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Hanking Ila-1 ndergone '<* iianges Since 1918

11} JOHN STV. ' K i • r; t Wont tor. )M>* I. • • v Fr ' National Bank j. • .* jf -..tvice. has seen the bank* 1 - • >o!i-! increase from four per \\K-n -die .-.tatted :n Mb? '» i . foi.iv i ‘ -ami- Span, the resources •»! • i. >:1 tihiy !<*ss than a million d>l i r. • 4-. own to Sb'Ot.dlO i i; • ,r iff me ceased to V) p**op!» (;. .) : • ■ i I (- to ,1 b'.idor. 1 il i ;• e ■ wo dd expect the u:”/ ...... •tin efficient and unruffled ••i- Mis W . " .1' Sb • . <i. km 1 it i person. n. • oa: may have tak**:. n ca! « .a . - - 1 .. v. hen C.i‘-T ’i V Va 11 • . i f .*» the server - of on .iii •;i vo n ' lady back m b»l«. h * i> . ! notion wa.-. dissipated j ■ Be ales, it w a - » job in . t-. r bid !;•)': of bn in.- • '! *! Id r M Smith wae the com . noivi »f Cumberland

'3 1 !’ d Hriii'Ki* ' n i ♦ \:ug-lady-on-fits? •»'> to d - »f ?»i i’ employees represents ' »* if 5M years, but nev«r hi i.1 • i t: i 4 to come to work ti a T.f ♦ ■ -i; location The bank ha- test »»!**»♦*« 1 its third remodeling a* ti< .vime Third and Main site Me- Woottnn and the e olden eau'.o ... r the building are approximate . urie.v She antedah* > e* d American bird by one year of service. and is as traditional as Mi eagle's high-flown perch •i tracco provided the biggest vol • of bank business when Mrs W' -!on started back in the days vi \ accounts were posted daily i» ;«Ny by band. Only a short time I ►•fire her arrival had the first. ♦ plicated electric posting ma ♦ c •> come as a substitute for the j -is of an efficient girl i mmission merchants were big ♦ customers in tobacco’s hev .* . here .1 F Walton and Com )■ .!>. H E Barrow and Company1 - ’ Farmville Commercial Corn I..• ■ > supplied farm families with all i > •>(- needs for a year, then got ti * * funds due through commission .. of tobacco Indadmrnl la>ait£ I.mw banking service has perm** n ' all facets of community life, u.fn the advent of installment unheard of when Mrs Woo' I IM started making the little fellow ft ctjuent a bank visitor as the ) • .-d>er of the board of directors i"i mi her familiar place behind b.nk counter, the veteran *r ha.- se«*n such innovar,.on> •• .is the trust department. ;vc ♦ checking accounts, Christmas fs;t <iu':- installment loans, the night .1 v-isitorv and. from the 1 * k> I * ,» . . lays !lie Federa*.

Kira nee Corporation. I1!-.*:-**!!? banking hours are on out / * :!;<» LM'I’s and World War .’I When she started, employees w ■ ■ i *fS from y a m to 3 p m., six days a week with the doors open ind i- much l-.-nver thereafter as r-qmivd to balance the day s busi Duii K* t!:*■• yea’:- Mrs. Wootton k: ! !•■•!- late husband. Frank T Wootton. long time freight agent for • ... s,forh !' and Western Railway w a Frank T, Wootton mat ire sad graduate at VMI N-r.«. with military service coin ph-f ! h-‘ is employed with the U. S C >rps of Engineers at Norfolk. Ihflingei Scare Nearest thing to a bank scare in • ’•r was :n the ltrto’s and 'be brief fling of the big bank rob Ono.. i, Hi'.' ' i’aius rail c.une !: om Lynchburg that the nation’s must wanted criminal. Ralph Dillin gei. was headed this way There was momentary consternation and extra precautions, but the scare : o n ird quickly when the famous thug failed to show up. Perhaps the greatest change in banking from the days of her start has been in bank resources Once, demand deposits constituted the bulk of business. Now. traditional American husbandry has made sav ings deposits the No. 1 account. And the confidence reflected ini the growth of savings by so many who put complete reliance in then bank is pretty much an extension of the integrity, the efficiency, of faithful banking people like Mrs Luriine Wootton.

