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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....

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....

Phyllis

...and they will come.... 

Minnesota may not be the center of the world in many respects, but the world certainly comes to visit us. Over a span of just two days, the Wells Fargo History Museum in Minnesota had visitors from six different countries.*

First was a group of visitors from Iceland , who were on a trip tracing the paths of emigrants  from Iceland to the United States. They were followed by a research scientist from Scotland, who came back the next day to show us photographs of the museum that he'd created in his village to document their local history. Next were families from France and Australia.

Then a couple from Wales asked me, "What does Wells Fargo do now that they're not an express company?”

And finally, a couple from Mexico visited us – they were in town for the Twin Cities Marathon. 

I love our local visitors — our team members and school children — but there's just something special about hosting international visitors. Our roots may be deep in Minnesota soil, but it's nice to know that we branch out all over the world.

*You could say seven different countries — if you count the Packers fans  visiting from Wisconsin!

Ileana

Picture this: It's 1886, you're a restaurant owner in Aguascalientes, Mexico, and you need a new refrigerator. (Yes, they had them! Not your Frigidaire  or anything, but they had them.) You would especially like one of the latest, most efficient models, but can't find one anywhere. What do you do?

Wells Fargo has you covered.

We're currently celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, and I found it the perfect time to share one of my favorite artifacts at our L.A. museum. We call it the Guia. The whole name is quite a mouthful: "The "Guide for the Department of Sales and Commissions of Wells Fargo: Where and How to Buy American-Manufactured Items." This Spanish-language guide was printed in 1886, and it's basically a guide Mexican consumers and business owners could use to purchase a variety of items from the U.S. Wells Fargo had many offices in Mexico and would ship all over the country. The company had guides like this handy for customers. Agents would have samples of products and prices, and they took orders.

The introduction to the guide states that gone are the days of "taking advantage of friends and acquaintances who travel" by asking them to get you so-and-so item during their visit abroad (I think many of us are occasionally guilty of this even today, though) or entrusting such orders to strangers.

Wells Fargo's Express was easier, faster and more reliable. You just placed your order at an office, and you could get American-made items delivered to you from hundreds of miles away!

The items offered in the Guia were ones that were difficult to find or not found at all in Mexican markets. Making it convenient for people to order all sorts of items certainly helped the development of modern commerce in Mexico.

This guide is definitely a fun "read." It has any kind of item you can think of: shoes, carriages, farming equipment, dentist tools, cookies, music boxes, dried coconut...you name it!

And yes, refrigerators.

Charles

Arturo Garcia was a 20th century pioneer, the first Hispanic bank branch manager for Wells Fargo Bank.

Born into a family of farm laborers in Brawley, California  and raised in the state's Central Valley , Garcia knew and understood his customers in the agricultural communities where he managed Wells Fargo's banking business. Garcia became manager of the San Joaquin banking store in 1967. He also managed Wells Fargo's banking stores in Clovis and Fresno, and hosted a local Spanish-language radio show promoting financial literacy.

Throughout his 34-year career with Wells Fargo, Garcia received numerous internal sales awards as a store manager. A business leader in his community as well as a banker, Garcia was also a founding member of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce  and National  Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Charles

It’s a long career path from bank teller to Treasurer of the United States .

Katherine Davalos Ortega was Treasurer of the United States during the administrations of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush, (1983-1989) As Treasurer, Davalos Ortega’s signature appeared on millions of dollars of U.S. currency. But her first job in finance was as a teller at the community bank in her rural hometown of Tularosa, New Mexico .

While in high school, Davalos Ortega worked at Otero County State Bank to earn money for college. This bank, where the future Treasurer of the United States began her career, became a part of Wells Fargo in 1999. While in school, Davalos Ortega aspired to become a teacher, but she learned she likely would not be hired for a teaching position. In those years, prior to the huge movement for Civil Rights , routine discrimination plauged women and minorities. Davalos Ortega entered the accounting field instead, climbing steadily in accounting and financial services firms. In 1975 she became chief executive of Santa Ana State Bank, and the first woman bank president in California.

As her influence expanded, Davalos Ortega had become active in politics. She served on several federal commissions and advisory councils, and in 1983, was nominated as Treasurer by President Reagan. Davalos Ortega was the tenth woman and second Latina to hold the post. As Treasurer of the United States, Ortega oversaw production of coins and currency and the United States Savings Bond program. She also raised $40 million, through commemorative coin sales, to restore the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Davalos Ortega gave the keynote speech at the 1984 Republican National Convention, the first woman of Hispanic descent to deliver a keynote at a national political convention.

