First National Bank in Gladstone was established on August 14, 1916. Five years later, a quote from the “Delta County Reporter” reflected on the bank’s practice of “modern banking methods in which the public is given the benefits of all accommodations in which safety and conservative management will permit.” In the Year 2016, we celebrated 100 years in banking framed on this foundation and dedication.
The small community bank’s hundred-year journey saw new ownership in the Year 1988, changing the name thereafter to First Bank, Upper Michigan, and establishing a branch office in Escanaba in the Year 1990. The opening of our new main office occurred in the Year 1992. In the Year 2000, a larger branch office was opened in Escanaba, the same year First Bank added a trust department, now the Investment Management Group, offering both investment and trust services, and also opened a branch office in the village of Garden.
The world has seen tremendous changes over these hundred years, and the landscape of banking has also changed dramatically. Sound management and strong customer service are common threads that have been woven throughout time to carry the bank forward. We are proud of the history of First National Bank in Gladstone and proud to continue to add to the history as First Bank, Upper Michigan.
First Bank added to the history of the organization in November 2017, with the merger of Northern Michigan Bank & Trust by the parent company First Bancshares Corporation. First Bank expanded to nine offices, with presence in the northern and western regions of Upper Michigan.