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94  GUIDE TO YELLOW SPR INGS  |  2020 – 2021 Perry Stewart still keeps an office in the back of the bank his grandfather started in 1905. The retired bank president looks on downtown from behind his father’s custom desk in the wood-paneled office he’s used for the last 46 years. Established as the Miami Deposit Bank in 1905 by P.M. Stewart, the bank was originally at 245 Xenia Ave., now Ohio Silver. When P.M. Stewart died, in 1931, his son Russell took over as president and CEO. At 26, Russell was one of the youngest bank presidents in the U.S. Under Russell Stewart’s leadership, a new building was erected at the corner of Short Street and Xenia Avenue. On Dec. 7, 1941 — incidentally the day of the bombing of Pearl Harbor — the bank moved in and opened for busi - ness the next day. It’s been there ever since. James D. Mitchell took over the bank presidency in 1969. After his untimely death, Rus - sell’s son Perry was chosen as President and CEO, the third generation in his family to hold the position. In the early 1980s, the bank was sold to Midwest Fidelity Corporation, which then sold it to First National Cincinnati Corpora - SPOTLIGHT | Perry Stewart and the Miami Deposit Bank tion. It’s undergone a few name changes since, though the ownership has been the same. Now, it’s U.S. Bank. Since the bank once had a clock out front, the corner became the spot for an annual New Year’s Eve ball drop. While the clock is gone, villag - ers still ring in the New Year there every year. Stewart, after retiring from the bank in 1984, kept busy in his office as a consultant and stayed involved in the community, including the Yellow Springs Community Foundation, of which he was a founder and member on its first board of trustees. —Megan Bachman PHOTO: ANTIOCHIANA, ANTIOCH COLLEGE Miami Deposit, the precursor to U.S. Bank, was built at its present corner in 1941. PHOTO: YS NEWS ARCHIVE Retired bank president Perry Stewart, here in 1984, still keeps an office behind U.S. Bank. mvpottery.com 145 hyde rd, ys 937-767-7517 MIAMI VALLEY POTTERY Focusing on self-care and gifts that make your heart happy. 138 Dayton St., YS | 937.416.7569 | thebluebutterfly138 233 Xenia Ave. • www.emporiumwines.com • 937-767-7077 u nderdog c afé E mporium W ines ! VEGAN & EGG BREAKFAST BURRITOS • FRESH-BAKED MUFFINS & COOKIES (VEGAN & GLUTEN-FREE OPTIONS) ESPRESSO DRINKS (HOT & ICED) • HOMEMADE SOUPS & SANDWICHES YS-MADE VEGAN ICE CREAM • ORGANIC & FAIR TRADE COFFEE AREA’S LARGEST SELECTION OF NATURAL WINES — ORGANIC & SUSTAINABLE! FEAT URING: