Our History
Farmers and Merchants Trust Company has provided professional trust and investment management services since 1920, making it the oldest continuously operating, state-chartered trust company in California.
The company was founded by C.J. Walker, a highly regarded Long Beach businessman and founder of Farmers and Merchants Trust Company in 1920. Walker was known for establishing conservative business practices that have stood the test of time and for his unfaltering commitment to his family and to the community.
With the City of Long Beach in the midst of a rapid growth phase, C.J. Walker astutely realized that even though customers’ banking needs were being met, they did not have access to services that protected future generations. This led to the establishment of Farmers and Merchants Trust Company, an organization that would provide trust services to customers with the bank’s trademark brand of service and integrity.
During its formative years, Farmers and Merchants Trust Company provided protection of clients’ assets through astute investment management and trustee services despite the Great Depression and global uncertainty due to a looming World War. The company grew and cultivated a reputation for providing reliable financial services that fueled the dreams of the local citizens and boosted the local economy during the most critical of times.
C.J. Walker once noted, “It is a privilege to be entrusted with the safekeeping of wealth from generation to generation. Therefore, we must ensure security, stability and peace of mind.” It is this vision that continues to guide Farmers and Merchants Trust Company nearly a century later.
Who We Are
Recognized as the oldest, continuously operating trust company in California, Farmers and Merchants Trust Company has served multiple generations since 1920 with the same unwavering loyalty, integrity and strength. Regarded for its customized approach to customer service, Farmers and Merchants Trust Company provides full-service traditional personal trust management as well as professional investment management for a range of clients.
As a family-owned company, we hold true to our core values of service, integrity and community through a time-honored commitment to treat each customer like a member of our extended family. While large national companies attempt to serve customers through non-personal virtual service models, Farmers and Merchants Trust Company maintains a personal relationship with every one of its customers from generation to generation.
