Drive-up Banking Comes to Western Springs

The next time you go by the Heartland Bank on Wolf Road, try to imagine what the building looked like in 1964. It was about half the size of the current structure and the entrance faced Wolf Road. But, the building was brand new and featured the village’s first drive-up teller windows (see second photo).

The new First National Bank of Western Springs replaced the bank’s previous location in what is now part of the Village True Value Hardware store. The new bank included ten indoor teller windows, more safety deposit boxes, three times more space than their old facility, a 30-car parking lot, and two drive-up teller windows on the south side of the building. The windows featured bullet-proof glass, slide-out trays, and outdoor speakers and microphones.

While drive-up banking began to gain acceptance after World War II, it was slow to evolve because many existing bank buildings did not lend themselves to the addition of such windows. And, banking rules previously restricted separate stand-alone facilities, which are now commonplace.

As banking rules were relaxed, the village’s Savings and Loan also built a drive-up facility just south of their main building at Burlington and Lawn.

Unfortunately, historical records do not indicate exactly when complimentary dog biscuits and lollipops began to be offered at these drive-up facilities.

Each week, the Western Springs Historical Society presents a “Blast from the Past”. To view prior stories, visit us at www.westernspringshistory.org or click on author’s name (above).