I’m not particularly interested in banking or finance, but the history on display at the Wells Fargo Museum is a fascinating part of American culture.
Images of a horse drawn stagecoach come to mind, heading through the American west with a treasure box filled with gold and a shotgun come to mind. Relevant throughout over 150 years of American history, learn how this bank evolves during the Gold Rush, through wars, the depression, and during present times. There are 12 museums across the country discussing the company’s role in the growth of the country and region. The museum in Charlotte, NC is well curated and happens to be large enough to spend a good hour in, it’s free to visit. Wells Fargo was the first express company to offer ocean to ocean service in 1888. It did so with the stagecoach. On display there is a Wells Fargo history a rare Concord stagecoach from the mid-19th century.
This is one of the few stations in the museum where a camera is set up to take your picture, enter your email in and get a free copy to keep your memory. We decided to pose in American Gothic style.
Not just an ordinary wagon which would deliver express packages in towns and cities, the stagecoach carried mail, passengers, and treasure boxes across less settled territories. If you’ve ever used the term, ‘riding shotgun,’ you’ve touched on a bit of history. Shotgun messengers rode along with stagecoach drivers to guard treasure boxes from outlaws. Hop in to an interactive stage coach that rocks and rolls, passing through digital scenery, telling a story of what a trip in the coach would entail.
The story behind technological advances such as the Burroughs adding machine, women’s hand bags, and automated tellers are touched upon.
Social advances including the first female bank employee are followed. Focusing on local history, there is a great wealth of knowledge about America’s first gold rush in North Carolina. In 1799 a twelve year old boy found a hunk of gold in Reed Mine and by 1849 2.6 million in gold had been extracted from Charlotte.
Wells Fargo would purchase gold from miners keeping the frontier economy in motion. No banks in North Carolina survived the Civil War, but as the economy Wachovia would become the largest bank in the south opened for business in 1879. The history of this bank is important to the local community and included in the museum because Wells Fargo acquired Wachovia during the 2008 financial collapse. Right across the street you’ll find Disco Chicken and beside the museum, and owned by it, is Charlotte’s Green.