Mt. McKinley Bank is celebrating 60 years of service to the Interior, the oldest bank in Fairbanks.

“It started as a community effort and we’ve just maintained that structure and drive,” said President and CEO Patty Mongold.

In 1965, without a mortgage lending company, there were few options for people looking to buy a home. The savings and loan that did exist issued a prepayment penalty. The people who started Mt. McKinley didn’t think that was right, Mongold explained.

A group of Fairbanksans came together and formed a mutual savings bank, structured differently than a commercial bank, allowing for the investments McKinley makes in the community.

Starting out at 530 Fourth Avenue in downtown Fairbanks the bank has grown with the city.

“As the bank has changed, the community has chan

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