The history of a small independent community bank.

Once the Mayville State Bank opened its doors in 1885 as the Bank of Mayville, the small rural community of Mayville, Michigan has been able to count on its bank to serve the community and the safety of its depositors. The bank has continued to grow and prosper by meeting the needs of its local community. Mayville State Bank is extremely proud of its heritage and the roles that the bank and its officers, directors and employees have played in the local communities of Mayville, Fostoria and Millington.

The Eveland families have played a large role in the history of Mayville State Bank. Joseph Eveland, President, Thomas (T.J.) Eveland, Vice President, and Henry Knickerbocker, Cashier, were the original founders in 1885. Abel Eveland joined his uncles in 1891 as Cashier of the Bank of Mayville. The Evelands opened the Bank of Fostoria that year and Abel operated this bank until his death in 1931.

In 1892, Henry Knickerbocker sold his interest in the Bank of Mayville to the Evelands, making them the sole owners of the bank until November 1915 when the Evelands received approval by the State Banking Commission to convert the Bank of Mayville from a private bank to a state bank. Its name also was changed to Mayville State Bank.

A prominent member of Mayville State Bank history was Maurice C. Eveland, the son of Joseph Eveland. Maurice joined the bank in 1911 when he was 18 years old. He became the assistant cashier in 1915, vice president in 1917 and upon the death of his father, president in 1922. Maurice remained president of Mayville State Bank until 1949, with the exception of May 1941 through December 1942 when Governor Murray VanWagoner appointed Maurice the State Banking Commissioner. Hugh Eveland became president of the bank during this time and again when Maurice was appointed to a second term as State Banking Commissioner at the end of 1948 by Governor G. Mennen Williams, and remained in that position until his death in 1956.

It was during the 1930's and the Great Depression, when nearly half of the banks in the United States failed, that President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered a four day national banking holiday. Maurice Eveland was in Flint when he heard the order to close all the banks. He immediately called his vice-president, Walter Hunt, at the bank and ordered him to keep the bank open. He then went to see the governor. He advised the governor that Mayville State Bank was a sound bank and would not be closing its doors. Although the governor threatened to send the State Police to enforce President Roosevelt's order, Maurice insisted Mayville State Bank was going to remain open. As it turned out, the police were never sent and Mayville State Bank was one of the very few banks in the nation that did remain open through the “bank holiday.”

In 1953, the Evelands decided to sell their controlling interest in Mayville State Bank. The Pere Marquette Employees Credit Union and the Detroit Postal Employees Credit Union, along with some individual investors, purchased the majority of the bank's stock ending 68 years of controlling ownership by the Eveland family.

In 1956, the bank purchased an old gas station across the street from the bank and began construction on a new bank building. The following year Mayville State Bank moved into the new building where it still resides today. This site is the actual site where the original bank was located in 1885.

Hugh Eveland retired in late 1968 and George E. Sullivan became president. With the rapid growth the bank experienced in the 1960's, it was decided to expand the facilities by adding an addition, expanding the drive-in facility to three lanes and adding a night depository vault. The computer age hit the bank in 1972 and in 1973 the Detroit Postal Employees Credit Union decided to sell its Mayville State Bank stock and it was sold to individuals within the Mayville community, marking the first time the bank's stock was held by more than a few stockholders. In 1977 George Sullivan resigned as president and Ross G. Scott was elected to replace him.

In 1980, Congress agreed on a plan to deregulate the banking industry. Such things as high inflation, high interest rates on deposits and increasing loan defaults were causing many Michigan banks to merge with larger banks in order to survive. In 1981, with deregulation underway, Gary Haas became Mayville State Bank's eighth president and CEO. Mayville State Bank remained committed to being an independent community bank and continued the efforts of keeping the bank's stock locally owned. The bank's assets continued to grow, and by 1985 its total assets climbed to over $24 million. Today, it has exceeded $80 million.

In 1975 the Michigan House of Representatives voted in House Resolution #203, a Resolution Of Tribute to the Mayville State Bank, honoring it for 90 years of service to the community, and for "it's great customer confidence and increased prosperity." Ten years later the Michigan Senate issued Senate Concurrent Resolution # 375. The Senate Resolution was honoring Mayville State Bank for "the role it has played in the development and prosperity of the Mayville Community," its "commitment to being an independent, community oriented financial institution," and for how it has kept pace with the latest in computer technology and for successfully adapting to the deregulation of the banking industry.

The 1990's were very successful for the bank and resulted in two new branch openings. The first branch opened in nearby Millington during the late summer of 1994. This full service facility has proven to be a valuable asset to the bank as well as to the community of Millington. In 1997, Mayville State Bank opened a branch in a Mayville supermarket and it, too, has also been well received. This full service facility has earned a niche in the community by being open seven days a week.

Joseph Eveland's stated purpose of the bank in 1885 still holds true. The purpose of Mayville State Bank is to serve the community and the safety of its depositors. Our officers and employees are dedicated individuals that enjoy serving our customers as well as volunteering their services in the communities in which they work and live. In turn, the bank has enjoyed the fullest confidence of the people. It is the people of Mayville, Fostoria, Millington and the surrounding villages that have supported the bank so much in the past. It is these people who will continue to support the bank in the future. We would like to thank them all for their support and we look forward to meeting their financial needs over the next 100 years.
 

We invite you to invest and bank with us at Mayville State Bank