First National Bank

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the First National Bank of Athens, Henderson County, Texas. Now, every good story has a beginning, and this one starts not in Texas but in Tennessee, where Thomas Murchison was born. He grew up in Marshall, Mississippi, before his family packed up and moved to Houston County, Texas, around 1848.

And if you think that was the end of his wandering, well, around 1855 he moved again, this time to Athens, where he went to work in a general store. He wasn't content to work somebody else's counter for long. Around 1858, Murchison struck out on his own, teaming up with a partner named John Ratcliff to open a mercantile at 119 Tyler Street right there in Athens.

Now, a good general mercantile in those days carried a variety of items, and this one was no different. But here's the detail worth leaning in for: that mercantile had a safe. And townspeople, trusting souls that they were, would bring their cash, their jewels, their gold, and tuck it away in that safe for safekeeping.

The bank, you might say, was already in the room before anyone had thought to call it one. Around 1887, local businessmen started talking seriously about establishing a real bank organization. The application was sent to the Comptroller of Currency, and in 1890 a bank charter was granted.

Things moved along, and by 1893 the board of directors decided a new location was needed. The building next to R.A. McDonald became the second home of the bank.

Now, the Murchison name was far from done with this institution. D.R. Murchison became bank president in 1910 and served until 1914, when J.W.

Murchison, Sr. stepped in and held that post until 1924. J.W. Murchison, Sr. was no figurehead, either.

The marker calls him a prominent and influential citizen who helped develop Athens by financing new business endeavors. That's the kind of man who leaves a town different than he found it. In 1924, brothers Frank and Clint Murchison took control of the bank, keeping the family name woven into its story.

Then came 1946, and with it a distinction worth noting slowly: Loy Freeman became bank president that year, and she held the distinction of being one of the few women to hold that position. Let that land for a moment. Clint W.

Murchison, Sr. was instrumental in securing the bank's present location, which opened for business on August 24, 1962. And the First National Bank of Athens has been a success for over a hundred years, originating from that well-respected Murchison family and staying involved with project after project as Henderson County grew and developed. From a general store safe on Tyler Street to over a century of banking, the story of the First National Bank is really the story of Athens itself, told in deposits, charters, and a family name that just kept showing up.

What the marker says

FIRST NATIONAL BANK THOMAS MURCHISON WAS BORN IN TENNESSEE AND GREW UP IN MARSHALL, MISSISSIPPI BEFORE MOVING WITH HIS PARENTS TO HOUSTON COUNTY, TEXAS AROUND 1848. MURCHISON MOVED TO ATHENS AROUND 1855 AND WORKED IN A GENERAL STORE. AROUND 1858, MURCHISON BEGAN HIS OWN MERCANTILE WITH PARTNER JOHN RATCLIFF LOCATED AT 119 TYLER STREET IN ATHENS. ALONG WITH THE VARIETY OF ITEMS SOLD IN THE MERCANTILE, THERE WAS A SAFE THAT TOWNSPEOPLE WOULD USE TO STORE THEIR VALUABLES SUCH AS CASH, JEWELS AND GOLD. AROUND 1887, LOCAL BUSINESSMEN BEGAN TO TALK OF ESTABLISHING A BANK ORGANIZATION. THE APPLICATION WAS SENT TO THE COMPTROLLER OF CURRENCY AND A BANK CHARTER WAS GRANTED IN 1890. BY 1893 THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS DECIDED THAT ANOTHER LOCATION WAS NEEDED AND THE BUILDING NEXT TO R.A. MCDONALD BECAME THE SECOND BANK LOCATION. D.R. MURCHISON BECAME BANK PRESIDENT IN 1910 AND SERVED UNTIL 1914 WHEN J.W. MURCHISON, SR. SERVED AS BANK PRESIDENT UNTIL 1924. J.W. MURCHISON, SR. WAS A PROMINENT AND INFLUENTIAL CITIZEN WHO HELPED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ATHENS BY FINANCING NEW BUSINESS ENDEAVORS. IN 1924, BROTHERS FRANK AND CLINT MURCHISON TOOK CONTROL OF THE BANK. LOY FREEMAN BECAME BANK PRESIDENT IN 1946 AND HELD THE DISTINCTION OF BEING ONE OF THE FEW WOMEN TO HOLD THAT POSITION. CLINT W. MURCHISON, SR. WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN SECURING THE BANK'S PRESENT LOCATION THAT OPENED FOR BUSINESS ON AUGUST 24, 1962. THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK HAS BEEN A SUCCESS FOR OVER 100 YEARS. ORIGINATING FROM THE WELL-RESPECTED MURCHISON FAMILY, THE BANK HAS BEEN INVOLVED WITH MANY PROJECTS IN HENDERSON COUNTY AS IT GREW AND DEVELOPED. (2012)