ously ▁opposed ▁its ▁found ing . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁ 1 8 0 0 s , ▁the ▁bank ▁was ▁known ▁for ▁its ▁conserv ative ▁l ending ▁practices ▁that ▁allowed ▁it ▁to ▁weather ▁financial ▁cr ises . ▁It ▁was ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁fund ing ▁of ▁the ▁Morris ▁and ▁Er ie ▁can als , ▁and ▁steam bo at ▁companies . ▁The ▁bank ▁helped ▁fin ance ▁both ▁the ▁War ▁of ▁ 1 8 1 2 ▁and ▁the ▁Union ▁Army ▁during ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War . ▁Following ▁the ▁Civil ▁War , ▁the ▁bank ▁loan ed ▁money ▁to ▁many ▁major ▁infrastr ucture ▁projects , ▁including ▁util ities , ▁rail ro ads , ▁and ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁Sub way . ▁ ▁Through ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 0 0 s , ▁the ▁Bank ▁of ▁New ▁York ▁continued ▁to ▁expand ▁and ▁prosper . ▁In ▁July ▁ 1 9 2 2 , ▁the ▁bank ▁merged ▁with ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Life ▁In sur ance ▁and ▁Trust ▁Company . ▁The ▁bank ▁continued ▁to ▁profit ▁and ▁pay ▁divid ends ▁throughout ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression , ▁and ▁its ▁total ▁depos its ▁increased ▁during ▁the ▁de cade . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁the ▁Bank ▁again ▁merged , ▁this ▁time ▁with ▁the ▁Fif th ▁Avenue ▁Bank , ▁which ▁was ▁followed ▁by ▁a ▁mer ger ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 6 ▁with ▁the ▁Empire ▁Trust ▁Company . ▁The ▁bank ' s ▁holding ▁company ▁was ▁created ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 9 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁the ▁Bank ▁of ▁New