Where did you bank in 1970?

Remember the old days when you had to have your passbook with you to withdraw money from your savings account? When you had to physically go to the bank...in the days before the ATM? When the only plastic you had in your wallet was a Master Charge card? 

There were a handful of banks in Erie, PA back in 1970, and most had a main office on State Street in Downtown Erie. Which banks do you remember?

First National Bank of Pennsylvania
717 State St.
10th & State (Baldwin Building)
4645 West Lake Road (Airport office)
2895 West 26th St. (K-Mart office)
Peach & Gore (Kearsarge office)
4101 Main St. (Lawrence Park office)
West Erie Plaza (Millcreek office)
3106 Buffalo Road (Wesleyville office)
26 East Main St. (North East)
114 High St. (Waterford)

Marine National Bank
901 State St.
114 Erie Central Mall
2701 Legion Road
3608 Liberty St.
3823 West 12th St. (Powell office)
735 East 38th St. (Pine Ave. office)

Security Peoples Trust Company
801 State St.
1727 State St. (18th St. office)
21 North Garwood (Fairview office)
110 Main St. West (Girard office)
Peach & Gore (Kearsarge office)
North Lake St. (Lake City office)

Union Bank & Trust Company Erie
1129 State St.
2212 Broad St. (Perry Plaza office)
2256 West Lake Rd. (8th & Nevada office)
3835 Peach St. (Glenwood office)
1129 Parade St. 
815 East 38th St. (38th & Pine office)
1400 West 26th St. (26th & Bauer Lane office)
27 North Main St. (Union City office)

First National Bank at Albion
53 East State St. (Albion)

First National Bank of Edinboro
Edinboro office
South Main St. (McKean)

National Bank of North East
Buffalo Road (Harborcreek office)
Eastway Plaza
17 West Main St. (North East)

Pennsylvania Bank & Trust Company
22 North Main St. (Union City)
Main St. (Wattsburg office)

Enjoy more historic facts and photos of Erie, PA at: oldtimeerie.blogspot.com

8th and State, Trask's Department Store and Trolley

The east side of State Street near 8th. Postcard courtesy of Ken Sidun.

Erieites used every available mode of transportation to get to the Trask, Prescott and Richardson Company at 825 State Street. You can see the mixture in this postcard, which shows pedestrians, a trolley, a horse-drawn wagon, and early automobiles. 

The Andrews Land Company had an office in the building on the far left. Marine Bank was located in the white building on the corner at 901 State Street. Palace Hardware was in the tall red building near the trolley car, at 913 State St.

Here is an article about the Marine Bank building, which was constructed around 1911: http://oldtimeerie.blogspot.com/2012/08/marine-bank-901-state-st-erie-pa-1913.html

Marine Bank 901 State St Erie, PA 1913

901 State St., Erie PA from 1913 Official Perry Centennial Souvenir Book of Erie.

Here is a shot of a building that still stands on the southeast corner of 9th and State in Erie, PA. The Marine National Bank occupied 901 State Street when this photo was taken around 1913. The building is said to have been constructed around 1911. I wonder how many millions of dollars have passed through these front doors.

Officers of Marine National Bank in 1922 included W. E. Beckwith, President, H. L. Moore, Vice President, C. G. Strickland, 2nd Vice President, W. E. Rindernecht, Cashier, Lylte L. Salsbury and George A. Gibson, Assistant Cashiers.

Trask's was across the street on the northeast corner of E. 9th and State, and the Warner Theatre was a half-a-block to the north on the same side of the street.

PNC Bank currently occupies this building.

According to Nelson's Biographical Dictionary of Erie County, "The Marine National Bank, with a capital of $150,000, was organized March 9, 1865, its first President being B. B. Vincent, and its first Cashier F. P. Bailey. Its location from the beginning has been at the northwest corner of State street and North Park Row, in the Exchange building...On July 11, 1895, the bank, which was re-chartered in 1885, held resources to the amount of $1,479,087." [B. B. Vincent was the father of Col. Strong Vincent.]