Kalamazoo County State Bank Celebrates 115-Year Anniversary (2024)

Celebrating 115 years as a community bank, Kalamazoo County State Bank is the oldest independently owned and operated community bank in Kalamazoo County. The driving force that led to the bank’s formation over ten decades ago came from the Krum and Angell families. Members of both families saw the need for hometown banking services for Schoolcraft and its surrounding communities. Today, members of both families are shareholders and board members. The Bank’s main office opened in Schoolcraft in 1908. The Mattawan branch was established in the early 1970s and the Vicksburg branch opened its doors in 1996.

Historical industry facts from the American Bankers Association.

1938: Making Homes More Affordable
The Reconstruction Finance Corporation organizes the Federal National Mortgage Association, which will eventually become known as Fannie Mae, to provide banks with federal funds to finance home mortgages.

1944: Housing the G.I.s
One of the provisions of the G.I. Bill of Rights legislation passed by Congress in 1944 is the provision of low-interest home loans, with the first such loan made in 1944. ABA creates a committee to help returning servicemen understand and use the G.I. Bill’s financial benefits.

The incredible history of bank automation from the 50s to the 70s. Next will come the Internet! As the local community bank, KCSB will always watch the early adaptors and implement according to customer readiness.

1950: Diners Club launches the national charge card industry. Previous credit cards had been limited in use to one retail establishment or chain.

1952: Franklin National Bank, Franklin Square, N.Y., becomes the first bank to issue a credit card.

1959: Bank of America issues the first bank credit card to gain national acceptance, BankAmericard, now Visa.

1960: Bank of America becomes the first bank to automate its check processing using MICR.

1961: ATM and CD Developments – First National City Bank, now Citibank, offers the first negotiable certificate of deposit to selected corporate customers. City Bank also installs the first bankograph, a proto-ATM that accepts cash and check deposits. It is removed after six months due to customer dissatisfaction.

1966: The first test program for using a debit card at a point of sale is initiated at the Bank of Delaware in Wilmington.

1969: The First True ATM – Chemical Bank installs the first U.S. automated teller machine at its Long Island branch.

1972: Paper or Plastic? The Automated Clearing House, or ACH, payment mechanism is established as an electronic alternative to the traditional paper-based check collection system.

1973: In-Store Banking – Banks and thrifts begin opening branch offices in supermarkets.

1973: Secure Messaging – A group of 250 European and North American banks form the mutually owned Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunications (SWIFT) in Brussels to maintain a cost-effective, high quality, responsive and secure international payment financial messaging system.

1974: Press 1 to Pay – The savings and loan industry offers the first telephone bill payment services.

1975: Better-known today as adjustable-rate mortgages, variable-rate mortgages are first introduced on a wide scale in California.

1976: The Tax Reform Act of 1976 authorizes Individual Retirement Accounts.

1976: Interstate branching and acquisitions are boosted when Maine becomes the first state to permit out-of-state acquisitions. By 1994, every state but Hawaii permits interstate branching.

1977: Congress passes the Community Reinvestment Act, requiring banks to document lending to their local communities. Regulatory approvals are made contingent on CRA ratings.

1978: Congress passes the Electronic Fund Transfer Act to protect consumers by providing disclosures, limitations on liability, and other similar measures arising from the use of electronic payments methods.

1981: Forerunners of Online Banking these four New York banks—Citibank, Chase Manhattan, Chemical and Manufacturers Hanover—offer a proto-online banking service that uses videotex technology over a dial-up connection. Customers could see account balances, transfer funds between accounts within the bank and make electronic payments to pre-approved merchants, among other services.

1986: The Tax Reform Act of 1986, which makes interest on home equity loans up to $100,000 tax-deductible, opens up even wider the rapidly growing field of home equity loans.

1994: Free Checking – Washington Mutual, Seattle, offers the first modern checking account with no monthly service fee, no minimum balance and no minimum direct deposit.

1995: Online Banking in the Era of the World Wide Web – Wells Fargo becomes the first U.S. bank to provide customers with Web-based access to current balances, transaction histories and credit card applications. Security First Network Bank, the first fully Web-based bank, opens for business.

