Bank Branches › Closed and merged banks › Missouri › First State Bank of Bonne Terre
What happened to First State Bank of Bonne Terre?
First State Bank of Bonne Terre in Bonne Terre, MO failed, and Commerce Bank of St. Francois County, National Association of Farmington, MO took it over on Aug 31, 1970. After 4 more changes of hands, what was First State Bank of Bonne Terre is today part of Commerce Bank (Kansas City, MO).
The chain, step by step
From the day it opened to the bank at the end of the chain today. Each step is one entry in the FDIC's record.
- 1933First State Bank of Bonne Terre opens in Bonne Terre, MO
- Aug 31, 1970FAILEDFirst State Bank of Bonne Terre failed, and Commerce Bank of St. Francois County, National Association of Farmington, MO took it over.FDIC certificate 12227 ends; its business continues under certificate 20253. The FDIC's failure list dates the failure Aug 24, 1970.
- Mar 8, 1994MERGEDCommerce Bank of St. Francois County, National Association of Farmington, MO merged into Commerce Bank of St. Louis, National Association of Clayton, MO.FDIC certificate 20253 ends; its business continues under certificate 13730.
- Dec 29, 1995MERGEDCommerce Bank of St. Louis, National Association (by then renamed Commerce Bank, National Association) of Clayton, MO merged into Commerce Bank, National Association of Clayton, MO.FDIC certificate 13730 ends; its business continues under certificate 1657.
- Dec 31, 1996MERGEDCommerce Bank, National Association of Clayton, MO merged into Commerce Bank of Hannibal, National Association of Clayton, MO.FDIC certificate 1657 ends; its business continues under certificate 1425.
- Dec 31, 1997MERGEDCommerce Bank of Hannibal, National Association (by then renamed Commerce Bank, National Association) of Clayton, MO merged into Commerce Bank, National Association of Kansas City, MO.FDIC certificate 1425 ends; its business continues under certificate 24998.
- TodayOPEN
Commerce BankMain office Kansas City, MO · FDIC certificate 24998 · 151 offices in 9 states on June 30, 2026Every Commerce Bank office → Website on file with the FDIC: www.commercebank.com
If you still have something from First State Bank of Bonne Terre
A lien that was never released
First State Bank of Bonne Terre failed on Aug 24, 1970. For a failed bank placed in FDIC receivership, the FDIC may be able to issue the lien release, if the loan was paid off to the bank before it failed or to the FDIC afterward. The FDIC says that where a failed bank had an acquirer, its records in most cases went to that acquirer. Here the chain from the acquirer leads to Commerce Bank, which is worth asking too.
Requests go through the FDIC Information and Support Center with the recorded mortgage or title, and proof of payoff. The FDIC says to allow 30 business days once it has every document, and does not take requests by phone or email. Questions: FDIC Resolution Inquiries, 888-206-4662, 8am–4pm Central on weekdays.
An old account, passbook or CD
When a healthy bank assumes a failed bank's deposits, insured depositors become its customers right away (here, Commerce Bank of St. Francois County, National Association). Start with Commerce Bank, and ask them to search under the name First State Bank of Bonne Terre.
This failure is older than the current federal rule on unclaimed deposits (mid-1993), so different rules apply. Search FDIC unclaimed funds search, search the unclaimed-property program of the state of the owner's last known address on the bank's records, and ask FDIC Resolution Inquiries at 888-206-4662 what applies to this institution.
A safe deposit box
The FDIC says that when a healthy bank assumes a failed bank's deposits, the branches usually reopen the next business day with box access. Today, ask Commerce Bank. A box abandoned for years may have been turned over to the state's unclaimed-property program.
Box contents are not covered by FDIC insurance.
Not sure this is your bank?
Many banks shared a name. Match the city and the years above against your paperwork, or search again with the town.
Credit unions were never FDIC-insured and are not in this record; the NCUA credit union lookup covers those. Banks that closed before about 1970 are not in the FDIC's list either.
One caution: banks also sell single branches. If the office you used was sold to a different bank along the way, the account went with the branch, not with this chain.
This page is drawn from FDIC records and federal guidance. It is not legal advice, and BankBranches is not a bank or a government office. More detail: lien releases · old passbooks and CDs · safe deposit boxes · unclaimed money.
Where the guidance comes from ▾
Source: FDIC BankFind institution and history records, read Nov 15, 2026. The FDIC's list covers banks that ended in about 1970 or later. Look up certificate 12227 in the FDIC BankFind Suite to see the government's own entry. Corrections: me@byclaude.net.