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My colleague Marianne Babal is a VIP in the Public History world  (scroll down a little). A friend of hers teaches at The College of William & Mary  in Williamsburg, Virginia, and earlier this year his/her students found a treasure trove.

In an attic (totally by chance!), they found records  related to Maggie L. Walker.  Walker was the first woman to charter a bank in the United States, and one of few women bank presidents.

Her story led us to include her in our exhibit in San Francisco, "Women Making Financial History."

Maggie Walker  lived in Richmond, Virginia, where she raised a family as well as involving herself with civic activities. She was active in the Grand Order of St. Luke, later renamed the Independent Order of St. Luke. The Order was a benevolent organization , many of which existed in the 19th century (and today) to aid members with education, insurance, recreation, charity, dispute resolution and friendship. In 1899, Mrs. Walker became the leader of the organization, and her business skills helped the Order to prosper.

Walker's ambition was to found a financial institution by and for African Americans. In 1903, she organized the St. Luke's Penny Savings Bank , which loaned to black businesses, students and homebuyers. Assets grew, and Walker's bank was able to survive the Great Depression — legend has it the bank was one of the few banks that did not close during the "Bank Holiday" in 1933.  Her bank survives today as Consolidated Bank and Trust. 

Maggie Lena Walker  was someone who made history without necessarily trying to. She went to work and did everything she could to make her ideas become realities. She did it, and developed a community for women and for African American in the middle of Jim Crow. She provided financial services — bank accounts, investment services and loans — for people who might not have had other options. Her home is now a National Historic Site , rightly so.

But it's additional honor to her that we all keep her history current, by recognizing her hard work, and the positive impact she had on her community.

Biographies mention Mrs. Walker was a great and inspirational speaker. The lady had it all!

Charles

Sala Faruq works as a museum assistant at the Wells Fargo History Museum in Old Town San Diego. We are thrilled to present her first post at GBH! (CR)

When traveling by stagecoach, passengers were only allowed 40 pounds of luggage. Travelers packed clothing and blankets, and firearms were common, as well as some type of water container.

In the 1800s, there were several options available for canteens — metal and wood were popular. Perhaps the most versatile material for a canteen, though, was the gourd.

A gourd is  "any of several trailing or climbing plants related to the pumpkin, squash, and cucumber and bearing fruits with a hard rind." This titan of the plant world is durable, lightweight and watertight. It grows in a variety of shapes and sizes. And in addition to tropical and semi-tropical zones throughout the world, the gourd can be found in the temperate climates of California and the Southern United States — the route of the Overland stagecoaches!

In San Diego County, the Kumeyaay  (pronounced: KOOM-eh-YI) have used the gourd for a variety of purposes for hundreds years. Jamacha means "wild gourd" in the Kumeyaay language. The city of Jamacha represents the area in the Kumeyaay territory where the wild gourd grows.

You can make your own gourd canteen just as the Kumeyaay did, and passengers on the Overland coaches may have done. Why not experience an eco-friendly alternative to the plastic bottle?

The materials to make a gourd canteen are simple and easy to obtain. If you want to create your own canteen, check-out my "How To" (PDF)....

Ryan

When I was a kid, I viewed Veterans Day  as another holiday to commemorate distant events, and one of two times a year my Cub Scout  troop would place flags on graves at a local Veterans Cemetery.  In hindsight, I didn't even converse or thank my closest Veterans, my grandfather and father.

Following the attacks of 9/11, my subsequent joining the Navy Reserve , and a deployment to the Middle East, I have a different perspective.

This Veterans Day I would like to express appreciation to all Veterans and their spouses. To Wells Fargo, I add my appreciation — the Company is an outstanding employer of Veterans, and an outstanding banker to men and women in uniform.

Veterans Day  was originally founded as Armistice Day, a day to commemorate the cessation of fighting on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. Unfortunately the "War to End all Wars" was not — and the world and United States have been party to another World War, and countless conflicts since then. In 1954, President Eisenhower converted the holiday to Veterans Day, to honor all American Veterans.