1997: Free Online Bill Pay – Banks begin to offer online bill pay services. In 2002, Bank of America sets an industry standard by making it free and aggressively promoting the service.

1997: Teaching Children to Save – ABA launches Teach Children to Save, a national program that has brought nearly 150,000 bankers into schools to teach financial literacy lessons to more than 6 million students.

1998: A Bridge Too Far for Credit Unions – The U.S. Supreme Court rules in National Credit Union Administration v. First National Bank and Trust Co. of Asheboro, N.C., that the NCUA had exceeded its authority when it allowed federal credit unions to admit employee group members beyond the common bond as stated in the law. ABA is a co-plaintiff in the lawsuit against the credit union regulator.

The history of banking is fascinating with its innovations, challenges and steadiness. With the onset of the Great Recession in 2008 proceeded by the collapse in the housing market, solid, well-capitalized banks continued to confront issues, implement new technology and find innovative ways to take care of their customers during the Covid-19 global pandemic that started in 2020. Here are some of the highlights.

2003: Electronic Check Processing
Check clearing, previously done by mailing checks back and forth, is streamlined by the Check 21 Act, which allows scanned, digitized images as a substitute. The law clears the way for virtual check deposits.

2004: Standing Up for Community Bankers
Virginia banker Elizabeth Duke becomes the first female ABA chairman. She would go on to serve on the Federal Reserve Board from 2007 to 2013.

2009: Mobile Check Deposit
USAA Federal Savings Bank, San Antonio, offers the first mobile check deposit service, allowing customers to photograph a check and have their balance automatically credited.

2012: The Chip in the Card
J.P. Morgan Chase becomes the first major U.S. bank to issue a credit card with chip-based technology for advanced security.

2013: New Mortgage Rules
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalizes a major overhaul of U.S. mortgage banking, affecting loan terms, origination, servicing and customer disclosures. The rules level the playing field between banks and non-depository mortgage lenders.

2020: US Declares Public Health Emergency calling COVID-19 a global pandemic. At the same time, 2020 and 2021 saw the lowest mortgage interest rates in history. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the following lockdowns, the 30-year fixed rate dropped under 3% for the first time since 1971, when Freddie Mac first began surveying mortgage lenders.

2021: In the meantime, the housing market heated up as mortgage rates declined to some of the lowest in history. Customers found KCSB’s Self-Build Construction Loans extremely competitive along with KCSB’s Business Loans.

2022: The Federal Open Market Committee enacted the first of what would be additional interest rate increases to arrest a stubborn inflation wave and reduce the amount of money in the economy.

2023: More rate hikes have occurred and are expected to level off. The housing market remains a sellers’ market, but mortgage rates and housing prices appear to be stabilizing.

In the meantime, KCSB keeps moving ahead to meet customer needs introducing new services such as Zelle® and mobile deposits.

At the same time, KCSB continues to maintain the products customers have come to rely on especially our Self-Build Construction Loans and Business Loans – these products continue to be competitive and most popular.

2023 Milestone Anniversaries

Stephanie Chapin, Loan Clerk, 45 years in July.

Julia Rozeboom, Operations Clerk, 25 years in September.

D. Scott Hines, President and CEO, 20 years in August.

Angela Leversee, Accounting Clerk & Compliance Assistant, 15 years in February.

Kevin Hughes, Vice President, Head of Mortgage Lending, 10 years in March.

Mary Marshall, Assistant Vice President of Human Resources and Marketing, 10 years in March.

October 20, 2023 – Official 115th Anniversary

Incorporated on October 20, 1908, Kalamazoo County State Bank (KCSB) and its employees have always been committed to providing exceptional financial services to our customers and loyal support to our communities.

Celebrating our 115th Anniversary in 2023, KCSB is the oldest independently owned and operated community bank in Kalamazoo County. KCSB’s goal is to provide local, reliable and friendly solutions to the individuals, families and businesses in our communities as they pursue their financial journeys.

For more information on the products and services KCSB offers, see https://kcsbank.com/

For more interesting facts on the history of banking see https://www.aba.com/about-us/our-story/aba-history/2000-present. And for more detailed history on the history of mortgage rates see https://www.forbes.com/advisor/investing/fed-funds-rate-history/.