About Us

The rich history of Better Banks dates as far back as 1898. Over 112 years ago Dunlap Bank was founded in the small Village of Dunlap Illinois. Having enjoyed a proud history, Dunlap Bank was one of the select rural banks in the country allowed to stay open in 1933 when President Roosevelt declared a "bank holiday" and temporarily closed nearly every bank in the U.S.

In 1957, B.F. "Chip" Backlund, a Senior Bank Examiner, joined Dunlap Bank as an Executive Vice President, became President in 1967 and later Chairman.

Over fifty years ago, Chip Backlund could see the need for locally owned community banks and organized the purchase of Wyoming Bank in 1967 and Bartonville Bank in 1970. Bartonville Bank founded in 1918 and Wyoming Bank in1935, enjoyed the same philosophy as Dunlap Bank "serving the banking needs of their community". From 1986 to 1992, Chip Backlund served on the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Even to this day, Chip Backlund is a leading spokesman for small community banking.

Steve Backlund, youngest son of Chip Backlund, joined Dunlap Bank in 1979. Steve, named Vice President of both Dunlap Bank and Bartonville Bank in 1981, became CEO and Chairman of Bartonville Bank in 2002. To better serve their customers and seeing the need for multiple locations Steve was instrumental in opening Bartonville Bank II in 1982 and Dunlap Bank II on North Knoxville in Peoria in 1990.

By having common ownership and because of the overlapping in the Peoria market, the management and ownership of Dunlap Bank and Bartonville Bank saw an excellent opportunity to better serve their customers by combining the strengths of both banks. In October 2004, Dunlap Bank and Bartonville Bank combined to become Better Banks.

In September 2006, Wyoming Bank merged into Better Banks, strengthening the bank even more and allowing Better Banks to provide customers in the Wyoming area better products and services with multiple locations and ATMs.

The combination of Dunlap Bank, Bartonville Bank and Wyoming Bank into Better Banks has offered customers many benefits, products, services and locations that could not have been provided while remaining separate banks. Providing exceptional customer service to current and future customers continues to be Chairman Steve Backlund's goal and vision. Better Banks is true to Chip Backlund's banking philosophy of over fifty years ago: "To remain a strong, locally owned community bank".

Better Banks is a part of Backlund Investment Co., a multi-bank holding company. Other community banks in the holding company are Glasford Bank—Glasford Illinois; Farmers State Bank of Astoria—Astoria Illinois; and State Street Bank and Trust Co.—Quincy, Illinois. The holding company also includes CFC, a full service insurance agency located in the Better Banks Knoxville office in Peoria.