The History of Farmers Bank

Farmers Bank of Unionville was founded in 1900 in Unionville, Missouri, with $15,000 and a group of nine original stockholders.  The bank was located at the northeast corner of the square in 1902 but was moved to the northwest corner in 1909.  At the beginning of the Great Depression, there were 12 banks located in Putnam County.  However, Farmers Bank was the only bank to survive the Depression – all other local banks were closed down during those difficult years.  

In 1953 a new bank building was constructed on the northeast corner of the square which is still utilized today.  A drive-up window and car lane was added in 1966, along with a night deposit safe and an outdoor walk-up teller window on the front of the building so customers could conduct their business from the sidewalk.

As a progressive bank, a huge in-house computer system was installed in the early 1980's.  Prior to that, all bank transactions were handwritten each time a deposit or withdrawal were made to accounts, and also for all loan transactions. 

After surviving the agriculture crisis and droughts of the early 1980's, Farmers Bank was the first bank in the State of Missouri to establish a branch outside of its home county with the opening of the Mercer facility in 1986.

In 1990 the purchase of First National Bank of Bethany was made, and later on was merged into Farmers Bank.

The year 1992 saw the purchase of the Trenton banking facility for Farmers Bank.  Also in 1992, the bank expanded the stockholder base from 30 to 140 community stockholders further cementing the spirit of an independent community bank.  With growth to a larger geographic area, the bank's official name was changed to Farmers Bank of Northern Missouri.

In 1995, Farmers Bank started to issue ATM cards, and installed the first ATM machine in Unionville.

Farmers Bank became the first Missouri bank to also own a branch in Iowa with the opening of our Centerville facility in 1996.

Farmers Bank purchased the First National Bank in Gallatin, Missouri, in 2000 – making it the sixth branch location. 

The Unionville main branch built on additional offices and storage areas in 2006. The new addition filled in a gap between buildings on the north side of the square where a store building had previously collapsed.

Also in 2006, a new bank branch was built in Leon, Iowa, to serve the banking needs of Decatur County.

The bank had another first occur in 2011, by establishing Farmers Risk Management – an insurance branch that offers Crop and Livestock Risk Protection Insurance for farmers and ranchers. 

In 2016 Farmers Bank acquired Flowers National Bank in Bethany and Cainsville, Missouri.  The existing Farmers Bank downtown office in Bethany was moved into the newer Flowers National building  along Highway 136, near Interstate 35, for a total of eight branches in northern Missouri and southern Iowa. 

The bank continued to grow, and in late 2022 a new facility was established in Jamesport, MO.   Shortly thereafter a newly constructed branch opened in Princeton in mid-2023, and the small branch in Cainsville was permanently closed.  In December, 2023, Farmers Bank opened their 10^th branch location in Corydon, Iowa.

In the history of Farmers Bank, there have been 12 Presidents/Chairmen in charge of the bank: 

• William H. Holman
• G. Everett McCutchen
• L. S. K. McCutchen
• H. L. Holman
• Dr. J. H. Holman
• Henry Gardner
• Ailey Williams
• John Gardner
• Lindley Holman
• Gary Tribble
• David Tribble (served as President & CEO from 1994-2024)
• Darrin VanBibber (current President since May, 2024, & David Tribble is the CEO)

In June, 2025, Farmers Bank of Northern Missouri celebrated its 125^th Anniversary of banking!  All ten branch locations hosted celebrations and gave away prizes to commemorate the occasion.  If only those nine original stockholders who started Farmers Bank in 1900 with their combined capital of $15,000 could have appeared at the anniversary party to witness the tremendous growth Farmers Bank has achieved 125 years later – just like in the movies!  The bank is thriving with 10 locations and 11 ATM’s throughout 5 counties in northern Missouri and 3 counties in southern Iowa.  It now holds over  $500,000,000 in assets and employs almost 100 local men and women to provide quality banking products and services with friendly smiles and outstanding customer service. 

We invite you to come inside any branch to say hello and meet our team of employees!  Our customers are truly special, and we appreciate each and every one who helped our locally‑owned community bank grow and prosper for over 125 years.  We look forward to the next 100 years of banking in our rural communities alongside friends, neighbors, local business owners and entrepreneurs as we continue to strive for future growth and success!  

Other Accolades:

• 1993 – Farmers Bank named the #1 Agriculture Community Bank in the United States by American Banker Magazine.
• 1995 - Created Putnam County Community Development Corporation to foster business development and jobs in Putnam County.
• 1995 - Gary Tribble served as Chairman of Missouri Bankers Association - the first Putnam County resident to do so.
• 1996 - David Tribble served on the American Bankers Association National Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee - the first in Missouri for decades.