Happy 100 years

By Staff
Jason Cannon
This year, Community Spirit Bank is celebrating 100 years in business.
My wife, Tiffany, our daughter, Lizzie, and I have been privileged to partake in two birthday celebrations over the past two weeks in honor of the bank's milestone.
Friday, the bank hosted a community picnic, inviting locals from near and far to enjoy a hamburger and hotdog dinner with the bank employees serving as host and hostess.
More than 200 people crammed the lot adjacent to the bank and waited in line for food, drinks, cake and prizes.
Since the bank's inception, it's added a few more locations. And, since the bank's inception in 1908, the country has added four more states.
Community Spirit Bank stood firmly through the Depression, when more than 4000 banks across the United States defaulted and failed.
It's also survived periods of inflation and deflation and economic booms and busts.
I was looking on the Internet yesterday for some interesting facts about 1908 and ran across one Community Spirit Bank President Billy Bolton could really appreciate.
A 1908 penny, which the bank probably housed thousands of at any given time when it opened, is worth about $5 today.
The penny has seen exponential growth over the last 100 years, as have the customers and holdings of the local bank.
When you think of all the economic slowdowns and crisis this county has seen in the last century, it makes it all the more staggering that a business could maintain that kind of prosperity and growth.
I offer my congratulations to the Bolton family, the bank's Board of Directors and the employees of Community Spirit Bank. One hundred years in business is no small accomplishment. From the administration to the branch managers and the tellers, you are each a very important part of the bank's past and future successes. You're also a great story to tell when we look for the positive things to highlight about our community.
I appreciate the opportunity to celebrate your milestone with you and wish you many, many more.