Treasurer Davalos Ortega left her post, and Washington, in 1989. She returned to her family’s financial business in New Mexico, where she served on several corporate boards. In recognition of her lifetime achievements and rise from humble beginnings to the highest levels of public service, she received the Horatio Alger Award  in 2002.

Treasurer Davalos Ortega acknowledged her heritage at her swearing-in  in 1983. "And so," she said, "it is with a deep sense of honor and pride that I shall serve as our country's 38th Treasurer. And following the Hispanic tradition, I have chosen to have my name appear on our currency as Katherine Davalos Ortega. For in doing so, I will be honoring my father as well as my mother. Thank you."

Ryan

Here's an interesting question: What State had the first national bank charter on the Pacific Coast, and what city was it in?

While most people may think the first national bank was in California — and may guess San Francisco as the city — the first national bank on the Pacific Coast was actually chartered in Portland, Oregon. It preceded any California national bank by five years.

On July 4, 1865, a group of merchants and civic-minded Portlanders banded together and applied for a national bank charter under the name "First National Bank of Oregon." After months of waiting, the group found out that the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency  (OCC) had modified their application with a name of "First National Bank of Portland."  The OCC believed the "Oregon" name too general and that it might confuse creditors as to the bank's physical location. Within months, the bank had national bank notes with its name and 1553 charter number on-hand to circulate in the local community. (Remember that the first charter granted to a California institution was #1741 in 1870.)

First National Bank of Portland was the only national bank in Oregon until another was chartered in 1882. Even after competition blossomed, First National grew to be the largest bank in Oregon. It was known as a conservatively run bank, with regional correspondents in nearly all communities throughout the State.

In 1930, First National Bank of Portland became the cornerstone holding of A.P. Giannini's  start at building an interstate banking network — Transamerica  — long before others saw the need. With Giannini's support, First National Bank of Portland continued an amazing growth trend, through acquisitions and new branch openings, even during the depth of the Great Depression. 

In 1981, the old "First National" freshened up its name as First Interstate Bank of Oregon, N.A., part of a uniform banking franchise that spanned eleven western states. Fifteen years later, First Interstate Bank of Oregon would cede its banking charter as part of FIB's merger with Wells Fargo.

Consequently, Wells Fargo has roots not only to the first national bank in California, but also the first national bank on the West Coast!

Charles

Amanda Hopper is an interpreter at the Old Sacramento History Museum, where she presents Wells Fargo's history to visitors. This is her second post for Guided by History. (CR)

A few days ago I was looking in a box on our desk that is filled with index cards   that explain all the items in our museum. One card refers to a photograph of a man leaning against a pile of silver bars in our "safe room.". The caption to the image reads: "In 1877, Madison Larkin guarded silver from Arizona's Tip Top  Mine."

The index card for the image reads, "Larkin's tenure as Wells Fargo Agent was fairly short but dramatic. He is the bold, alert fellow with the double-barrel shotgun cradled in his left arm; often pictured guarding a Wells Fargo treasure box and a huge pile of silver bullion." The information comes from the book Wells Fargo in Arizona Territory  by John and Lillian Theobald. (Tempe, Ariz. 1978)

This card really sparked my interest. I wanted to know what happened to Madison Larkin. Was he killed? What was so dramatic about his time with Wells Fargo?

I began looking through all the books in our "cave" (our nickname for the backroom) and searched the blog to see if anyone had written about him. I asked Martha, who works with me here, if she knew anything about him. (Martha is the one who made all the index cards in the first place — plus, she knows EVERYTHING.)

After a little searching, she was able to answer all my questions about Mr. Larkin....

Charles

This came in from Dave, commenting on my Lewis & Clark piece:

Charles, I have noticed in your writing that you often seem a little "down" on America's westward expansion (which would seem to make sense considering the frequently left leaning tone of this blog). Although I agree that we did some awful things to the indians and probably could have gone about some things differently, but the creation of a great nation in the modern sense does require a certain amount of Lebensraum.... Thanks! Dave.

Dave reads and leaves comments regularly. His comments are clearly intelligent and reflect a grasp of history's intellectual use, history's value in helping us measure the world we live in. Dave's a smart guy, and "gets it," so his comments mean a lot.

