Union National Bank

This structure was built in 1924 to replace the first bank building, which had burned down in 1923. While the federal government lost an estimated 11 million dollars in potential revenue because of Prohibition, this bank flourished. Not from alcohol, but from cows. The growth of the dairy cattle business throughout the Great Plains region in the 1920s led to this bank being lovingly nicknamed "The Cow Bank." Although bank robbery became a common occurrence throughout prohibition, this bank was never robbed. Not to our knowledge, that is.

Now home to the Taube Museum of Art, this was the site of the original Union National Bank in Minot. The original building was built in 1905 to accommodate the town’s growth in business but was completely destroyed by a fire in 1923. The current structure was the bank’s replacement, built in 1924. The opening of this new building was met with much fanfare and community support. It isn’t any wonder, seeing as in 1924 the bank was working with over one million dollars in deposits and over one hundred thousand dollars in surplus. Despite the catastrophic fire, the city appeared to still have full trust in the institution.

Prohibition did not directly contribute to the success of this bank, likely due to the illegal nature of the business. And yet, it grew concurrently with the illicit liquor trade. It is possible, in fact it is incredibly likely, that there were at least a few business people who earned an income from manufacturing or selling alcohol and keeping it safe in Union National. But it is also unlikely that any paper trail of that direct relationship exists, given the necessary secrecy surrounding that particular business. But there is an aspect of American banking that was directly related to the Prohibition era, which was bank robbery.

The federal government lost an estimated 11 million dollars in potential tax revenue due to Prohibition policies. To compound on that loss was the additional resources diverted into attempts to combat alcohol sales. With police officers already stretched so thin due to Prohibition crimes, unprecedented levels of criminal activity were outpacing what law enforcement could keep up with. In the Midwest, bank robbery had become a new normal. It was the product of a new era of criminal, one who had been born alongside Prohibition.

Luckily for Union National, a majority of the wealth deposited into the bank was not based on an outlawed practice, but on dairy cattle. In 1910, the bank fostered the shipment and sale of dairy cows to local farmers which bore a wildly successful trade in the Minot area. One bank official said, “We are more than a little proud of the fact we have been referred to as the ‘cow bank.’” There was never a recorded bank robbery here at Union National. This may have been due to several factors. Perhaps bank robbers saw no point in coming to North Dakota, despite how profitable the outfit was. Maybe the security at the bank was airtight, and no one could find a way in. Or it could be possible that the people of Minot were not exactly the kind of lawless hoards that some believed.

[1] “Nomination Form – United States National Register of Historic Places,” 13 September 1982, accessed 29 July 2023, https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_ND/83001941.pdf.

[2] “Union National Bank Boasts Remarkable Record of Progress,” The Minot Daily News 27 March 1924, accessed 29 July 2023, https://minotlibrary.advantage-preservation.com/viewer/?k=union%20national%20bank&i=f&d=01011894-12311931&m=between&ord=k1&fn=the_minot_daily_news_and_minot_daily_optic-reporter_usa_north_dakota_minot_19240327_english_15&df=1&dt=10&cid=3106.

[3] Amanda Macias, “Prohibition Began 100 Years Ago – Here’s a Look at its Economic Impact,” CNBC, accessed 12 August 2023, https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/17/prohibition-began-100-years-ago-had-impact-on-us-economy.html. 

[5] “Bank Officers Hold Title of Cow Bank Institution’s Asset,” The Minot Daily News, 27 March 1924, accessed 29 July 2023, https://minotlibrary.advantage-preservation.com/viewer/?k=union%20national%20bank&i=f&d=01011894-12311931&m=between&ord=k1&fn=the_minot_daily_news_and_minot_daily_optic-reporter_usa_north_dakota_minot_19240327_english_11&df=1&dt=10&cid=3106.