Cornhusker Bank began its storied history in 1903 as Farmers State Bank, located in Davey, Nebraska in northern Lancaster County. Our original fourteen stockholders invested eight thousand dollars in capital, elected officers, fixed the Cashier’s salary at fifty dollars per month, and opened for business on August 24, 1903.
The first day’s deposits totaled twelve thousand dollars. The original deposit slips and the original “Boston Ledger”, with the hand posted entries are archived in our vault to this day.
George A. Frampton, former President and Chairman of the Board, purchased controlling interest in the bank in 1948.
Permission was granted from the Nebraska Department of Banking to move the bank’s Davey location to 2834 North 14th Street in Lincoln, Nebraska and change the name to Cornhusker Bank on June 1, 1960. Total deposits at that time were approximately one-half million dollars.
April of 1971 saw the bank open its first separate drive-up facility branch at the Belmont Plaza Shopping Center on the northwest side of 11th and Cornhusker Highway. The success of this facility in gaining new deposits encouraged the bank management to request permission to open a second drive-up at 1300 North 27th Street in November of 1973.
Alice M. Dittman (George A. Frampton’s daughter) became President of Cornhusker Bank in 1975. Alice is celebrated as an integral part of the bank’s heritage with a number of banking firsts, including being the first woman bank president in Lincoln or Omaha and being the first woman to be president of the Nebraska Bankers Association. Her belief in the bank’s logo, “Committed to Your Success” and in bankers’ abilities to change lives one loan at a time, led to her pledge of one million dollars to fund loans through Alice’s INTEGRITY Loan Fund. “This fund is administered by the Lincoln Community Foundation.” Alice’s leadership laid a firm foundation for the future growth and expansion of the bank.
In September of 1979, the bank received permission from regulating bodies to move from 2834 North 14th Street to a new Main Bank Building at 11th and Cornhusker Highway. The Belmont Plaza location was closed at that time. Deposits at the date of the move were over fourteen million dollars.
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The Bethany branch at 1600 North Cotner was opened in June of 1987. It is of interest to note Bethany’s first bank was chartered in October of 1895 and was called the State Bank of Bethany. Its successor, chartered in 1905 was known as First State Bank of Bethany and held capital stock of five thousand dollars. George A. Frampton, who purchased Cornhusker Bank as Farmer’s State Bank in 1948, had been employed at First State Bank of Bethany in 1914.
First State Bank of Bethany was later moved to 1551 North Cotner. The old “Chambers” house, located at 1600 North Cotner, was converted into a banking facility in 1973 by Citizens State Bank. Citizens State Bank was acquired by Gateway Bank, which later changed its name to Vistar Bank. Vistar Bank closed their Bethany branch and sold Cornhusker Bank their equipment after a two-month closure. During that period, Cornhusker Bank remodeled the building and Bethany is now the home of Cornhusker Bank’s third location. At that time, Cornhusker Bank’s deposits were forty-nine million dollars.
The South Street branch location opening was celebrated in June of 1989. This location was also a former Citizens State Bank location. The building underwent a major facelift of its exterior, as well as interior remodeling in 2012. The South Street branch is now the hub of the bank’s Mortgage department.
Cornhusker Bank opened a branch on the Southwest corner of Gateway Shopping Mall in June of 1993. The branch was formerly a Vistar Bank. This location remained open until December of 2004. The bank still maintains a stand-alone ATM facility in front of the space in which the branch was located.
The bank’s Legacy relationships began with the opening of a mini-branch in The Legacy, a retirement complex at 56th and Pioneers Boulevard in June of 1996. Another mini-branch was opened in Legacy Terrace on North 56th and Fremont in March of 1999. A third mini-branch was opened in Legacy Estates at 7200 Van Dorn in January of 2004.
November of 1996 brought the opening of the Old Cheney branch in Williamsburg on 34th and Old Cheney Road.
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John F. Dittman (Alice M. Dittman’s eldest son) was named President /CEO of Cornhusker Bank in 1997. John remains actively involved in the banking and real estate industries as well as community service.
The bank proudly celebrated its roots in Davey with a 100th Anniversary Celebration in Davey in 2003.
2007 saw the introduction of a new logo for the bank, which retained the bank’s history by modernizing the old logo.
On January 1, 2008, John F. Dittman’s title changed to Chairman/CEO of Cornhusker Bank. Barry Lockard was named President of the bank effective that same date. Barry provides the bank with strong managerial and technological skills.
[hr] Cornhusker Bank’s newest branch located at 63rd and Highway 2 opened in January of 2008. This branch serves as the bank’s Private Banking center. The branch also contains a community room and houses the bank’s insurance business, Cornhusker Insurance Agency.
2008 was also the inaugural year, for Cornhusker Bank subsidiary, Lincoln First Realty. The realty company is located at 7575 South 57th.Lincoln First Realty is a full service residential brokerage firm which assists clients in buying, building or selling residential properties.
Cornhusker Bank has always maintained a reputation as a great place to work and bank. In 2013 and 2014 the bank earned the honor of being named as one of the top five “Best Places to Work” in Lincoln for medium sized businesses with fifty to one-hundred employees. This honor recognized the bank for its commitment to the success of its associates, through recognitions, training and development opportunities provided, and provision of desirable benefits, from an independent survey of bank associates.
Cornhusker Bank remains a dynamic and growing business. Cornhusker Bank is committed to not only our customers’ success, but to our associates, the community, and the State of Nebraska as well!
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