senior from Eugene, Ore. won $100,000 at the nation's top high school science competition . Dmitry Vaintrob, from South Eugene High School , submitted his project in a new area of mathematics called string topology . This mathematical field  applies to electricity, magnetism and gravity.

Also winning a $100,000 scholarship was a team of students from Oakridge High School  in Oakridge, Tenn.—Scott Molony, Steven Arcangeli and Scott Horton. Their project is concerned with engineering biofuel from plants .

The march of science can never be halted, as long as curiosity beats in the human heart. And as long as $100,000 is available in an era of soaring college costs. Good work, scholars!

Posted by Charles at 01:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Found in Events, Experts, Participate, Prepare, Wells Fargo Bank

As if you didn't have enough to do already, now we have to start packing for Jupiter .

Stephen Hawking  has declared what we all know is inevitable: Humankind must begin colonizing space because we are vulnerable here with no escape hatch. Not only do we face threats from within, but the threat of a cosmic accident , like a comet crashing into us, has statisticians and laypeople alike biting their nails in fear. (OK, maybe not ...)

Not to worry, citizens of Earth. Colonizing space is an old idea. Scientists and astronauts have been discussing the probable return to the moon  by U.S. flight. China is in the game  as well, and Russia was in space first . All of this because of the commercial p