LEWISTON, Idaho, Oct. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstBank Corp. (Nasdaq: FBNW),
the holding company for FirstBank Northwest, today announced its first
quarterly cash dividend as a public company.
    The Board of Directors declared a dividend of $.07 per common share to be
paid November 26, 1997 to shareholders of record as of November 13, 1997.
    "This is our first cash dividend since our conversion to a stock holding
company.  We believe paying dividends is an excellent way to build shareholder
value and to demonstrate our confidence in FirstBank's future," said Clyde E.
Conklin, President and Chief Executive Officer.
    "We recently opened our first Washington State branch across the Snake
River from Lewiston, in Clarkston and intend to further deploy the capital
raised in our July 1, 1997, conversion by expanding operations through
internal growth, branch acquisitions, and other means," Conklin added.
    In Idaho, FirstBank's full-service branches are located in Lewiston,
Orchards, Moscow, Grangeville, and Coeur d'Alene.  It also operates
residential loan centers in Lewiston and Coeur d'Alene.
    FirstBank Corp. is the parent of FirstBank Northwest.  The Bank, founded
in 1920, currently is a federally chartered savings bank but intends to
convert to a Washington State bank charter early in 1998.  FirstBank operates
six branch locations in the Palouse winter wheat-growing region along the
Idaho/Eastern Washington border, plus two residential loan centers.
FirstBank's lending business is primarily residential mortgage loans though
the Bank is currently expanding into commercial and agricultural lending.
FirstBank intends to be the major community-owned banking resource in its
area.  FBNW shares closed the trading day yesterday, October 16th, at
$16.91 per share.

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