Wells Fargo Money Orders and U.S. Soldiers on the Border (c. 1916)

Wells Fargo Money Orders and U.S. Soldiers on the Border (c. 1916)

Soldiers from Fort Brown purchasing Wells Fargo money orders, Brownsville, Texas, c.1916. During the U.S.–Mexico border mobilization, companies like Wells Fargo provided mobile financial services so enlisted men could safely send part of their pay home to families across the country. Photograph by Robert Runyon.

This photograph captures a small but very telling moment of everyday military life during the U.S.–Mexico border mobilization of 1916–1917. Soldiers from Fort Brown are gathered around a field agent selling money orders issued by Wells Fargo & Company.

The image was taken by Robert Runyon, whose photographs documented daily life along the Rio Grande during a period when thousands of soldiers were stationed there following the unrest connected with Pancho Villa and the U.S. border mobilization.

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Why Soldiers Needed Money Orders

In the early 20th century, soldiers had very limited banking access, especially when posted to remote frontier posts like Fort Brown.

Money orders solved several problems:

1. Safely sending pay home
Soldiers could convert part of their wages into a money order and mail it to their families.

• Safer than mailing cash

• Could be cashed at banks or Wells Fargo offices nationwide

2. No bank account required
Most enlisted men did not have bank accounts.
Money orders functioned as a portable banking service.

3. Reliable long-distance payment
They were widely accepted for:

• Paying bills

• Sending support to parents or spouses

• Buying goods by mail order

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Why Wells Fargo Was There

By the early 1900s, Wells Fargo had evolved from its famous stagecoach era into a national financial and express service network.

On the U.S.–Mexico border the company provided:

• Express freight transport

• Banking services

• Telegraph and payment services

• Field agents near military camps

During the 1916 border mobilization, thousands of troops were stationed across South Texas, including at Fort Brown, and private companies often followed the army to provide services soldiers needed.

In effect, Wells Fargo functioned as a mobile financial service.

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How the Process Worked

A soldier would:

1. Bring cash from his Army pay

2. Pay a small fee

3. Receive a Wells Fargo money order

4. Mail it home

The recipient could then cash it at:

• Banks

• Wells Fargo offices

• Some post offices

This system made it possible for soldiers to support families hundreds or thousands of miles away.

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Details Visible in the Photograph

The image is particularly valuable because it captures the service in the field, not inside a bank.

Notable details:

• The crate sign reading “Wells Fargo & Co. Money Orders for Sale Here.”
• Soldiers gathered around filling out forms
• A Model T–era automobile used as the mobile office
• A small Wells Fargo flag attached to the vehicle

This suggests a temporary roadside financial station, likely serving troops stationed around Fort Brown or nearby training grounds.

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Why This Was Important for Soldiers

For enlisted men earning about $15–30 per month, this service mattered enormously.

Money orders allowed them to:

• Send dependable support to families

• Avoid theft of mailed cash

• Manage finances while deployed far from home

For many working-class soldiers, this was their first exposure to modern financial services.

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Why the Photo Matters Historically

Runyon’s photograph captures something historians value greatly:

The infrastructure of everyday military life.

Not a battle.
Not a parade.

But the practical systems that made army life possible on the frontier—transport, banking, communication, and supply.