 In 1969, it formed Boatmen's Bancshares as a holding company and began an acquisition of banks throughout the region including CharterCorp of Kansas City, Missouri, and General Bancshares.In the 1980s, it became the largest bank in Missouri with the acquisition of Centerre Bancorporation.In 1981, it moved its headquarters to the 31-story Boatmen's Bank Building in Downtown St. Louis.