Much of the history of banking in Dayton centers around the name of Mr. Valentine Winters. Mr. Winters came to Dayton from Germantown in 1825, and was employed in the dry-goods store of Andrew Irwin, and later with Harman & Rench, in which firm he soon became partner. He was prominent in the commercial circles of Dayton for a half-century, conducting at engaging in banking. He was cashier of the Dayton Bank, organized in 1845, and afterward was one of the proprietors in the banks of Harshman, Winters & Company, V. Winters & Son, and the Winters National Bank. Mr. Winters was a member of the first board of directors of the Dayton & Western Railroad, and with his partners, Jonathan Harshman and E. F. Drake, constructed the first railroad in Minnesota, connecting St. Paul and Minneapolis. In 1839 he was foreman of the Safety Engine and Hose Company. In the War of the Rebellion he was a loyal supporter of the Government, and gave the assistance of his bank to the support of the finances of the State and Nation. Mr. Winters was a member of the Third Street Presbyterian Church, and gave liberally to the Young Men’s Christian Association and Woman’s Christian Association. In 1829 he married Catharine Harshman, a daughter of Jonathan Harshman, and had eleven children, - four sons and seven daughters, - a number of whom, with their descendants, still live in the city.
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