First National Bank of Bellville
Bellville, Austin County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The First National Bank of Bellville, chartered on February 25, 1890, is the oldest bank in Austin County, and one of four national banks in Texas still in existence that were chartered in 1890. The first officers were E. J. Marshall, president; C. F. Hellmuth, vice president; and E. M. Reynolds, cashier. The bank first opened on the town square, and moved to its present location in 1970. In 2007, the bank merged with industry bank shares incorporated which consists of locally owned banks in various parts of Texas. The First National Bank of Bellville continues to support the community and the region as a locally owned institution.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Chartered in 1890 as Austin County's first bank, the First National Bank of Bellville opened on the courthouse square and has served the town's farmers and merchants ever since. It is one of only a handful of Texas national banks from that year still operating, a survivor of the boom-and-bust cycles that closed countless small-town banks. Locally owned even after a 2007 merger, it remains an anchor of its community.
Why it matters
Small-town banks were the financial backbone of rural America, and a survivor from 1890 testifies to the local institutions that carried agricultural communities through depressions and consolidation.
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Related people
- · E. J. Marshall
- · C. F. Hellmuth
- · E. M. Reynolds
Themes & tags
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