Citizens National Bank

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the Citizens National Bank in Weatherford, Parker County. Now, every great Texas institution has to start somewhere, and this one started with a man, a long road, and a whole lot of gold. James Robertson Couts, folks knew him as J.R., was born in Tennessee in 1833.

He brought his family to Texas in 1858, and when the Civil War came along, he served with a Texas frontier guard unit. But it's what happened after the war that really set the story in motion. Couts embarked on a long cattle drive; not just across the state, not just across a neighboring territory, but all the way to California.

That is a serious stretch of ground under a man's boots. He wintered in Colorado along the way, sold his stock out in California, and then turned himself right back around toward home. He returned to Weatherford in 1868.

And he didn't come back empty-handed. He came back with fifty thousand dollars in gold. Let that settle in for a moment.

Fifty thousand dollars. In gold. With that kind of stake, a man has options.

J.R. Couts chose to build something. He partnered up with John A.

Fain, and together they set up the Couts and Fain Bank right there on the Courthouse Square in Weatherford. Now, banking partnerships in those days had a way of rearrangin' themselves. By 1871, Fain had left the partnership, and a man named W.E.

Hughes stepped in. The institution went by Hughes, Couts and Company. Two years later, Hughes left, and Couts brought in a new partner: Henry Warren.

The bank was renamed J.R. Couts and Company. By 1882, Warren had left the company too.

At that point, J.R. Couts decided to plant this thing on solid legal ground. He applied for a federal banking charter, and it was granted; this time under the name Citizens National Bank.

Then came the building. A two-story stone building, completed in 1885, right on the corner of the Courthouse Square and North Main Street. Stone.

Two stories. Corner lot. That's a man saying, in the most permanent language available, that he intends to stay.

And stay it did. The bank grew and prospered over the years, and in 1927 a merger was completed with the Parker County National Bank. Through all of it, Citizens National Bank remained in that same building for over one hundred years.

One Tennessee-born man. One cattle drive to California. Fifty thousand dollars in gold.

And a bank that stood on the corner of Weatherford's Courthouse Square for more than a century. Some things, when they're built right, just hold.

What the marker says

James Robertson (J.R.) Couts (1833-1904), a native of Tennessee, brought his family to Texas in 1858. Soon after the end of the Civil War, in which he served with a Texas frontier guard unit, Couts embarked on a long cattle drive to California. After wintering in Colorado and selling his stock in California, he returned to Weatherford in 1868 with $50,000 in gold. In partnership with John A. Fain, he set up the Couts & Fain Bank on the Courthouse Square. By 1871 Fain had left the partnership and was succeeded by W.E. Hughes. At that time the bank was known as Hughes, Couts & Company. Two years later Hughes left, and Couts' new partner was Henry Warren. The institution was renamed J.R. Couts & Company. By 1882 Warren had left the company. Couts applied for a federal banking charter, which was granted under the name Citizens National Bank. A two-story stone building was completed on the corner of the Courthouse Square and N. Main Street in 1885. The bank continued to grow and prosper over the years, and in 1927 a merger was completed with the Parker County National Bank. Located in the same building for over one hundred years, Citizens National Bank is an important part of Weatherford's history. (1988)