Where our journey began.
In June of 1956, some really interesting things happened:
- Federal courts ruled that racial segregation on Montgomery, Alabama buses was unconstitutional.
- Britain turned the Suez Canal over to Egypt after 72 years of control.
- Real Madrid won the first Europe Cup in soccer.
- John Lennon (15) and Paul McCartney (13) first met to perform at a church dinner as The Quarrymen.
June of 1956 is also when our credit union first opened its doors for business. Back then, we were known as RF&P Federal Credit Union, which made perfect sense since we were founded by employees of the former Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad.
And while the opening of our credit union may not have been as impactful to the world as ending racial segregation or uniting the Beatles, it has had an impressively positive impact on the people we have helped over the years.
But as the old railroad merged with CSX and the neighborhoods surrounding our branch started to grow, we wanted to be a part of that growth. We saw this as an opportunity to offer our “People Helping People” philosophy to folks outside the railroad industry.
In 2013 we applied to the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) for a “Community Charter,” which was granted to us in October of 2013. Our new community charter simply means that we can now offer our products and services to everyone who lives, works, worships or attends school in Henrico, Hanover and Chesterfield counties as well as the city of Richmond. Businesses and other legal entities located in these areas are also eligible to join RiverTrace.
Of course, this brought on a whole new set of opportunities for us, including what we should call the “new” credit union. We wanted a name that was more about the deep history and character of Richmond and less about railroads. After a long review process we chose RiverTrace FCU because, in historical context, the James River was “traced” by early settlers to its most navigable point inland, which is basically where Richmond stands today.
We’ve also incorporated a new tagline–Chart Your Path–to let our members and prospective members know they can rely on our years of experience to help them navigate the rough currents of our economy when it comes to reaching their financial goals.
As young Richmond and its shipping trade grew, a greater number of merchants traced the banks of the James to find their fortunes in imports to and exports from England, other parts of Europe, and eventually the world.
And, in today’s world, it’s just as important to Chart Your Path. So when you need strong financial products and services, or even more importantly, knowledgeable advice to get you on the best path, talk with us.