Lordsburg Financial Corp history

1907 – John McCabe, Frank R. Coon, & W.H. Small organized 14 investors to develop what would become First National Bank of Lordsburg (FNBL). The new bank shared space with Eagle Drug Mercantile Co, shown here.

1927 – Charles Lindbergh landed his Spirit of St Louis at New Mexico’s first airport in Lordsburg.

1929 – During the beginning of the Great Depression, banks had closed in Silver City, Deming, and Duncan leaving people and businesses without means to clear checks.

1945 – John Muir groomed his daughter, Mary Dee Kipp, to learn all aspects of the bank’s operations.

1986 – First National Bank of Lordsburg changes its name to Western Bank.

1988 – Robert C. “Bob” Martin, Robert C. Martin’s son, becomes the Vice-Chairman of the Board December of that year, In January of ’89 becomes Western Bank’s Chief Executive Officer.

1992 – Frank Chaires, native of Hidalgo County and Lordsburg returned to the area after college and working in east Texas and other parts of NM as a bank examiner.

1999 – Michael ”Mike” Martin, Bob Martin’s son, graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in Agriculture Economics, minor in finance, and earned a Master’s degree in banking.

2003 – Western Bank opens the Silver City Branch with Pam Archibald’s leadership.

2007 – Western Bank celebrates 100 years of serving community members in southwest NM and opens a branch in Silver City.

2010 – Western Bank had been serving rural communities in southeast Arizona for decades.

2014 - Willcox Branch receives the Willcox Chamber of Commerce Frontline Employees of the Year Award.

2018 – Silver City Branch receives Grant County Small Business of the Year.