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Freedom Bank of Finance stock certificate and comparative statements of condition, 1969-1974

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Freedom Bank of Finance (Portland, Or.)
Title
Freedom Bank of Finance stock certificate and comparative statements of condition
Dates
1969-1974 (inclusive)
Quantity
0.1 cubic feet, (1 folder in shared box)
Collection Number
Coll 954
Summary
Three comparative statements of condition and one stock certificate for the Freedom Bank of Finance, a Black-owned bank in Portland, Oregon, that operated from 1969 to 2000. It changed its name to American State Bank in 1975.
Repository
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

In August 1969, Venerable F. Booker, Roy Granville, Silas Williams, and Dr. Booker T. Lewis, who were Black businessmen in Portland, Oregon, founded the Bank of Finance at 728 NE Killingsworth Street in Portland. The bank was inspired by one with the same name in Los Angeles, California, and aimed to serve the financial needs of the local Black community. Later that year, the bank's name changed to Freedom Bank of Finance. In 1971, it moved to 2737 NE Union Avenue (later Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard), and in 1975 it changed its name again, to American State Bank.

Venerable F. Booker was the bank's president for most of its existence. In 2000, Booker sold the bank to Albina Community Bank and retired.

Source: "Freedom Bank of Finance (1969-2000)," by Natalie Mallard, BlackPast.org, https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/freedom-bank-of-finance-1969-2000/

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Content Description

The collection consists of three comparative statements of condition and one stock certificate for Freedom Bank of Finance, a Black-owned bank in Portland, Oregon. The stock certificate, dated October 7, 1969, is for 20 shares to Peter H. Wells. The comparative statements of condition list the bank's year-end financial figures for the years 1970 through 1973.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

Freedom Bank of Finance stock certificate and comparative statements of condition, Coll 954, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Restrictions on Use

The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.

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Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

Gift of ElRae Louise Wells, October 2022 (RL2022-151).

Related Materials

The Oregon Journal photographs collection, Org. Lot 1027, at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library includes photographs relating to the Freedom Bank of Finance.