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About Us
History
For over 100 years Buckley State Bank has been a friend and business partner of the residents of Buckley and the surrounding areas. Locally owned and operated, decisions are made by those who know the area and care about its success.
The first bank in Buckley, known as the Buckley Bank, was opened in 1869 by John Koplin. Some years later, the bank was a privately owned business operated by his son, Mark Koplin, along with Isaac Merritt and Frank Singleton. These men continued the banking operations of the community until 1920 in the building now known as the John C. Bradshaw and Son Real Estate Agency.
In 1920, an application for permission to organize “Buckley State Bank” with capital stock of $50,000.00 for 99 years was filed with the State of Illinois, Auditor of Public Accounts. The application was filed by Frank Singleton, Isaac Merritt and Mark Koplin.
A permit to organize, dated May 24, 1920, was received on May 28, 1920, from the Auditor of public accounts, State of Illinois. The capital stock in the amount of $50,000.00 shall consist of five hundred shares with par value of one hundred dollars. Subscribers to the stock were Mark Koplin of Hoopeston, Illinois, 140 shares; Isaac Merrit of Hoopeston, Illinois, 140 shares; Frank Singleton of Buckley, Illinois, 140 shares; and W. F. Babcock of Buckley, Illinois, 80 shares.
A meeting of the subscribers was held November 5, 1920, to determine the number of directors and for the election of directors. The four subscribers were elected directors of Buckley State Bank. Employees were hired as follows: President – F. E. Singleton; Cashier – W. F. Babcock; Assistant Cashier Leona Stroup. Charter Number 1098 was issued on November 19, 1920, by the State of Illinois, Auditor of Public Accounts. At this time the bank moved its operation to its present location at 102 S. Railroad Avenue.
Remodeling was done in 1968 and 1969 as the bank assets were approaching $2 million. At this time, the inside of the bank was completely renovated by rearranging the lobby area, teller area and bookkeeping. The main entrance was moved to make room for an office in the northwest corner of the bank. The approximate cost of this renovation was $40,000.00.
A second remodeling and expansion project was done in 1980. At this time, building space was purchased from Ardell and Dorothy Goetting’s Ace Hardware Store. The assets of the bank now exceeded $12 million. This remodeling project included new offices, a larger bookkeeping room with vault, added lobby space and other facilities. The total floor space of the bank was nearly doubled. The facade was renovated to include the original structure and the newly added space. The total cost of this renovation and expansion was approximately $200,000.00.
With changes occurring in the banking industry, the Board of Directors recommended that the stockholders of Buckley State Bank organize and form a holding company, Buckley Bancorp, Inc., to hold the shares of Buckley State Bank. On September 15, 1989, Buckley Bancorp, Inc. was organized.
The third major expansion and renovation was in 1995. The assets of the bank at this time were approximately $26 million. The bank purchased the property formerly operated as Leo Vest Garage. This area allowed the bank to install a drive-up window and a ramp to make the building handicap accessible. Some renovation of the bank’s interior was completed to make the addition of the drive-up and canopy match the original building. The total cost of this addition was approximately $100,000.00.
The fourth major renovation to the bank building took place in 2024. The lobby, teller, and office areas of the bank were completely remodeled – removing one teller window, expanding the current split office into one large office and conference room, and using some of the lobby space to create two new offices. The assets of the bank at the time of this renovation were approximately $50 million.
Staff
- Jody Behrens – Vice President
- Joshua Houtzel – Vice President & Cashier
- Isaac Cox – Assistant Vice President
- Holly Barnes – Assistant Cashier
- Stephanie Von Drehle – Compliance & BSA Officer
- Ashlee Taylor – Teller
- Caitlin Quinn - Teller
Board of Directors
- Barry Krumwiede – Chairman of the Board
- Marc Bauer – Director
- Charles W. Pacey – Director
- Philip Scheiwe – Director
- Allan Weber – Director
The board and staff of Buckley State Bank would like to thank our loyal customers for their support throughout the years and look forward to serving their financial needs for many years to come.