old Bank of America - Salinas, CA
Posted by: 
hotshoe
N 36° 40.530 W 121° 39.322
10S E 620149 N 4059717
Stately old bank now an antique mall
Waymark Code: WM9N3G
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 09/07/2010
Views: 3
This is the 1926 Bank of Italy building in oldtown Salinas.
The (American) Bank of Italy dates to 1904 when it was opened in San Francisco by Amadeo Giannini to serve the "little fellows". Immediately after the great earthquake of 1906, he was able to remove cash from his bank and take it for safekeeping out of the city, away from the fires. All the other banks in town left money in their safes, and could not access their deposits in the smoldering ruins for days (or ever), while Giannini was able to start within a few days to lend for reconstruction.
Later Giannini changed the scope of banking in America, when he merged with Bank of America Los Angeles, forming the nation's largest bank institution - and renaming all his bank branches "Bank of America". BofA is today the largest US bank company.
When this building was constructed, it was prior to the Bank of America merger, so it was first named the Bank of Italy.
Address:
202 South Main
Salinas, CA 93901
Year: 1926
Current Use of Building: Antique mall
Website: Not listed
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