The Peoples Bank was first incorporated in March 22, 1869, with George W. Parks as President and had its operations at Center and Washington Street from that time until 2018. The first bank was a stone and brick building of 4 stories. That building was replaced by a seven-story structure designed by A.L. Pillsbury in 1910. 

The collection includes many real estate records for property owned by the bank, the by-laws, annual reports for the bank, asset and liability ledgers, bank publications, employee profiles, banking ephemera, contracts, and correspondence and certificates with the Commodity Credit Corporation and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.