Wells Fargo's service to the military and its members goes back a century and a half. Wells Fargo transported coin and currency for military payroll to remote army posts in California and Arizona. During World War I and World War II, large percentages of its employees were activated for military service

Talk about customer service! At the outbreak of World War I when Americans fleeing Europe abandoned luggage in their haste, Wells Fargo's Vice President of Traffic, F. S. Holbrook, took it upon himself to gather 400 abandoned trunks and ship them to Wells Fargo warehouses in America where they were matched with their owners — free of charge. Wells Fargo continued to operate through London and Paris correspondent offices during the entire war, and assisted countless American doughboys in transferring letters and remittances stateside.

Several of the members of Wells Fargo's family tree were founded specifically to serve men and women in the military. One example is the Army National Bank of Fort Lewis, Washington.

Another bank, through the Norwest lineage, has continued to this day as Wells Fargo Worldwide Military Banking, a bank within a bank that focuses on serving our men and women in uniform.

During World War II, one-quarter of Wells Fargo's employees served in the military — including Isaias Hellman III, who was elected President of the bank while still serving in the Army Air Corps. That war also saw women join the workforce in higher numbers. By the end of World War II, women comprised 60% of Wells Fargo employees.

Wells Fargo continues to go above and beyond in supporting team members who are in the Guard and Reserve.  In addition to providing benefits for mobilized employees that are in excess of mandated USERRA  minimums, Wells Fargo sponsors an internal employee organization, the Wells Fargo Military Veterans Resource Group, which provides a network of support for employees and family members. The organization is open to all employees regardless of past or present military affiliation.

So this Veterans Day I would like to thank all remaining Veterans from World War II, "the Greatest Generation." I would like to thank all Veterans of the "Forgotten War," the Korean War. I would like to thank all Veterans of the Vietnam War. I would like to thank all Veterans of the Gulf War. I would like to thank all Veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

I would also like to thank all military spouses, including my own, Alice, who take care of the broken air-conditioners, flat-tires, and bills while the service member is deployed. I would like to thank all children who miss their nightly bedtime story or Saturday game with their deployed parent.

I would also like to thank all employers, especially Wells Fargo, of members of the Guard and Reserve who go above and beyond in their flexibility and support for their employees who are called away at a moment's notice for an unknown time period.

All of these parties named are part of the support network that assists the service member during deployment, and enable him or her to stay focused on the mission over there so we can sleep soundly over here.

Thank you for your service at all levels! Happy Veterans Day!

Charles

On Saturday, November 7, 19 Wachovia Bank stores in Colorado will convert to the Wells Fargo brand. Although Colorado is the first state where Wachovia signs will disappear, Wells Fargo is not a newcomer to the Centennial State.

On November 1, 1866 Wells Fargo, took over the operation of the major stagecoach routes west of the Missouri River. This "Grand Consolidation" was with Denver-based Holladay  Overland Mail & Express Company.

Wells Fargo already operated stage companies, but the merger with Holladay’s network spread Wells Fargo stagecoach operations across 4,000 miles of territory. The Company covered the Rocky Mountains, and stretched from the Great Plains to the Pacific.

Wells Fargo was founded in New York in 1852, as a joint-stock association, the usual formation of that era. With the 1866 consolidation, the Company filed incorporation papers in the Colorado Territory in 1866.

Wells Fargo & Company operated under its Colorado charter for a century.

From the corner of 'F' and Holladay Streets in downtown Denver, Wells Fargo stagecoaches rolled out in all directions—north on the Overland route via Ft. Bridger and Boulder to Salt Lake City; west to the mines of Central City and Georgetown; and northeast to meet the transcontinental railhead as it advanced from Nebraska.

As with its California Gold Rush beginnings, a good portion of Wells Fargo’s business was transporting gold, silver, and currency.

