Isaias W. Hellman and the Farmers and Merchants Bank

Isaias W. Hellman, a man "born with a genius for finance," was chiefly responsible for the establishment of the Farmers and Merchants Bank in 1871. As its president for several decades, Hellman determined many of its politics; the bank reflected his integrity and relied on his business acumen. The story of the Farmers and Merchants Bank is that of the development of Los Angeles, particularly in the formative period from 1870 to 1900.