Ozona National Bank

Duane's take

The way the marker tells it, here's the story of the Ozona National Bank. Back in 1905, Crockett County got its first financial institution, and the building that housed it was no afterthought. They raised it from native stone, solid and serious, the kind of structure that says we intend to stay.

Cattle ranchers, sheep ranchers, and the town's own doctor got together and organized the whole thing. That's the founding coalition right there. Not politicians, not outside money.

Local men with land, livestock, and a stethoscope. Now, while that native stone building was going up, business couldn't exactly wait. So they did their banking next door, in the store belonging to L.

B. Cox, who also happened to be the vice-president of the very bank they were building. That is a man comfortable wearing more than one hat.

J. W. Henderson held the president's chair.

The directors were Dr. A. W.

Clayton, S. E. Couch, Wm.

P. Hoover, Robert Massie, and J. B.

Moore. And keeping the books, watching every dollar coming and going, was the cashier, J. B.

Reilly. Now here's the detail that tends to stick with people. That building wasn't just a bank.

The second floor belongs to the Masonic Lodge. Two institutions under one roof of native stone, each minding its own affairs, each with its own kind of membership. Ozona built things to last, and apparently, they built them with room to share.

What the marker says

Constructed 1905 for county's first financial institution. Organized by cattle and sheep ranchers and the town's doctor. During construction of native stone building, banking was done next door in store of L. B. Cox, vice-president. J. W. Henderson was president. Directors were Dr. A. W. Clayton, S. E. Couch, Wm. P. Hoover, Robert Massie and J. B. Moore. J. B. Reilly was cashier. The second floor is owned by the Masonic Lodge. RTHL - 1966