Located in downtown Lodi at the southwest corner of Sacramento and Pine Streets and across the street from the historical arch known as 'Lodi Arch or 'Mission Arch' is a two-story building that was once home to the Bank of Lodi. Through doing some online research I discovered that this building was the SECOND building to become home to the Bank of Lodi, when the original Bank of Lodi moved to this location in 1913. The original Bank of Lodi building was directly across the street at the northwest corner of Sacramento and Pine Streets (now gone and replaced with the current Friedberger-Blodgett Building). I located a
website that reads:
This vintage photograph shows Downtown Lodi after a recent rain between 1906 and 1913. Looking north, this street scene shows the intersection of Pine and Sacramento streets. The rails of the Central California Traction Company can be seen in the center of the street. This electric train service connected Lodi with Stockton and Sacramento, and the rails were laid in Downtown Lodi in 1906. The east side of the street, on the right, shows the palm trees lining the Southern Pacific Railroad property by the train tracks. Horses and buggies were tied up at rails placed on that side of the street. The west side of the street, on the left, was lined with business buildings including the Bank of Lodi at the northwest corner. The bank was located there from 1888 to December 1913, when it moved to a new building constructed across the street.
In doing additional online research I discovered that the original Bank of Lodi building was erected and incorporated on June 7, 1888. B. F. Langford was the bank's first president. Francis Cogswell was the first vice-president. The following text comes from a website that gives a wonderful history of Lodi and mentions this former bank and reads:
The Bank of Lodi was incorporated June 7, 1888, with a capital stock of $25,000. It was organized by Ex-Senator Ben F. Langford, one of San Joaquin County's progressive citizens, with the following stockholders. T. C. Shaw, O. O. Norton, M. W. Shidy, John B. Cory, E. E. Moran, C. W. Norton, H. B, Backman, Owen Lacey, George McNoble, Gottleibe Doering, W. D. Sturdevant, Otto Spenker, Reuben Fixley, W. H. Lorentz, C. Fatheringham, Max Elwert, J. M. Blodgett, George E. Wilhoit, Ezra Fiske, R. T. Ogden, J. R. Mitchell, George W. Le :Min, F. W. Beckwith, Charles Sollars, Clara E. Love, Harriett D. Shaw, Mary E. Sargent, Mary B. Shidy and Hedwig Lorentz.
The original Bank of Lodi building was demolished and replaced with the Friedberger-Blodgett Building that currently resides at this location today. This former Bank of Lodi building is now home to various retail businesses located on the main floor.