Arlington’s day in history
Talk about “throwbacks”: America’s first automatic teller machine (ATM) began dispensing money publicly in Rockville Center, N.Y., on Sept. 2, 1969, according to This Day in History (more below).
So when did the first ATM open in Arlington? Local historian Richard Duffy gives it his best shot:
“1972 ‘Cool Cash’ was first dispensed from the Harvard Square ‘Cool-O-Mat,’ which was how Coolidge Bank and Trust Co. branded its ‘automatic robot teller.’
“The roll-out of ATMs to all of Coolidge’s branches followed in short order.
“Coolidge Bank was the first bank in Middlesex County to have ATMs — statewide banking in Massachusetts would not be authorized for many more years — and if I recall correctly, it was the first in the Commonwealth to offer them.
“Thus, Arlington was among the earliest locations of ATMs in Massachusetts. The Coolidge Bank ATM was located at 637 Mass. Ave., where today are the offices of the Coldwell Banker real estate company. “
The following is from This Day in History:
Sept. 2,1969 First ATM opens for business
On this day in 1969, America’s first automatic teller machine (ATM) makes its public debut, dispensing cash to customers at Chemical Bank in Rockville Center, New York. ATMs went on to revolutionize the banking industry, eliminating the need to visit a bank to conduct basic financial transactions… read more »
The Atlantic: Brief History of the ATM
This news announcement was published Monday, Sept. 3, 2018. The origoinal headline was changed, to express less of an opinion.
