At the Wells Fargo History Museums, it is our job to interpret, discuss, and relay history to our visitors. I find it fascinating that we are often the recipients of history from our visitors.
In Minneapolis recently, team member Leslie Swan told me about some of her more memorable experiences working for Northwestern National Bank at the beginning of her career. She had the unique experience of working in both the "Pioneer Bank" — a fully functional turn of the century replica bank — and the "Future Bank," a fully functional bank that highlighted the future of banking, including ATMs, an automated post office, and video bankers. Both "Pioneer Bank" and "Future Bank" were created to celebrate Northwestern National Bank's centennial in 1972.
Let me share what I learned from Leslie.
The Pioneer Bank
The Pioneer Bank opened March 23, 1972, to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of Northwestern National Bank in Minneapolis. Housed in a small section of the building's main floor, the Pioneer Bank replicated an 1890s bank, with authentic fixtures and employees dressed in period costume. There was even a turn-of-the-century entrance on 7th Street.
A Centennial Committee, working with retired bank historian Tony Dokken, spent six months researching and acquiring 1890s period items for the Pioneer Bank. The authentic turn of the century teller's cages, and a high table for hand ledger postings, were found in the Elrosa, Minnesota 
State Bank Building. The Minnesota Historical Society loaned other items, such as a period typewriter, check perforator, a letter scale, Dictaphone, hat rack, umbrella stand and spittoon. A lobby writing desk and other bank fixtures came from the North American State Bank in Belgrade, Minnesota. A period roll-top desk was located in an Iowa office building.
Portraits of presidents Washington, Lincoln, Garfield, and Grant decorated the walls, along with a portrait of Dorilus Morrison, NWNB bank's first president and Minneapolis' first mayor....
The space was lit by six brass lamps that were found in area business offices, and an antique wrought iron fan which was found in old bank that had become a saloon. A difficult item to find was the antique wall phone because it needed to be compatible with 1970 systems. One was eventually found in New York and purchased for the bank.
The tellers, all women, wore turn-of-the-century "working girls" attire: long, heavy skirts of subdued colors, stiffened with petticoats and slight bustle, and white or pastel blouses with modified leg-o-mutton sleeves. Two other male employees, the assistant cashier and guard, wore appropriate clothes of the 1890's, conservative black suits. Tellers in this functional period bank would cash checks, accept deposits and perform the same functions as tellers in a modern bank.
Along with their transaction receipt, visitors to the Pioneer Bank received a replica of one of the early passbooks, a copy of the Northwestern Review, and a copy of the Bank's 100-year history.
I asked Leslie what she remembered most about working in the Pioneer Bank, and she recalled that the limited hours, 9:00-3:00, meant less income. But she loved working there, she said, and considers it a "unique banking experience" she will never forget.
The Pioneer Bank was popular at first, but eventually its traffic slowed as the novelty wore off. Recalling that, Leslie commented with an ever-widening smile, "I remember that I balanced everyday!"
June 16, 2009 10:43 AM | Reply
Interesting! I wonder why all of the tellers were women?