And as in California a decade ealier, Wells Fargo entered the banking business in Denver. A local newspaper told Coloradoans that Wells Fargo could now "attend to their business to the ends of the earth if required."

By the following summer, three Wells Fargo stagecoaches arrived or departed Denver every day, with passengers, news and mail....

Ileana

When was the last time you lost $2,150? And because of a hole—not in your pocket, but in your stocking!

The Wells Fargo History Museum in San Francisco recently opened a new exhibit, "Women Making Financial History." It interprets the many different roles women have played and are playing in the financial world: as bankers, as customers, as pioneers; even as images on currency. If you’re in town, I’d definitely recommend you check it out.

(But until then, take a look at the mini-site about the exhibit, sort of a "sneak preview.")

One of the interesting stories on the site is one about how banks in the early 20th century accommodated the needs of their female customers. For hundreds of years women had typically been financially dependent on their husbands or family. It was in the late 19th century that a large number of women began to join the workforce, and therefore, gain economic power. Banks took notice, and they realized that women were a different type of customer. They needed and wanted to be treated differently.

Maybe even have a separate room to do their banking. I know, it sounds bad, right? But the reason is that many women didn’t trust banks. They had for years carried their valuables and money in their stockings or underneath their blouses. Imagine just how uncomfortable it would be, going to make a deposit and having to dig for your money in front of all the male bankers and the other customers! And, at a time when female propriety was often scrutinized, this wouldn’t be very ladylike.

But as Mrs. Shore found out when she lost $2,150 worth of jewels, through a hole in her stocking, it wasn’t the safest place for keeping valuables. Maybe a bank, with a little privacy, was less inconvenient than risky hosiery. Banks "got it" — the "stocking room" was created. Here was a special room, just for the ladies, where they could do their banking. And of course, ready their deposits in private.

Creation of the stocking room shows an interesting paradox: banks treated women differently on account of their sex, as society has for thousands of years. BUT, it also shows that society was beginning to value and better understand women’s economic importance. Banks were doing what they had to to gain women’s trust, and women's business.

To me, the stocking room shows an interesting shift. Though it physically separated the sexes, its intention, strangely enough, was a step towards gender equality: women were being recognized for their financial power, and were being encouraged to join the banking world.

As a modern woman, I’m not sure how I feel about the need for a separate room to do my banking just because I’m female. But then, I don’t wear stockings full of jewels!

Ryan

In past articles I covered the first national bank chartered in California and the first national bank chartered on the Pacific Coast. In this post I'll share some of the incredible history of the first national bank chartered west of the Great Plains, the First National Bank of Denver.  This bank's history incorporates a gold rush, a private mint, a national bank, and ultimately a Federal mint. This is truly amazing.

Our story begins in Leavenworth, Kansas Territory , in 1855 when Milton Clark set up shop as a grocer. Within two years, Clark, his brother Austin, and Emanuel Gruber formed Clark, Gruber & Co. to capitalize on the recent gold rush at Pikes Peak, Colorado. In 1860, they built a two story building in Denver.

Clark, Gruber & Co. bought gold dust with the idea that they would transport the gold back East to Federal mints. Huge transportation costs, however, sparked their interest in setting up their own mint  to coin the gold with standard mint value. This would save the transportation cost and provide a valuable source of local exchange.

Very quickly, the firm earned a reputation as honest and trustworthy, with an exceptionally fast turnaround. The firm acquired minting equipment in Boston and made their services available to the public on July 5, 1860.

Over the next two years the firm minted thousands of gold coins ranging in value from $2 ½ to $20. Although most of the coins contained designs similar to the Federal issues of the day, their most famous designs  contain a picture of Pikes Peak to pay tribute to the source of the bullion. Interestingly, the engraver had never seen Pike's Peak so the design bears no resemblance to the real mountain.

