The Frederick Community Bank has a storied and community-focused history since the beginning. The bank started out as the Clarence State Bank and was founded in 1908 by the bank’s first president David Arthur Frederick. The Frederick family wanted to help serve the local farmers and their communities in the Clarence and Goodwine areas. The bank’s focus was to serve the agricultural community, provide banking services to the local businesses, meet the financial needs of the community, and serve the local taxing bodies.
During the nation-wide banking moratorium of 1933 issued by Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Clarence State Bank and the Farmers State Bank of Goodwine were closed for only a few days and were reopened after regulators were satisfied that they were in a strong financial condition. Also, in the same year, First National Bank of Paxton was reorganized as First National Bank in Paxton by a group of area leaders; Sherman Frederick, David Arthur Frederick, G.M. Lundahl, A.R. Sheldon, C.G. Bobo, H.P. Larson and W. A. Kreitzer.
On October 20, 1941 Cissna Park State Bank was formed from a merger of the assets of the Clarence State Bank and the Farmers State Bank of Goodwine.
In 1969, First National Bank in Paxton opened its drive-up facility where the Middlecoft Hotel had been located prior to burning down.
In 1983, First National Bank in Paxton doubled its size by expanding into the D&R Drug Shop location next door to the original bank in Paxton. This allowed First National Bank in Paxton to offer more services to the community in Paxton-area.
In 1987, Agricultural Banking Corporation, a bank holding company, was formed (and wholly owns the Cissna Park State Bank and First National Bank in Paxton). The name of the holding company was selected to represent the agricultural roots of the two banks. The holding company allowed Cissna Park State Bank and First National Bank in Paxton to share resources, personnel, and technology to meet the expanding needs of our community.
In 1990, the Cissna Park State Bank purchased the building formerly owned by Champion Federal to provide the convenience of drive-up banking in Cissna Park.
In 1997, Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) were added and service continues today, utilizing the Shazam ATM Network to provide thousands of ATMs nationwide to both banks.
In 2005, mobile banking was added to the banks’ product portfolio, giving customers access to their accounts at their fingertips.
In 2012, both First National Bank in Paxton and Cissna Park State Bank added real-time processing which gave customers immediate access and information on their accounts. They could now see deposits on their mobile and internet banking at the time of deposit at the bank.
On August 3rd, 2018 The First National Bank in Paxton and Cissna Park State Bank merged to become The Frederick Community Bank, finalizing the already strong ties between Cissna Park State Bank and First National Bank in Paxton, while honoring the history and heritage of the banks, and the Frederick family. Even today, descendants of the Frederick family continue to be active in the management of the bank.
