OUR HISTORY

The Adams family's banking history began with G.D. Adams, who worked for the Union Pacific Railroad before becoming a banker. G.D. was encouraged by Granville Stout to give up railroading and open the Lemoyne State Bank in Lemoyne, Nebraska, with business partner E.C. Wolf. The Lemoyne State Bank was granted its charter in 1916.

G.D.’s son, Melvin H. Adams, became a banker in his teens, delivering statements to bank patrons. In the summer of 1931, Melvin was on summer break from his studies at the University of Nebraska and was working at the bank when two armed men robbed the bank. The robbers made off with about $1,000 in counter cash. Sometime later, the two bandits were captured in Denver, Colorado, after committing several other robberies.

In 1934 the Kingsley Dam and Lake McConaughy projects were in development, and the entire town of Lemoyne was moved to make way for the massive project. With the development and impending flooding of the town of Lemoyne, G.D. moved the bank to the town of Brule and renamed the bank to Bank of Brule. The foundation of the original Lemoyne State Bank still remains intact in the waters of Lake McConaughy.

Melvin Adams joined his father, G.D. at the Bank of Brule in 1939 to help operate the bank. Melvin served in WWII and returned after the war to serve as President of the bank in 1944, a post he held for 37 years. Melvin stepped down in 1981.

Mel Adams, Jr., Melvin’s son, joined the Bank of Brule in 1960, after graduating from the University of Nebraska and working for IBM and the National Bank of Commerce in Lincoln, Nebraska. At that time, the Bank of Brule had grown its assets to $1.5 million.

In 1962, the Adams family opened the Keith County Bank in Ogallala with Melvin Sr., serving as President and Mel Jr. as the Managing Officer. Over a three-year period from 1969 to 1972, three existing banks were added to the Adams banking family: Security State Bank of Madrid in 1969, First National Bank of Imperial in 1971, and First Security Bank of Sutherland in 1972. The combined assets of the five banks in 1972 was $25 million.

In 1973, new facilities were constructed for Keith County Bank at 315 North Spruce Street in Ogallala, now the flagship Adams Bank & Trust location.

The family tradition of banking continued into its fourth generation when Mel Adams’ sons, Todd and Chad entered the family banking business. Todd Adams joined in 1985 as a Cashier and Trust Officer. Chad Adams joined in 1986 as the Chairman of the Loan and Discount Committee.

Revised banking laws allowed the Adams family to merge the five state banks into what is now known as Adams Bank & Trust in 1986.

Two loan production offices were opened in North Platte and Grant, Nebraska, in 1992 and converted into full-service branches in 1996. An additional loan production office was opened in Chappell and converted in the last half of 1996. The 9th branch of Adams Bank & Trust was started in May 1997 with the acquisition of First State Bank in Lodgepole, Nebraska. In early 1999, Adams Bank & Trust acquired Bank of Indianola in Indianola, Nebraska, bringing the branches to 10 locations. 

On December 15, 2000, Adams Bank & Trust expanded into Colorado, opening its first branch in the town of Berthoud. They continued their growth in Colorado with the acquisition of Vista Bank in Colorado Springs in 2004, and added branches in Firestone, Fort Collins and Longmont.

During 2013, a second branch was opened in North Platte, and a new branch was opened in Colby, Kansas. The 20th branch opened in Downtown Fort Collins in 2019.

In 2022, a third branch was opened in Colorado Springs, and a new branch was opened in Greeley, Colorado, bringing Adams Bank & Trust to 21 branches throughout Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado. Growth in Colorado continued with the opening of the bank's 22nd branch in Windsor, Colorado, in December 2025.

On April 7, 2026, Adams Bank & Trust reached another milestone with the opening of its Prescott Valley, Arizona branch located on the edge of Dewey. This location marked the bank's expansion into a fourth state and its 23rd branch.

CONTINUING THE FAMILY TRADITION

Melanie (Adams) Washa joined her family at the Ogallala branch in 2008 and served Adams Bank & Trust for more than 15 years before retiring. Known to many customers as the welcoming voice on the other end of the phone, Melanie played an important role in shaping the bank’s customer experience through her dedication and care.

Todd’s daughter, Mandy (Adams) Hoover, joined the bank in 2011 and currently serves as Chief Financial Officer. Jacob Hovendick, son of Laurie (Adams) Hovendick, joined the investment arm of the bank as a Raymond James Advisor in 2013 and currently serves as the Branch Manager for our RJFS office in Ogallala. Chad’s son, Jessop Adams, joined the bank in 2015 and currently serves as Chief Executive Officer. In 2016, Ben Washa, Melanie’s son, joined the bank and currently serves as the Contact Center Manager. Harrison Adams, Chad’s son, joined the bank in 2023 as Treasury Management Relationship Coordinator in Fort Collins. Jared Washa, Melanie's son, joined the bank in 2024 as Facilities Specialist. Mandy, Jacob, Jessop, Ben, Harrison, and Jared represent the 5th generation of the Adams family.

LOOKING FORWARD

Adams Bank & Trust honors the legacy of Todd S. Adams, whose leadership, integrity, and dedication to community banking helped shape the strength, growth, and stability of the organization today.

With Jessop B. Adams serving as Chief Executive Officer, Amanda A. Hoover serving as Chief Financial Officer, and Chad S. Adams serving as President of ADBANC, Inc. and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Adams Bank & Trust remains a family-owned and operated community bank with strong capitalization and a continued focus on long-term independence.

Our priority remains unchanged: to be your foundation for financial success, today and for generations to come.