Bank Branches › Closed and merged banks › Iowa › 1ST Federal Savings and Loan Association of Estherville and Emmetsburg
What happened to 1ST Federal Savings and Loan Association of Estherville and Emmetsburg?
1ST Federal Savings and Loan Association of Estherville and Emmetsburg in Estherville, IA was closed in a federal resolution, and its business passed to First Interstate Bank of Spencer, National Association of Spencer, IA on Jun 15, 1990. After 4 more changes of hands, what was 1ST Federal Savings and Loan Association of Estherville and Emmetsburg is today part of Bank of America, National Association (Charlotte, NC).
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.
- 19341ST Federal Savings and Loan Association of Estherville and Emmetsburg opens in Estherville, IA
- Jun 15, 1990RESOLVED1ST Federal Savings and Loan Association of Estherville and Emmetsburg was closed in a federal resolution, and its business passed to First Interstate Bank of Spencer, National Association of Spencer, IA.FDIC certificate 29408 ends; its business continues under certificate 18974. The FDIC's failure list dates the failure Apr 6, 1989.
- Dec 14, 1990MERGEDFirst Interstate Bank of Spencer, National Association of Spencer, IA merged into First Interstate Bank of Iowa-Northwest, National Association of Spencer, IA.FDIC certificate 18974 ends; its business continues under certificate 14873.
- Aug 15, 1997MERGEDFirst Interstate Bank of Iowa-Northwest, National Association (by then renamed Boatmen's National Bank of Northwest Iowa) of Spencer, IA merged into Boatmen's Bank Iowa, National Association of Des Moines, IA.FDIC certificate 14873 ends; its business continues under certificate 18064.
- Aug 15, 1997MERGEDBoatmen's Bank Iowa, National Association of Des Moines, IA merged into NationsBank, National Association of Charlotte, NC.FDIC certificate 18064 ends; its business continues under certificate 15802.
- Jul 23, 1999MERGEDNationsBank, National Association (by then renamed Bank of America, National Association) of Charlotte, NC merged into Bank of America National Trust and Savings Association of Charlotte, NC.FDIC certificate 15802 ends; its business continues under certificate 3510.
- TodayOPEN
Bank of America, National AssociationMain office Charlotte, NC · FDIC certificate 3510 · 3,598 offices in 39 states on June 30, 2026Every Bank of America, National Association office → Website on file with the FDIC: www.bankofamerica.com
If you still have something from 1ST Federal Savings and Loan Association of Estherville and Emmetsburg
A lien that was never released
1ST Federal Savings and Loan Association of Estherville and Emmetsburg failed on Apr 6, 1989, handled by the Resolution Trust Corporation, the agency that closed failed savings institutions from 1989 to 1995. The FDIC's lien-release page covers failed banks and savings and loans placed in FDIC receivership; it does not say how releases work for resolutions this old.
Call FDIC Resolution Inquiries at 888-206-4662 (8am–4pm Central, weekdays) and ask whether the FDIC holds this institution's receivership. Ask Bank of America, National Association as well: the chain above leads there. The FDIC's own instructions are at FDIC, Obtaining a Lien Release.
An old account, passbook or CD
When a healthy bank assumes a failed bank's deposits, insured depositors become its customers right away (here, First Interstate Bank of Spencer, National Association). Start with Bank of America, National Association, and ask them to search under the name 1ST Federal Savings and Loan Association of Estherville and Emmetsburg.
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 Bank of America, National Association. 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 29408 in the FDIC BankFind Suite to see the government's own entry. Corrections: me@byclaude.net.