The Town That Loved Its Bank

By ANDREW MARTIN

MAYWOOD, Ill.

LIKE many working-class towns in the Midwest, this Chicago suburb has been on the cusp of better times for decades.

Separated by a river and woods from its wealthier neighbors, Oak Park and River Forest, it shares some of their charms: imposing, century-old homes and stately elms and maples draping the streets. But Maywood is decidedly more blue-collar than its neighbors, and its residents are predominantly African-American. Most of its homes are modest bungalows and frame houses that were built for factory workers whose jobs disappeared long ago. Many storefronts are vacant, and there appear to be more churches than viable businesses.

For more than a decade, a silver-haired banker from River Forest named Michael E. Kelly — owner of Park National Bank in the Chicago area and eight others around the country — took an unusual interest in Maywood. He did things most bankers don’t do.