BOARD Ol DIRECTORS ROOM, paneled in mah many, with appropriate furnishings. The w all por trait is of V B. Davidson, first president of the bank, who served from 1900 to 1936.

N. i>. Davidson, 1st President, Served Bank For35 Years N. B Davidson was first presi dent of the First National Bank and served from its establish ment in 1900 until his death in 1936 He was a native of Farm

New Bank Building Requires Two Years

The new First National Bank building is the culmination of two years of planning and construc tion. Tlie planning stage began in April 1955. Clark. Nexon and Owen, of Lynchburg were the architects. The plans required the rating of the corner building, and practically razing t h e former banking quarters, except for the rear walls, the board of directors room and the vault, which had been remodelled or construct ed m recent years. Fay lor Manufacturing Com pany was successful bidder in January 1956. and work began February 1. 1956 Fourteen month were required complete the new building. X i |. !, was literally built over tlie buildings while business as

TO THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK lr has been ojr pleasure to photograph ,.,e dir,-/'., Jio 1 //H appearing on this edition I V fekt PHONE 93 > FARMVILLE, VA.

usual was conducted m the bank daily. Two massive steel girders were placed in the new construction and through the existing banking quarters. Special equipment was required to handle the girders, and ■ heir placing w as somew hat of an engineering feat for the sidewalk superintendents." From these girders, steel joists were placed, giving the entire structure a ste-d support. J C. Nobiin. construction sup erintendent, swelled with pride last Tuesday morning when ’ :v‘ architects made their final in spection with words of praise for the construction job. I am really surprised my 1 'f at the fine apperaanee of this lob ‘ Nublin >aid Needless to say. I am proud of it. and haw en :•••:> *‘d working on it Tin public and the bank's employees have been patient and cooperative as we literally built a new building wh-u* th y worked.'

SPIC \ SPAN Keeping the building spic and span is the job of Horace Brook'* jan itor tor the pa'-t several years.

vilit*, son of William Meade and Julia Wil-tse Davidson, educated in Farmville public schools Entering business at an early age he conducted a grocery bus iness for some years prior to buy ing the. drygood business at the death of J B Wall in 1903. which became Davidson’s Depart ment store. He was general man ager of the store at the time of his death. His interests w e r e varied. Merchant, banker, industrialist farmer, lie was in the vanguard of every worthwhile movement in the development of this area. He was president of Virginia Dark Fired Tobacco Growers Marketing Association 11932-36•. founder with F. H. Hanbury o£ the Buffalo Shook Company in 1912; president Weyanoke Ho'ol Corporation; vice-president Farm Creamery director Southside Community Hospital Association; president of Five County Fair <1932-36*; director Citizens Road League of Virginia: member of Town Council for several terms; chairman Prince Edward Board of Supervisors, steward in Farm v lie Methodist church Garland Succeeds Upon his death in 1936, Mr. Davidson was succeeded by Jn seph Eggleston Garland who is also a native of Prince Edward County, the son of Nelson K Garland and Sai all Ellen Hughes Garland Leaving tie* farm at 20

years old. he began working in the grocery store of N. B David son on September 15. 1895. After five years of business training he became deputy clerk of Prince Edward county under E J White head. Six years later he began to devqte his entire time to the life insurance business, forming i partnership with the late E Scott Martin, which firm became gen eral agents for the Pacific Mutu al Life Insurance Company for the state of Virginia, a connec tion which he still maintains with general offices in ParmvP.le Mr. Garland became a director in First National Bank in 1909. when the Citizens State Back merged with the First National Bank. He has also served on the Town Council, director of South side Community Hospital, presi dent of Hotel W“yanokc and chairman of the Board of Ste wards of Fa rmv ill e Methodist church. In January 1957. he became president emeritus of the First National Bank and was succeeded by his son. Robert Ernest Gar land. 1? V. Garland. President R E. Garland was born a Farmville. graduate of Farmviile H i g h school, Randolph-Macon College, and University of Virgin ia Law School. He lias been a practicing attorney in Farmville nice I92fS He has served as pres ident. of the Southside communi ty Hospital and be* n a director of . i National Bank since 1935

OUR BUSINESS BRINGS COMFORT » Heating, plumbing, air conditioning were in stalled in the new buNding of the First National Bank -. by -- Putney Plumbing & Heating Host Third Street Formvillc, Vo. PHONE 483