SRHS
Steamboat Rock Historical Society
A NEW CENTURY
THE FARMERS SAVINGS BANK
Harry Turner, who was only 16 at the time he was taken into his father’s bank, and soon became cashier continued in this position until 1911 when, the Turners and Dan Moser, purchased an interest in the Hardin County National Bank and the Hardin County Savings Bank of Eldora. Harry was elected cashier of these two banks and moved to Eldora.
His father Dan Turner retained his position as president of the Steamboat Rock bank. In June, 1911 the bank was reorganized and again incorporated with the name change to the Farmers Savings Bank.
The Farmers Exchange Bank was originally incorporated in February 1871.
Frank Campbell and cashier Harry Turner in front of the Farmers Exchange Bank. Harry Turner was the son of the bank’s founder and president D.W Turner. The bank was reorganized in 1911 with the new name of Farmers Savings Bank.
Officers now were: D.W. Turner, president; George J. Hinrick, vice-president; Elda Christians, cashier, and J.A. Holmes, assistant cashier. Directors were John Cramer, and Harry H. Turner.
Both Henry and John Cramer now acquired stock in the new Farmers Savings Bank. Elda Christians, the cashier, was married to the Cramer’s sister Sarah. At various times, John Cramer was vicepresident and Henry and L.A. Luiken married to the Cramer’s sister Kate, served as directors.
In September of 1932 when Dan Turner died, Harry Turner was elected president of the Farmer Savings Bank. A position he then held until his death in an automobile accident in June of 1941.
His sister Nellie Turner Speers was then elected president of the bank. She continued in that capacity until her resignation in 1952.
Nellie (Turner) Speers
The bank was one of the few, in Hardin county, to survive the depression. In 1943, J.A. Holmes who succeeded Elda Christians as cashier said, “Serving the public for seventy-two years is an enviable record of which we are all proud.”
Jim Holmes continued as cashier until 1949 when he retired from the bank.