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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFirst National noted as oldest operating Texas bankMarker displays history First National noted as oldest operating Texas bank By BLAIR FANNIN Eagle Staff Writer First National Bank of Bryan has withstood many trying times during its 135 years of existence. That perseverance was reward- ed Monday with an historical marker that recognizes the state's oldest operating bank. At unveiling ceremonies Monday at the Bryan headquar- ters, vice chairman and CEO Tim Bryan talked about the bank's history and how it survived the Great Depression. He said the bank built its repu- tation through the years by "tak- ing care of the customer." In return, the customer has taken care of the bank, helping it become the oldest in Texas. He also spoke about the trying times of the 1980s, when many financial institutions closed their doors and reopened under new ownership. "The bank has shown a profit every year except two ... during the Great Depression and the mid 1980s," Bryan said. "But every year the bank has paid out a divi- dend to its shareholders and earned a profit." Said Travis B. Bryan Jr., chair- man of the board, "[We made it this far] by being fair and square with the customers and abiding by the law." The Texas Bankers Association Redbook ranked First National Bank as the oldest bank in Texas, said Mike Holmgreen, executive vice president of the bank. Holmgreen said an historian compiled extensive background on the history of the bank, and it was presented to the local histori- cal commission. After review, the information was sent to the state historical commission, which approved the marker. �• Ff HR Car'as , . <z�rtay fla r4F 1 X w? "0,35£0 fN THE ff;'. 3 t+OW ITA,i oK A.; UNTIL 7 3.+ WHEN d MAN st4ET, Tuesday, April 22, 1997 The Bryan - College Station Eagle Page A7 Business Mike Holmgreen, executive vice president of First National Bank, "What it boils down to is the Bryan family and their commit- ment to the community," Holmgreen said. "They had sever- al offers through the years [to buy the bank], but they didn't want to sell." The bank traces its history to 1862, when its earliest predeces- sor, a private lending agency, was established in Millican by W.H. Flippen and Milton Parker. In 1867, after the Houston and Texas Central Railroad extended its line north to the new city of Bryan, Flippen bought out Parker's interest, moved to the new community and merged his lending operation with Guy M. Bryan Jr., son of the town's founder, William Joel Bryan. Guy Bryan, along with part- ners Frank Clarke and J.W. Eagle photo / Blair Fannin unveils the new historical marker placed in front of the bank Monday. Howell, reorganized the financial enterprise as a private bank in 1873. J.W. Fowlkes joined Clarke, Bryan and Howell in 1886, and the institution was renamed the First National Bank of Bryan after being granted the state's llth national bank charter. The bank was housed in the Fowlkes and Ticby Building in downtown Bryan until 1919, when it was moved to its new facilities at 108 Main St. It moved to its main building at 2807 Texas Ave. in 1976. First National Bank also has two branch locations, at Post Oak Mall and at the intersection of Texas Avenue and Harvey Road. A fourth bank is scheduled to open in June on Rock Prairie Road.