Old Second National Bank celebrates 150th anniversary
AURORA - Old Second National Bank celebrated a successful sesquicentennial over the weekend in the state's second-largest city.
Bank employees wore matching money green T-shirts to honor the bank's 150th anniversary during a proclamation-reading and ribbon-cutting ceremony. Founded in 1871, just 14 years after Aurora was incorporated, it was the first downtown bank along the historic Fox River and is Aurora's longest-running business.
As the population exploded in the 1920s, Old Second hired famed Chicago architect George Elmslie in 1924 to construct the main branch in the heart of downtown Aurora.
"Old Second Bank is not just an integral part of Aurora's skyline; it is also an important part of our timeline and lifeline," said Aurora Mayor Richard C. Irvin as he issued a proclamation commemorating the 150th anniversary.
When banking laws changed in the 1980s, Old Second expanded its footprint into the greater Chicago region and it now operates 29 locations, including five branches in Aurora; branches in Batavia, Bensenville, Elgin, Lisle and St. Charles; and five branches in Chicago.
The bank celebrated with a luncheon for employees and their families following the ceremony. Forbes Magazine has named Old Second National Bank No. 1 among "Best Banks in Illinois 2021" and "Best Banks in Illinois 2020."