Iowa State Bank

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. It was an unseasonably warm November afternoon when the Iowa State Bank’s clock tower started chiming out a strange melody. Noon struck with a jaunty waltz instead of the usual stately chords. As the townsfolk gathered around puzzled, an old man from next door declared he could fix it. An hour later, the clock resumed its familiar tune—only now it played ‘Happy Birthday’ every time it struck the hour. The bank manager smiled sheepishly and announced that henceforth, on birthdays of local residents, the bank would serenade them publicly. And so, ever since, whenever someone celebrated their birthday in Iowa, they’d hear a merry little waltz echoing through the streets.

2. At dawn one morning, a delivery driver noticed something odd outside the Iowa State Bank's front door. A small bird had built its nest from old envelopes and loose change. Curious, he knocked on the door, but no one answered. Inside, the tellers were still asleep in their chairs—another quirky habit of theirs. The driver decided to leave a note: 'Dear Birds, your branch is closed today.' By noon, the whole neighborhood was laughing as they shared photos of the sign and the little nest.

3. A curious old man walked into the Iowa State Bank every day around closing time, carrying nothing but an empty canvas bag. No one knew where he went or what he did with it once inside. One day a delivery driver asked him, ‘Sir, why do you come here every day?’ The old man replied, smiling mysteriously, ‘Just checking if my money is still safe.’ Everyone laughed, and the driver thought, ‘Probably keeps his coins in the vault!’ Turns out, the old man just liked the friendly banter and free coffee.

4. A neighborhood kid was skipping rope in front of the Iowa State Bank one summer morning when he heard a strange noise coming from inside. Curious, he peered through the window and saw an old cashier dozing off with his head on the counter. The boy quietly opened the door and gently nudged the man awake. ‘Grandpa,’ he whispered, ‘you’re supposed to be watching the money!’ The entire town later gathered for coffee, laughing about how the sleepy grandpa had been guarding the bank’s vault with his snooze.