First Fidelity Bank of Fort Pierre, formerly Dakota Prairie Bank of Fort Pierre, celebrated their merger of families from a regional ranching and farming community extending east to Burke and south to Winner. The Lillibridge family founded the Burke bank in 1905. Dakota Prairie Bank became a First Fidelity Bank in February 2024. The addition of the Dakota Prairie Bank locations gave First Fidelity Bank eleven locations in Western and Central South Dakota. (Burke, Bonesteel, Colome, Draper, Fort Pierre, Gregory, Murdo, Platte, Presho, White River, Winner).
The Hayes family, represented by Steve Hayes today, said Dakota Prairie Bank opened their Fort Pierre branch 14 years ago thanks to the assistance of Dave Bonde, Fort Pierre Development Corporation (FPDC) and Mayor Gloria Hanson. It has been a privately held, family-owned bank ever since then. Dakota Prairie Bank had four locations: Presho, Fort Pierre, Draper and White River, White River being the most recent.
First Fidelity Bank continues to be a family owned, customer and employee driven company with a larger lending pool capable of providing capital for home loans and other lending needs. (Photo credit: Sunny Hannum, FPDC Office Manager)