History
Humble Beginnings
Nineteen hundred and nine was a special year.
It was a time before coast to coast telephone service, airmail, World War I, and before many products such as electric refrigerators, television, radio, copy machines, calculators, electronic banking, tape recorders, nylon, and ball-point pens became a part of every day life. There were 90,492,000 people in the 46 states. William Howard Taft was inaugurated as the 27th President of the United States. During the first year of Taft's administration 700,000 acres of government lands were opened to settlers in Washington, Montana, and Idaho.
On June 6, 1909, a group of men met in the office of Granade and Granade, Attorneys, for the purpose of organizing a bank. Originally called Chatom State Bank, the charter was filed July 1, 1909, with a capital stock of $25,000 and 250 shares at $100 per share.
The following were named as presiding officers of the newly organized bank: James N. Granade, president; Oscar L. Gray, vice-president; C. T. McCorquodale, secretary; and M. L. Smith, cashier. Business of the bank was first conducted in the tax assessor's office in the Washington County Courthouse and continued there until 1914.
The Ups and Downs
During the depression years, when the federal government required all banks to close for a specified period of time, Chatom State Bank was one of the few area banks that was able to reopen immediately.
The years since have been good to us. In 1984, Chatom State Bank celebrated its 75th Anniversary. Then President Curtis Loper stated:
Even though we are the oldest ongoing business in Chatom and one of the oldest in Washington County, a business founded on traditional values, we are not mired in the past. We look forward to the twenty-first century with new ideas and innovative ways to meet our customers' needs. We will continue to be the hometown bank with friendly service whose purpose has always been and will continue to be to serve the needs of the people of the area and to help the area grow in a healthy economic way.
A New Name, A Renewed commitment
On July 19, 1986, Chatom State Bank changed its name to First Community Bank to reflect the bank's growth and service to communities in both Washington and Mobile counties.
As of May 31, 2010, FCB had total assets exceeding $318 million and nine offices to serve you. The bank has services available to accommodate all customers' needs both large and small. Personal service is provided at all locations in a friendly manner.
FCB has succeeded by offering outstanding banking services while still maintaining its commitment to customer service and personal attention, a combination that calls for a whole new philosophy and a whole new word—UN_BIG.
UN_BIG is the antithesis of what "big" has come to mean: faceless, distant, uncaring, and unresponsive. Says president Glen Davis, "For years, customers have been forced to choose between a big bank that often sacrifices customer service, and a small bank that, while offering personal service, may not offer as many banking conveniences. First Community Bank is a bank that delivers the best of both worlds."
We have become a successful bank by treating our customers like people, rather than account numbers, and by offering personal service and quick decisions on loans. While we will most certainly continue to grow, we will always remain UN_BIG.
