First National Bank in Graham
Graham, Young County, Texas
Marker Inscription
South Carolina native W. C. Beckham (1825-1895) came to Graham from Florida in the 1880s. He opened a mercantile store on the north side of the town square and soon began making short-term loans to his customers. That practice led to the creation of the Beckham National Bank in 1890. In 1921 it was renamed First National Bank in Graham. A significant part of the city's economic history, the bank continued in operation of the north side of the square until 1972, when it moved to this location.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
South Carolina native W.C. Beckham reached Graham in the 1880s and opened a mercantile store on the town square. As he began making short-term loans to his customers, that informal credit grew into the Beckham National Bank, chartered in 1890 and renamed First National Bank in Graham in 1921. A pillar of the town's commerce, it operated on the square until 1972.
Why it matters
The evolution of a frontier general store into a chartered bank captures how commercial credit and local institutions matured alongside the small towns of the settling West.
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Related people
- · W.C. Beckham
Themes & tags
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