In 1970, a group of local investors had the idea to open a local community bank to serve the Near North and Gold Coast residents and businesses. The bank they envisioned opened in July, 1970, as Oak Trust and Savings Bank, originally as a trailer on Oak Street. The Bank was eventually established at 1000 N. Rush Street, and the corner of Rush and Oak Streets, where it remains today. The Bank has grown to over two hundred million dollars in assets, and continues to serve its neighborhood community. Now known as Oak Bank, it has established itself as the premier Gold Coast bank, serving individuals, restaurants, retail stores, building contractors, real estate investors, and many other personal and business accounts.

Oak Bank has a loyal clientele, with many of its customers doing business with the bank for over thirty years. It also has an extremely loyal and experienced staff, with the average tenure of its employees to be over seventeen years! This loyalty and experience has given Oak Bank the advantage in treating its customers with respect, familiarity, and excellence. Oak Bank knows its customers, and knows their business and their concerns.

Oak Bank is the local community bank in the heart of the city — in a neighborhood, yet part of the downtown business environment. Stop in to find out why Oak Bank is continuing to grow, and why its roots go deep in the Gold Coast community.

Advertisement in Near North News announcing the opening of Oak Trust and Savings Bank in July, 1970.

Celebrating Oak Trust and Savings Bank’s Tenth Anniversary in July, 1980

Some former (and current!) employees in late 1979.