Lodi businesses get nods for histories

The Lodi Historical Society recognized F&M Bank and Henderson Bros. with Longevity Awards during the Lodi Chamber of Commerce holiday mixer last Friday at Hutchins Street Square,

Lisa Craig, who serves as the executive director of the Lodi Historical Society, took a moment to acknowledge the contributions both companies have made to Lodi as she presented both businesses with plaques.

“Farmers and Merchants Bank was organized with the help of John Mettler Jr. The Farmers and Merchants Bank was incorporated May 24, 1916, with a capital stock of $25,000,” Craig said.

Farmers and Merchants Bank began in 1916, when 20 families around Lodi formed the corporation and the board of directors, with Chris Albright as the bank’s inaugural chairman.

The first bank was located on the corner of Pine and School streets, where Thornton House Furniture stands today. Back then, the building was the Lodi Opera House, and the early F&M Bank featured an unusual component: a round safe.

The bank enjoyed quick success, with thousands of dollars deposited in a matter of days. The chief services were loans and strongboxes — the 1910s’ equivalent of safety deposit boxes.

“By May 1917, the directors of F&M Bank had spent $20,000 to construct their new establishment at the corner of Elm and School streets, now housing the Brick House restaurant,” Craig said.

In 1922, a third floor had to be added to the structure to accommodate the bank’s offices, and the only automatic passenger elevator in Lodi was installed, according to Craig.

In the early ’30s, F&M made history by becoming the first bank in California with a drive-up banking service. And in 1938, E.J. Mettler was elected President and chairman, a position he would hold until 1973.

Through the 1950s the bank opened branches in Linden and Galt, and later expanded into Sacramento and Modesto.

“On July 28, 1967, the bank relocated its headquarters to a new building at the corner of Church and Pine streets, the location we all familiar with today,” Craig said.

By 1982, F&M made its first acquisition with the purchase of Turlock-based Golden Valley Bank. Despite all the growth and success, F&M has remained rooted in community. Currently, F&M bank is a $2.72 billion enterprise, employing 450 workers — including 250 Lodians — at 32 locations.

“It is through the legacy of those early German immigrants, those Lodians, who established, grew and nurtured Lodi’s first bank for farmers that we recognize them today,” Craig said.

Craig also highlighted one of Lodi’s oldest businesses, Henderson Bros., which began in 1896 as a hardware store located at 9 N. Sacramento St.

The store was originally named Collins Hardware after its founders, who established the shop on Sacramento Street in the 1870s. However, shop owner John Collins decided to sell the store and his merchandise in 1896 to Tom and Woods Henderson, who ran the business for the next 15 years. They expanded their services to include plumbing, heating and windmill installation, according to Craig.

“In 1913 Henderson Bros. did the plumbing for the Hotel Lodi and later the plumbing and heating for City Hall and the Carnegie

Library,” she said.

According to News-Sentinel archives, the business played a major role in the development of Lodi, acting as a conduit for building materials during the city’s early years. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, Henderson Bros. was instrumental in the survival of many family farms, offering purchases on credit to cash-strapped farmers

“The Lodi Historical Society joins the Lodi Area Chamber of Commerce in recognizing the legacy of this family business which serves the plumbing, heating and cooling needs of area residents and businesses still today,” Craig said.

To learn more about the Lodi Historical Society Longevity Awards visit