Two banks were organized in Manning during the fall of 1881, the Bank of Manning and the Farmers and Traders Bank. The Farmers and Traders Bank later merged into the First National Bank, making it the oldest, continuous bank in Manning.

The Trust and Savings Bank had its origins in 1897, as the Bennett Bank.

The First National Bank and Trust and Savings Bank now serve customers with assets totaling more than $30 million.

A third financial institution, First Federal Savings and Loan Association, has had an office in Manning since 1975.

The Farmers and Traders Bank was organized by O.B. and O.E. Dutton, father and son, and D.W. Sutherland, October 18, 1881, as a private bank. It was located in the Leonard and Co.'s storage room northwest of the corner of Third and Main. It was later moved to the rear of the building on the southwest corner of 4th and Main. The first location was a wooden one-story building but in 1885 the bank was in a brick building. Dutton and Sutherland conducted the business until the organization of the First National Bank, with which this bank was merged.

The national charter of the First National Bank is dated February 13, 1886, and has always been located at 401 Main except in 1895 when a fire destroyed the building and the business was temporarily moved.

A one-story brick building was built in the spring of 1895 with the entrance at the street corner. The rear was used for offices and for a time housed the Free Press newspaper. At one time the Monitor was located in the basement, but at the time of the fire that September it was used by W.B. Parrott for butter and egg storage. The fire took most of the buildings on that block.

A two-story brick structure was built in the spring of 1896 which is still being used today.

The first president was D.W. Sutherland, O.E.

Dutton, cashier, and directors were A.T. Bennett, Henry Kuhl, A.L. Hockett, Henry Hoffmann, Jacob Kuhn, and Dr. R.R. Williams.

After the death of D.W. Sutherland in 1926, his son R.G. Sutherland became president and his brother, E.D. Sutherland, cashier. E.D. was president from 1954 to 1964. After the death of the Sutherlands, Lyle O. Arp became president in January, 1965, with the following directors: Harry Hinz, Harry Rix, Dorothy Sutherland Arp, and Richard Crandall. Other officers and employees are: cashier, Charles Hughes, assistant cashier, Keith Kelderman; and employees Phyllis Vollstedt, Mildred Bennett, Rosemary Frahm, Jean Kusel, Janet Ranniger, Imelda Langel and Wava Lorenzen.

The bank building was remodeled in 1966 with a new facing of brick and metal veneer on the outside and a complete modernization on the inside. The Crystal Theatre building adjacent to the south was purchased in 1972 for added room for machines and a board meeting room and the new Crandall law offices at the west end. Since then the Gaylin Ranniger C.P.A. office has been added in the lower level.

The bank records show great contrasts. The very first comptroller report from October, 1886, to December, 1886, shows assets of $27,772. The close of the year 1979 shows assets of over $21 million. The bank is now served by computer service with Iowa-Des Moines National Bank of Des Moines.

In December, 1979, the bank opened the first drive-up banking facility in Manning west of the main building on Fourth Street.

The Bank of Manning was organized as a private institution by J.B. Henshaw, president, and W.H. Henshaw, cashier. They sold the bank in 1886, and entered the hardware and implement business in Manning.

The bank was originally located at the northwest corner of Fourth and Main Streets, and moved north in the same block in 1885.

A.T. Bennett purchased the Bank of Manning September 1, 1886, and placed W.F. Carpenter as cashier. The bank's name continued as before.

November 15, 1888, Bennett sold the business to a corporation, known as the State Bank of Manning, which merged the private bank into a state bank. The controlling interest was held by D.C. Dowing and G.W. Humphrey. A year later, G.W. Wattles and F.A. Bennett purchased a controlling interest in the facility. Fred Moershell bought Wattles' interest in 1892, and served as president until 1894; C.D. Dowing then purchased the controlling interest from Moershell and Bennett, and became president. D.W. Sutherland, J.A. Lewis, and S.F. Fry took ownership in December, 1896.

In April, 1898, the stockholders voted to become a private institution once again. Sutherland was elected president, and the name returned to Bank of Manning. Joseph Wilson bought the sole interest of the bank in February, 1899. Wilson operated the bank as its president, with W.F. Carpenter, cashier, until 1923 when the business was discontinued.

The third bank in Manning was organized by A.F. Bennett in April, 1897. It was a private institution, which had a cash capital of $20,000 and a responsibility of over $50,000. Bennett served as president, W.F. Carpenter was cashier, and W.F. Kempf the assistant cashier.

The bank building was erected during the summer of 1898, at a cost of $4500 and $1500 for fixtures. It was located at the northeast corner of Third and Main Streets, later occupied by the Manning Trust and Savings Bank.

The law offices of A.T. Bennett and the bank rooms were on the first floor, and the basement was made into a printing office.

Bennett notified his customers in May, 1899, that he was forced to give up either the commercial business of the bank or his practice of law. His decision was to confine the banking business to specialties. In June, a group came to him to propose organizing a state savings bank.

The corporation was approved, and the bank's name changed to the German Savings Bank. The management was to be by seven directors: F.M. Leet, Asmus Boysen, Julius Brunnier, Gustav Jans, John Grelck, Geo. H. Dietz and A.T. Bennett. The business opened July 1, 1899.

W.F. Carpenter served as the first cashier, and F.L. Shumaker as his assistant. Shumaker resigned after three months, and his place was taken by Albert Puck.

In 1918, because of the pressures of World War I propaganda, the bank was reorganized by dropping the name, "German Savings Bank" and incorporating under the new name of "Iowa

State Savings Bank." New officers and directors were: Douglas Rogers, president; H.P. Hansen, vice-president; R.H. Wheeler, cashier; J.J. Miller, Henry Buhmann, H.P. Mundt, and Rudolph Kuhl, directors.

