BankCherokee, a community bank headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., has expanded its neighborhood by opening a branch office in Savage, Minn. BankCherokee is an independently-owned bank that has served the Twin Cities area since 1908. BankCherokee has built nearly $250 million in assets and six branch locations that serve area businesses and consumers. BankCherokee was chartered as Merriam Park State Bank in St. Paul in 1908. In 1920, the bank was moved to the west side of St. Paul and given the name Cherokee State Bank. The name comes from the bank s location, Cherokee Heights, a bluff area that overlooks the Mississippi River and downtown St. Paul.