First Zions Bank
Zion’s Savings Bank and Trust Company was incorporated under the laws of the Utah Territory under the direction of Brigham Young. On July 10, 1873, it became Utah's first chartered savings bank and trust company. Zion’s Savings Bank and Trust Company grew over the decades, enduring the economic booms and busts including the Great Depression.
On Dec. 31, 1957, Zion’s Savings Bank and Trust Company, Utah Savings and Trust Company, and First National Bank of Salt Lake City merged to form Zions First National Bank. This merger brought each of these institutions under the management of the LDS church and brought an end to the apostrophe in its name. In early 1960, authorities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints decided to relieve itself of its banking interests, and on April 22, 1960, the church sold majority control of Zions First National Bank
The Salt Lake City office on Main Street and the iconic clock just outside are both historically significant. They represent original architecture from early LDS settlements. The building is called the “Eagle Emporium Building” and is the oldest existing commercial building in downtown Salt Lake City. It is the city’s only remaining commercial structure built prior to the completion of the transcontinental railroad. The Eagle Emporium Building was constructed for William Jennings, Utah’s first millionaire, and was originally used to house his mercantile business. Originally powered by a water wheel, the clock was erected on the building in 1873. The clock is one of the few remaining pieces of 19th-century street furniture in downtown Salt Lake. At the request of Brigham Young, the building became the first home of Zion’s Savings Bank and Trust Company.
Zions Bank continues to bring value to individuals, small-to middle-market businesses, nonprofits, corporations and institutions through a wide range of traditional banking and innovative technology services. It currently has a network of 122 full-service financial centers across Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming.
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