Of course, before I put my thoughts together to discuss this, Senator Edward Kennedy passed away and my colleague wrote a reflection on his work with the Senator. So Dave, let me tell you the Kennedy piece, right after you suggest we're "left leaning," is totally a coincidence.

Honest!

The "left leaning" startled me a bit, because I blog about Wells Fargo history, and history in general — not about politics. And the mission of this blog is to share our history and collection. In all frankness, it's a little hard to do politics when you're discussing the history of ATMs. My writing style is nicely marbled with my personality, but my historical point of view is studiously apolitical. I blogged about elections in 2006 and 2008, for instance, but it was strictly historical. Hey, I have colleagues who proof my stuff and they tell me when I've transgressed ( even when I haven't. It's a daily struggle!).

History can seem political because as a social science, it is committed to looking at the evidence without any preconceptions. As a result, findings may go counter to accepted beliefs, may challenge myths we hold dear. If we feel someone is revealing something just to attack our position, well yeah — that's political all right. But then again, it's not.

See, it's true that people ( as I mentioned in the Lewis and Clark piece) moved West and knocked aside everything in their path. That action did indeed nearly exterminate millions of human beings — acts of total war under the guise of peaceful negotiation. It extinguished the bison, and introduced new plant and animal species that dramatically altered the landscape.

But that action also gave us irrigation that feeds the world, expanded democratic institutions, introduced rule by law and respect for law, and coalesced a strength of national character that secured the continent and established one of history's great civilizations.

A civilization, I might add, that allows historians and other intellectuals to challenge everything.

I have taken classes from radicals in conservative universities, and read traditionalist history texts assigned by them. The discussions were always freewheeling and the opinions were usually prompted by a personal point of view. Nobody ever won the argument, which was the point, I think. We were supposed to take away the info and the emotions, ponder it all and come out of it with an historical conclusion, not just another personal opinion.

Most important, we were supposed to come out of it with a conclusion we knew would be argued about, by everyone, forever.

That's kind of political, but not the political that Dave is concerned about. Historians are trained to argue because we're all right. (Sorta like Congress, but the difference is we're likeable!) The process is about furthering intelligence. Does our experience since one historical moment modify what came of that moment? Or — were Nixon and Reagan good Presidents, let's say, irrespective of their immediate legacies?

So Dave, I'm glad you read my blog and I'm glad you contribute, and I hope you stick around. And if I come off left-leaning, it's only because I'm ornery, as a Historian is trained to be.

Steve

In 1987, I spent the summer working in D.C. as a college intern for the Commission on the Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution.  The purpose of the Commission was "to plan and develop activities appropriate to commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787, the formation of the three branches of government, and the Bill of Rights."

I worked in the media department, and it was typical college intern work.  The highlight of my summer and the memory that remains was attending one meeting of the Commission. I sat around a long table with political powerhouses from the left, right, and center of the political spectrum. Chief Justice Warren Burger   chaired the Commission  (PDF) (incidentally, his voice sounded exactly like Gregory Peck), but other members of the Commission included Lynne Cheney, Phyllis Schlafly, Senator Strom Thurmond, and Senator Edward Kennedy, who sat across from me.

It was intimidating to say the least.

Why did these people choose to volunteer their time on this Commission? I'm sure they had enough to keep them busy. What resonates most with me is the noble idea that what brought all these people together to serve on the Commission was not just their belief in the Constitution as an important document in shaping our history, but in the importance of history itself.

Everyone in that room participated in the Commission because they recognized the relevance of the U. S. Constitution to the American way of life. Accomplishments of the Commission included sponsoring scholarly and educational programs all over the country, interviewing presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan on their insights into the Constitution, and creating the Trust for the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution to continue the mission of civic engagement.

For the next few days, the news media will recount the legacy of Ted Kennedy with his great accomplishments in the Senate  (PDF), but Kennedy did a great deal to preserve U. S. history. Notably, he helped secure the passage of legislation that preserved historic sites in Massachusetts, resulting in the expansion of the Minute Man National Historic Park, the National Trails System, and Lowell National Historical Park (more of his accomplishments are in the "accomplishments" link above).

Whether or not you choose to celebrate any number of anniversaries from Lincoln's birthday  to Oregon's sesquicentennial  to the Pony Express, history museums and heritage sites throughout the nation could use your help and participation.

Besides, you just never know when you sit at a table who might also be a fan of history .