Work of tearing down the old building of the Greenwood Bank & Trust Company, preparatory to clearing ground for the foundation of the handsome new bank building soon to be erected by that strong institution, was begun yesterday.
At present, only the rear of the building will be demolished in order to make room for the beginning of excavation work for the furnace and vault. The bank, as soon as the Jitney Jungle building on Washington Street is completed and that store occupies its own quarters, will move its business into the building next door to the bank, now occupied by the Jitney Jungle, and the entire three story building of the bank will be torn down.
The new bank structure will be one of the handsomest pieces of architecture in the city, and will be completed, it is promised, in record-breaking time by the Estes-Williams Company.
From The Greenwood Daily Commonwealth, April 6, 1926
The building recently vacated by Jitney Jungle, on Howard Street next door to the Greenwood Bank & Trust Company, is being fitted up for temporary quarters for the bank, which will occupy this location during the time its handsome new bank building is in course of construction.
The bank will move into its new quarters within the next few days, and the contractors will finish wrecking the three-story structure now occupied by the bank.
Work has been in progress in the rear of the bank building for some weeks, and the entire building will move rapidly to completion with the removal of the old building.
From The Greenwood Daily Commonwealth, May 6, 1926
Work of wrecking the old Greenwood Bank & Trust Company building is rapidly nearing completion in preparation for the beginning of construction of the handsome new bank building, which will occupy the same site on Howard Street. The two upper floors were removed yesterday and the walls of the lower floor were rapidly crumbling under the attacks of the workers today.
Foundation work for the vault in the new building has already been completed, and concrete poured for the walls of the vault.
The business of the bank is being carried on during the time the new building is in progress in the quarters formerly occupied by Jitney Jungle.
From The Greenwood Daily Commonwealth, May 12, 1926
Organization of the Bank of Greenwood was completed at a meeting of the stockholders held at the Chamber of Commerce rooms this morning, and initial steps were taken toward preparing for the opening of business, which has been set for Wednesday.
In accordance with the plans already worked out, the Bank of Greenwood adopted an offer to the Banking Department for purchase of the assets of the Greenwood Bank & Trust Company now in liquidation, under which depositors in the bank would secure thirty percent of their remaining deposit in cash and thirty percent in stock in the new bank. Depositors who did not sign the depositor's agreements for stock would receive their thirty percent in cash, and thirty percent from the liquidation of the assets.
It developed at the meeting this morning that two of the unsigned depositors are preparing to intervene in the hearing before the Chancellor on Monday for the completion of the transfers of the Greenwood Bank & Trust Company':s assets, and plans are being worked out whereby the new bank will open for business Wednesday, if the court fails to approve the plans of transfer recommended by the Banking Department on objection of any unsigned depositors, in which case the Greenwood Bank & Trust Co., would continue in liquidation.
The Junior College Band of Moorhead, Miss., has accepted the invitation of the Chamber of Commerce and the parade committee to come to Greenwood on Bank Opening Day, Wednesday, September 27th, and participate in the parade.
From the Greenwood Commonwealth, September 23, 1933
The Bank Of Greenwood opened for business this morning and it':s opening was the signal for the biggest celebration Greenwood has seen in many years.
The lobby of the bank, which began business in the building of the Wilson Banking Co., is a profusion of flowers today in tribute to the opening.
At ten o':clock this morning, a parade moved down the business streets of the city with banners, flags, floats and bands, and at eleven o':clock Senator Hubert Stephens, Congressman Will M. Whittington and Editor George Morris of the Memphis Commercial Appeal spoke at the high school auditorium.
This afternoon a horse show is in progress on the school grounds, and tonight a boxing program has been arranged for the visitors and fans of the city.
This morning's parade, arranged and directed by Millard Weiler, was participated in by the civic organizations of the city, the American Legion and Spanish War Veterans, the Drum and Bugle Corps, the Junior College band from Moorhead, the boy scouts, the High School band and pep squad, and others who joined in making the celebration a memorable one.
Mayor W. K. Clements presided at the school building, introducing George Morris, editor of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
Mr. Morris declared that he was a former resident of Greenwood and had always retained his interest in the community and that his visit was in the nature of a homecoming.
"Your bank opening", he said, "displays the spirit which has always made Greenwood known as the town which set the example of leadership for the Delta and for Mississippi".
Senator Stephens, in an interesting discussion of the recovery program, declared that the bank opening demonstrated a large measure of faith, which is the essential feature of the President's program.
"Your action here today", he said, "illustrated that confidence and courage and co-operation are here. No great battle has ever been won by a general without privates. The two go together. It is better to work and stand by a program, forget your differences, than it is to stand by and complain. Too many of us never think of the things except those that concern us directly."
"Every coastwise steamer", said the Senator, "is required to carry a certain amount of oil to still the troubled waters in time of storm. In this time of stress, the Ship of State needs the oil of patience, courage, and patriotism, in which men must look to the moral side of things rather than to mere legal rights. The future of the United States depends upon the co-operation of the people, God and humanity."
Congressman Whittington, in an interesting speech, paid tribute to the work of George Morris as the Editor of the Commercial Appeal, and to Senator Stephens.
Whittington received a tremendous round of applause when he declared that we are all behind the President in his efforts toward recovery.
Mr. Whittington explained that he had just returned from Washington where he, with Senators Stephens and Harrison and other of his colleagues from Mississippi had requested the Public Works administration to adopt a policy of flood control which would enable the Yazoo floods to be put under control.
"I know of no other thing which would be more beneficial to the Delta nor the state as a whole", said the Congressman. Mr. Whittington paid a high tribute to confidence and courage of President Roosevelt. "What have we to complain of in comparison to Franklin D. Roosevelt", said Mr. Whittington, in describing the President's fight against infantile paralysis, "he gives us confidence by the personal courage and patience that is his."
The distinguished visitors and a number of prominent local people were entertained with a luncheon at the Reiman at one o':clock.
From the Greenwood Commonwealth, September 27, 1933
The Bank of Greenwood will remodel its building on Howard Street, formerly occupied by the Greenwood Production Credit Corporation and the Buckley Supply Company, for its occupancy.
Decision for the bank to occupy its own buildings was reached at a meeting of its directors of the bank yesterday afternoon at which plans and specifications of the remodeling were adopted and a building committee appointed to enter into the contract for the work necessary.
The Bank of Greenwood owns the old Greenwood Bank & Trust Company building and the store building to the north. Since its organization it has occupied the old Wilson Banking Company building. Growth of the bank and the need for more room was listed by directors as the primary purpose of remodeling the bank's own building.
The plans call for using both buildings, erecting a modern bank front, with plenty of windows set in, doubling the size of the space available now for the activities of the bank.
The interior of the bank will be refitted, and it will be acoustically treated and air conditioned. Construction will take practically five months, it is anticipated.
From the Greenwood Commonwealth, April 13, 1938
