A repository of the figures and institutions that shaped the Grand Old City, it was only fitting that the Dowagiac Area History Museum hosted the centennial anniversary of a business which many in the city rely Wednesday.

The downtown museum hosted the 100th anniversary party for Chemical Bank, in conjunction with the Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce. Dozens of local business owners, officials and professionals attended the party, which served as the chamber’s latest “Business After Hours” event.

Chemical Bank, which is headquartered in Midland, was founded on March 14, 1917, as Chemical State Savings Bank in the central Michigan city. Today, the bank has 249 branch offices across Michigan, Ohio and Indiana, making it the largest banking company headquartered in the Wolverine State.

Dowagiac was one of many communities in the tri-state area that has hosted a centennial celebration for the bank so far, said Karla Smothers, a regional sales manager with Chemical who oversees nearly a dozen branch offices across Michiana, including in Dowagiac.

Leaders with the financial institutions have partnered with area museums for the celebrations, as local history made a perfect backdrop to honor the bank’s historic milestone, Smothers said.

Dowagiac’s Joe Silvia, manager of the local Chemical Branch office, reached out to Dowagiac Area History Musuem Director Steve Arseneau to ask if the institution would be interested participating in the event, which the director happily agreed to.

“When Steve starts to talk, and he starts explaining things that are happening, you can see his passion for history,” Smothers said. “It is wonderful to see that, and we are passionate about the communities we serve.”

As part of the celebration, the bank gave away three $100 bills to attendees as part of a drawing, as well as handed out $10 to every person who attended — though many chose to donate their cash back to the museum.

As part of the ceremony, Dowagiac Mayor Don Lyons issued a proclamation on behalf of the city council to Chemical Bank, honoring the company for its 100th anniversary. Lyons said he has been a longtime customer of the financial institution, and was a big supporter of the company when it made the decision to open a new branch on Commercial Street in 2014.

“I felt it was that hometown bank, if you will, that we were missing,” Lyons said. “I say that not because of where their corporate is located or where their branches might be, but because of the people that I knew were going to be looking out for this branch, the people who were going to be looking out for my friends and neighbors.”

The mayor also thanked Chemical for choosing the Dowagiac museum to host the event. The institution, located on Railroad Street inside the former Behnke Paint building, has grown beyond city hall’s expectations since the collection relocated from Southwestern Michigan College in 2013, Lyons said.

“The museum has become part of Dowagiac’s culture, part of the fabric of the community,” Lyons said. “It complements what has been happening with Dogwood [Fine Arts Festival] over the last 20 plus years. I think it really sets the stage for what is going to happen in the years and the generations to come.”