Following three years of frenzied private coining, Clark, Gruber & Co. sold their minting and refining business to Uncle Sam in 1862, when Congress established the mint in Denver.  The Department of Treasury, however, used these facilities only as an assay office and depository for over forty years.

Amazingly, our story does not end here. The Treasury Department finally did convert this facility in 1906 to a full-fledged mint.  From 1906 forward, billions of coins have been struck at the Denver Mint with the "D" mintmark.

You may ask, then, what connection does this have with Wells Fargo beyond having a parallel history to Wells Fargo itself? Well, their parallel history intersected over a century later....

Charles

Saturday, October 17, marks the anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake in the Bay Area. We've posted some stories this past week of people who remember the day.

Also this past week, millions of Californians participated in the "The Great California Shake Out,"   a series of events that became the biggest earthquake drill ever. That morning 20 years ago, just about everyone everywhere was ducking, covering, maneuvering, practicing, checking. We're ready — but you can't be too ready, of course. That's why we practice, practice, practice.

Meanwhile, the Bay Area Chapter of the American Red Cross  has its own "Memories of Loma Prieta"  feature on its website. Wells Fargo and its team members have long supported communities with financial and human capital, and there are so many other groups who do as well. The Red Cross is one such organization that truly helps build community.

Three and a half years ago, Guided By History was born to commemorate the centennial of the San Francisco Earthquake and Fire on April 18, 1906. This year, with the 20th anniversary of Loma Prieta on October 17, we remember and continue that first mission. We want to help you prepare and stay prepared. So here's a suggestion:

On April 18, check the batteries  in your smoke detector, and double-check your gas and water main valves.  On October 17 — a near-perfect six month's time — check your disaster kit and stash , replacing any supplies that have expired or look old and worn. Use these dates as reminders to be ready for natural disasters.

Remember and Prepare!

Charles

Naomi Ishida is with Wells Fargo's Customer Connection. In October 1989, Naomi assisted then-CEO Carl Reichardt.

About October 17, Naomi remembers, "I wasn't even here at the Bank — I was at the World Series game! You can tell where my loyalty was on that day."

Naomi was at Candlestick Park  to see the San Francisco Giants host the Oakland Athletics in Game 3 of the World Series.  The Fall Classic that year was dubbed "The Bay Bridge Series," after the span that connects Oakland and San Francisco. The powerful A's had taken the first two games in Oakland over the weekend, and were flyin' high on the strength of "The Bash Brothers" and the derring-do of Rickey Henderson. The Giants had their backs to the wall as the Series moved to the 'Stick.

The game was scheduled to begin after 5 p.m. on Tuesday the 17th. Many in the Bay Area took the day off to see the game, or left early to get home and watch it on TV. At 5:00, the game aired on ABC. Four minutes later, the earthquake struck. 

"It shook pretty good at the ballpark," Naomi says. "The light standards were swaying back and forth. With the sound of the rumble, lots of fans thought folks were stomping their feet in excitement of the ballgame starting, before we all realized it was an earthquake."

"Some fans had small TVs with them," she continues, "and we quickly realized how bad this was. Surprisingly — and thankfully — once we were told to evacuate the ballpark, everyone was calm and exited as quickly but as calmly as possible...."

Charles

My friend Mike Majoulet works in Wells Fargo Brand Management. He makes sure our communication looks right — that logos are where they belong, that signs in stores say the right thing and don't get in your way, and that Historians don't tell the story wrong just to get a laugh. Yes, Michael is the Chief!

He also has a good story about his experience in 1989, the day Loma Prieta struck. (CR)

"I was managing the Baker Hamilton  building on October 17, 1989. The Baker Hamilton is a brick and timber warehouse at 7th and Townsend Streets, a part of San Francisco for over a century. The building was 290,000 square- feet and historic — which means unreinforced.

