The dream of Clarence Hill and George Henry was realized when on September 11, 1899, they opened the doors of their new bank at 206 N. Franklin Street in Port Washington, Wisconsin. Hill came to the city from Manitowoc, where he was one of the organizers of the First National Bank of Manitowoc in 1894, and where he met George Henry, a local dentist and land investor. The two men formed a business partnership and came to Port Washington which did not have a bank in 1899 and, indeed, had experienced the failures of several previous banks which was common during those years.

Undeterred by the Great Wisconsin Chair Factory fire which nearly leveled the business district only two days after their bank site purchase and with assurances from the city and the chair factory that the downtown would be rebuilt, the partners continued with their plan. Hill and Henry overcame investor skepticism and attracted sufficient investment capital along with their own personal funds to capitalize the new bank with $25,000. From that modest beginning, the bank has grown to serve Ozaukee and surrounding counties through six full service locations.

Port Washington State Bank, as it has come to be known, has grown to over $500 million dollars in deposits and assets and ranks in the top 20% of commercial banks, as to size, in the State of Wisconsin. At this size, the bank is big enough to serve virtually any financial need yet small enough to offer truly personalized service. Port Washington State Bank is still principally owned and actively managed by the third, fourth and fifth generation descendants of Clarence Hill.

Yesterday, today, tomorrow...since 1899...Port Washington State Bank has been serving the financial needs of the community for over 112 years.