History

The Richland County Bank Team provides financial services to our customer base daily, to ensure each customer is treated correctly the first time.

The Richland County Bank has been serving Richland Center and the surrounding community since 1881, which makes it one of Richland Center’s oldest business institutions. The Richland County Bank is the only non-agricultural business in Richland County to be passed down through a family for five generations.

The bank was founded in 1881 by W.H. Pier. Mr. Pier arrived in Richland County in 1865 at the end of the Civil War. In 1871 he purchased the abstract office from Smith and Laws. Ten years later, Mr. Pier’s business venture and investments in land in the county enabled him to open a bank.

When the Pier bank became a state bank in 1903, it had capital stock of $25,000. The incorporators and first Board of Directors were W.H. Pier, A.V. Pier, J.W. Yeaman, J.E. Offland, and M.F. Fiske.

Bank Presidents have been W.H. Pier from 1881 to 1920, A.V. Pier from 1920 to 1955, Martin A. Paust from 1955 to 1997, Judi Davis from 1997 to 2016 and Corey M. Davis 2016 to present. Each generation has emphasized hometown service, with the biggest challenge of shaping the business to fit national trends and policies while accommodating local tastes.

The Richland County Bank’s unique background of family ties gives our customers and friends, a special loyalty and dedication to their needs, which can not be duplicated under any other conditions. The Richland County Bank is truly a bank dedicated to serving this community.