"The Baker Hamilton  is a 4-story monolith of a building, built in 1904. The company was the largest hardware distributor west of the Mississippi probably up to the 1950s. The building rests on huge redwood tree piles driven about 75 feet into the ground. It survived the 1906 quake very well. My understanding is that hardware from Baker Hamilton was key to getting the City on its feet in 1906. In fact, Baker Hamilton distributed things like shovels, axes and housewares the day of the earthquake in '06.

"At the time I managed the property, it was mixed use — storage in the basement, and furnishings retail on upper floors. I was at my desk when the quake hit. Remember, this is a brick and timber building and the timbers are 2 feet square on the top floor where I had my office. I was sitting there and I could not quite believe what I was seeing. Suddenly, those timbers were more like rubber bands, almost liquid in undulation!

"There was grinding, bumping, and thumping all around me as the quake's waves passed through. Files flung open on one side of the room, and slammed shut on the opposite wall. Wild stuff! It felt like it would never stop, but as we all know, it did. I was sitting in disbelief as 90 years of dust was unleashed from the wood-slat ceiling above me. The room was golden from the sun hitting the dust particles.

"I suddenly remembered I was the building manager and had the responsibility of making sure all my tenants were OK — who cares about the building!

"With my heart in my throat I ventured into the building to see what happened. Luckily, there were no injuries, but there was furniture everywhere, as most tenants sold home furnishings. Some were much more concerned about their stock and not the possibility of another quake, so I 'ordered' everyone out. We didn't have a major aftershock, but as we started looking around outside, we quickly saw the city was in bad shape. A block away, several people were crushed to death when that brick and timber building lost its walls. Cars on the sidewalk were now only two feet high, flattened under bricks.

"I managed to make my way home to Tiburon that night, driving under the freeway that ran along the Embarcadero — which was condemned the next day. I drove across to Van Ness Avenue , because you couldn't continue along the Marina, which was all rubble  and flames.  I ended up in Pacific Heights on Divisadero Street : When I came over the crest of 'Divis,' heading down toward the bay, I saw the Marina  on fire. Most, if not all, electricity was off, so the glow was heightened that evening.

"I was very nervous about what my home might look like, considering what I'd just experienced. But it was weird...I had 2 pendulum clocks in the house. The table clock in the living room had a pendulum that swung east/west and always ran. But it stopped that day at the exact time of earthquake. The second clock was on a small wall between bedrooms, and I never ran it because the 'tick, tick, tick' and my sleep didn't get along. Its pendulum swung north/south. When I got home, that clock was running.

"I’d still take a quake over a tornado."

Charles

Next Saturday, October 17, is the 20th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake.  The quake shook the San Francisco Bay Area beyond its 7.1 Richter score: Dozens of people died, millions in property losses were sustained, and the City was shut down for days.

Guided By History began three and a half years ago as part of the centennial commemoration of the 1906 earthquake and fire in San Francisco. That and the Gold Rush certainly are the defining moments for the City, even as it’s enjoyed a long and dynamic reputation since.

But remembering something from a century ago is different than something that occurred in our lifetime. Many who are too young to remember are still connected to people who not only remember, but who were there. During the first months of this blog's existence, we wrote about Loma Prieta and used its lessons to help everyone prepare for the next one — the one that is coming any minute....

I myself have a distinct memory, which I wrote about last year. Many people I work with have memories, and many others remember moments and people and stories from that eerie day.

Between now and next Saturday, we'll share some of those stories. But there's nothing more important than taking that personal drama you read about, and turning your feelings about it into a specific action  — namely, taking the few minutes to get your kit together. 

The coldest thing to consider is that at least 63 people died in the Loma Prieta disaster, and thousands were displaced and homeless afterward. These events are real — they happen, they will happen again, and ordinary people like you and me will be affected. I am glad to help rekindle awareness, and maybe some people will be spurred to create or re-energize their disaster plans.

But I also want to take time out this week to remember the many people who lost their lives that day. Many were just folks on their way home from work, something we all do routinely. Their loss is real. And the loss is still sudden, even over these 20 years.