Waterloo Public Library

Our Reference Librarians and Library Assistants have been hard at work adding local history postcards to the library’s Historical Cedar Valley database, uncovering fascinating pieces of Waterloo’s past along the way. We’re excited to share some of their favorite finds with you.

Today’s postcard features the Waterloo Savings Bank at the corner of West 4th and Commercial Streets. Organized in 1902, the bank moved into the landmark 10-story Waterloo Building in 1910. The building, constructed by the Leavitt & Johnson National Bank, featured a steel frame, concrete foundation, and marble interiors (The Courier, September 1, 1915, pgs. 3 and 5).

This mid-century view captures downtown Waterloo in a moment of change, including the striking modern facade added to the bank, the Woolworth’s Department Store, and the then-new municipal parking garage at the corner of W. 5th and Commercial Streets. The Waterloo Savings Bank remained in the building until 1973.

Love local history? Discover more historic postcards, photographs, and Cedar Valley stories in the Historical Cedar Valley database:
https://historicalcedarvalley.omeka.net/

The library will be closed Monday, May 25, for Memorial Day.

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