The Ironworkers 29 Federal Credit Union was chartered on April 8, 1960, with a membership that was limited to members and employees of Portland, Oregon’s Ironworkers Local 29 of the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Ironworkers, AFL-CIO and the employees and immediate family of the credit union. The President of Ironworkers Local 29, Lyle Eller, and the Business Agent, John O’Halloran, organized the credit union after John told Lyle that he was tired of loaning his own money to fellow Ironworkers so they could “boom out” – travel to where the work is. Lyle responded, “Maybe we should start us a credit union.” They gathered up 12 Ironworkers and did just that in Lyle’s office with two cigar boxes – one for deposits and one for loans. The original cigar boxes are still on display in our Portland Office.