First National Bank of Bowie
Bowie, Montague County, Texas
Marker Inscription
The oldest financial institution in Montague County, this bank was chartered on March 10, 1890, eight years after the town of Bowie was created on the line of the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway. Beginning with an initial capital of $50,000, it was the town's only surviving bank by 1931. Maintaining a strong civic commitment, the bank has provided financial assistance to local charitable organizations and provides a gathering place for local community groups. It has been an important part of county history for over one hundred years. (1990)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Chartered on March 10, 1890, the First National Bank of Bowie was the oldest financial institution in Montague County, opening eight years after the town itself sprang up along the Fort Worth and Denver City Railway. Starting with $50,000 in capital, it weathered hard times to become the town's only surviving bank by 1931. For more than a century it backed local charities and offered a gathering place for community groups.
Why it matters
The bank charts how railroads spawned new towns and how a local financial institution could become a durable anchor of civic and economic life on the North Texas plains.
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