The Iowa State Savings Bank discontinued operations in 1923.

The Manning Trust & Savings Bank began with a meeting held on June 25, 1924, to consider the matter of incorporating and to adopt articles of incorporation. Directors elected were F.C. Henningsen, H.E. Meyers, Gus Vinke, J.J. Sinn, G.P. Schelldorf, Peter Rix, and M.F. Enenbach. Bank officers were, F.C. Henningsen, president; Peter Rix, vice president; and H.E. Meyers, cashier. The new bank took over the location of the former Iowa State Savings Bank.

The bank was operated under the direction of Henningsen until 1926, when the bank stock was purchased by H.A. Boysen and F.J. Miller. Boysen served as president, F.J. Miller, vicepresident, and H.E. Meyers, cashier. The bank was under this ownership for the next ten years.

During his tenure as bank president Mr. Boysen, in 1933, organized and headed the Western Iowa Industrial Loan Corporation. This corporation was composed of a group of Carroll County businessmen; they made loans to industrial and commercial enterprises in this section of the state, for buying materials and paying labor costs. The articles of incorporation were approved by the federal Reconstruction Finance Corporation, part of the national NRA (National Recovery Administration). The NRA was a governmental bureau established to assist the country in getting through the great Depression.

In 1946 the stock was purchased by R.B. Mulder who headed the institution until it was purchased by George E. Sievert and Edward Dobler in 1955. Sievert and Dobler operated the bank until 1964 when it was sold to James Lodwick. In 1971 the bank was purchased by the Myers brothers from Nebraska and R.E. Squires assumed the duties of president. In 1974 the Squires family moved to Superior, Nebraska, to operate a bank there, and Leland Foote came to Manning to assume the duties of president. Patricia Mohr is vice-president and cashier. Other employees are Margaret Bilsten, Elaine Dammann, and Laura Kalkhoff.

Individuals who have rendered long time service to the bank include: Peter F. Hansen, an original stockholder and still a stockholder. He also served as director of 33 years. H.E. Meyers was a director and officer from 1924 to 1956. J.J. Sinn was a director from 1924 until his death in 1955 and had served as chairman of the board for many of those years. Henry J.M. Hansen was a director for 32 years, from 1940 to 1972. Art Hinners has served as director for 24 years, 1957 to the present. Elsie Struve was a loyal employee for a period of 31 years.

Current directors are Art Hinners, Arden Hinners, Orval Fink, Leo Rasmussen, Kenneth A. Puck, and Leland Foote.

As of this writing the firm is completing construction of a new, modern facility on the northwest corner of 3rd and Main. The old Perry

building, last occupied by Manning Heating & Sheet Metal, has been torn down and the new bank building built in its place. The building has a drive-up window, four offices, three teller stations, operations room on the first floor, and a directors' meeting room in the basement.

First Federal Savings and Loan Association received its initial charter in 1936 as United Saving and Loan Association. In 1961 it became First Federal Savings and Loan. Since its beginning it has attempted to provide for home ownership through home loans as well as providing Saving plans for residents of Carroll County. By expanding its Savings and Loan plans as Federal regulations permit, First Federal attempts to better serve its present and future customers.

The Manning branch was opened in March, 1975. In addition to the Manning branch First Federal Savings and Loan has offices in Coon Rapids, Carroll, and Lake City. The Manning Branch office is presently managed by Agnes Juels.

Country Interiors, located at 409 Main Street, is owned and operated by Randy and Lois Younie.

The building was purchased in January, 1978. It had most recently been used as the Iowa State Liquor Store, although in the past had housed such businesses as the Mayflower Cafe, Jimmy Varlemoos' Candy Kitchen, and AI Boss' Goody Garden. The proprietors had lived in the upstairs apartments, which are now being renovated into two, two-bedroom apartments which the Younies plan to rent.

The Younies began to remodel the main floor of the building in February, 1978, and the doors to Country Interiors opened March 27, 1978.

Country Interiors offers the best in floor coverings arid window treatments. They handle a complete line of nationally known brands of carpets and vinyl. They also provide a vast selection of draperies, blinds, window shades, and woven woods. They have many books of wallpaper to choose from. Also provided by Country Interiors is professional installation and a decorating service.

Lois, a 1972 graduate of Manilla High School, is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Wanninger Sr. of near Aspinwall. She is a 1973 graduate of Brooks College for Women in Long Beach, California, where she majored in interior design.

Randy, the son of the Gordon Younies of Manilla, is a 1970 graduate of Manilla High School. He has worked in Colorado as a carpet layer and previous to opening Country Interiors he was self employed, installing floor coverings as Randy's Floor Service.

At the present, Randy and Lois are the main operators of their business with one part time employee. They reside outside of Manilla.

Meryl Kerkhoff, who lives on a farm south of Manning, graduated from auction college in 1957. Since then, Col. Kerkhoff has served as a general auctioneer in a wide area around Manning, specializing in farm, furniture, antique, and land sales. He is a member of both the State of Iowa and the National Associations of Auctioneers.

In addition to handling sales on his own, Col. Kerkhoff is one of the three members of the Triple K Auction Co. His partners are Dave Kerkhoff, Templeton, and Jack Kasperbauer, Carroll.

He also received his Iowa real estate salesman license in 1971, and is associated with broker John Hornberger, whose office is located at 313 Main Street, Manning.

Kerkhoff is a member of the Manning Chamber of Commerce.