First National Bank of Saint Jo

Duane's take

Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the First National Bank of Saint Jo. Now settle in, because this is a story about the kind of institution that outlasts almost everything else in a small Texas town. It starts on April 7, 1892, when Saint Jo Bank opened its doors with a capital of twenty thousand dollars.

Twenty thousand. That was the seed money, planted right there on Boggess Street on the town square. You can picture it, a fresh bank in a young town, ready to do business.

Then in 1900, something significant happened. The bank obtained a federal charter, and with that came a new name: First National Bank of Saint Jo. That charter was a statement of permanence, a way of saying this institution intended to stick around.

And stick around it did. In 1907, H.D. Field succeeded C.C.

Hemming as President. Now that handoff of the presidency is worth a moment's pause, because H.D. Field didn't just take the chair and warm it for a spell.

He held that position until 1946. Nearly four decades at the helm of one institution, in one Texas town. Then came 1912, when they erected a new building, and by 1913 the bank had moved in and made it home.

Over the years, that building became something of a cornerstone, the kind of place that attracted and supported local businesses, the kind of place a community leans on without even thinking about it. And by the time this marker was written in 1988, the bank was closing in on a full century of service. Nearly a hundred years of deposits and loans and handshakes across the counter on Boggess Street.

Some things in Texas, it turns out, are built to last.

What the marker says

Saint Jo Bank opened April 7, 1892, with capital of $20,000. First located on Boggess Street on the town square, the bank obtained a federal charter in 1900 and became known as First National Bank of Saint Jo. H.D. Field succeeded C.C. Hemming as President in 1907 and served in that capacity until 1946. This building was erected in 1912 and was occupied by the bank in 1913. Over the years, the bank has attracted and supported local businesses. After nearly a century, it continues to serve the community. (1988)