It's been a while, but today we bring you the next installment in our series on cities where Wells Fargo and Wachovia have significant histories! Today we turn to the Southwest, and Phoenix, Arizona — a city with loads to offer. And your guide is a woman who knows all about it: Connie Whalen is the Curator at Wells Fargo's Phoenix History Museum. She's been with Wells Fargo for 26 years, and continues to design and build wonderful historical exhibits. Not only that, she's been a member of the Board of Trustees for the Phoenix Museum of History for 5 years and was elected President in March of 2005. Take it away, Connie!
Thanks, Molly! Well, so far on our Wells Fargo and Wachovia cities tours, we've stopped in Charlotte, San Francisco, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and Winston-Salem. Now it's my turn to "show you around" my city: Phoenix, Arizona, the state's largest city and capitol!
Founded in 1868, Phoenix eventually became a major hub for transportation, finance, industry, and culture in the Southwestern U.S. I've lived in this great city since I was 2 years old and I love it here. And I know Wells Fargo is proud to have played a role in helping make Phoenix the thriving metropolis that it is today.
For many, many years we've heard that Phoenix is just a "baby city" with no art and culture. But we've grown up quite a bit in the last 100 years (I haven't been here for all of it!), and as for history, well, both Phoenix and Wells Fargo have very rich ones here.
In 1895 the Commercial Hotel, which was located on the corners of Central and Jefferson, was an important stage stop in Phoenix. With a Wells Fargo Office located inside, stagecoach travelers were able to utilize modern conveniences on their long trips.
Today, just two blocks from the site of the Commercial Hotel is the Wells Fargo Plaza in downtown Phoenix. Located on the first level of the building facing Adams Street is the Wells Fargo History Museum. Helping to design and build this museum together was one of the most gratifying experiences of my life: I was able to blend two of my favorite things, Phoenix and Wells Fargo. Now I get to show visitors great artifacts and tell some great stories! And every year we see hundreds of children learning about Arizona history and the migration west....
Speaking of museums, you won't be disappointed with a trip to the Heard Museum 
, which displays an amazing collection of Native American crafts and traditions. (I took field trips here as a kid!) Other wonderful places to visit include The Phoenix Art Museum, which was expanded last year and often has traveling exhibits on display; and Heritage Square, home to the Arizona Science Center , the Rosson House , and Pizzeria Bianco , which has been called the "Best Pizza in America."
Another exciting addition to Phoenix is the new Valley Metro Light Rail, which makes accessing all of these attractions easy and fun. (See my short video above.)
Today, downtown Phoenix consists of a unique blend of cultural, sporting, and entertainment choices. Do you like sports? My family and I got to go to the Arizona Diamondbacks' very first Opening Day at Chase Field (known then as "The BOB") back on March 31, 1998. Now I know some cities have had a ballpark and team for over 100 years, so it's probably hard for them to see the big deal in this. But trust me, it was...and everyone in Phoenix was there! Of course, if basketball is more your thing, you can catch the Phoenix Suns right next door at the U.S. Airways Center.
If you prefer a night at the theater, there are several venues to choose from — I think my favorite might be the Orpheum Theater , located right next door to the Wells Fargo Complex. Today the Orpheum is one of Phoenix's treasures — but it didn't always look like a gem.
Since it first opened in 1929, the Orpheum has morphed several times over the years, having been used as everything from a vaudeville stage to a movie theater (when everything inside was painted black). During the most recent renovation , all the black paint was removed, revealing the amazing Spanish Baroque décor with gilded arches and fresco paintings underneath. The Orpheum's grand re-opening in 1997 was a particularly special night for me: Not only did I get to see Carol Channing perform "Hello Dolly," but just two days earlier I'd arranged for Wells Fargo to donate some wonderful art and antiques that are still on display today. Wow, it's hard to believe that was eleven years ago!
On that note, I think I'll bring my tour of Phoenix to an end — I hope you enjoyed it! Of course, there are certainly many worthy cities and towns across the country to feature here on the blog, so if you have a particular one you'd like to see, please drop us a line and let us know.
And as always, stay tuned for more merger news!
I am a Wachovia account holder and have moved to NM where there are no Wachovia banks. Since you are merging, I am not changing banks BUT when can I start depositing at a Wells Fargo as a Wachovia customer?
I'm not a Wells Fargo/Wachovia employee, but I think I can answer your question Gloria. It will depend on where you originally opened your Wachovia account. When that state converts to Wells Fargo's system, then you'll be able to use Wells Fargo's branches.
Please make Tampa
your next transition city!!
This is a LONG shot- I've bid on a pre-approved short sale in Phoenix by Wells Fargo. It has been three weeks.
As you know, the wait for a bank to reply to your offer is both exhilarating and frustrating. Does Wells Fargo provide any support for homebuyers like me in terms of telling me what is happening with my offer? Currently, it is a black box and we just have to cross our fingers and wait. I would've loved it if I could get a status update from the loan officer saying 'yeah, we got your offer, I'll probably get back to you in one more week'.