First National Bank of Decatur
Decatur, Wise County, Texas
Marker Inscription
This financial institution was organized in 1883 by Decatur bankers Dan Waggoner, Henry Greathouse, and other pioneer businessmen. Waggoner's son, W. T. Waggoner (b. 1854), a prominent Texas cattleman and oilman, served as bank president from 1904 until his death in 1934. His sound leadership enabled the bank to survive the Depression and become a leader in developing the Wise County area. Located on Decatur's town square for over eighty years, the First National Bank moved to this site in 1966.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Organized in 1883 by cattleman Dan Waggoner, Henry Greathouse, and other pioneer businessmen, the First National Bank of Decatur became a pillar of Wise County commerce. Waggoner's son W. T. Waggoner — a prominent rancher and oilman — served as president from 1904 until his death in 1934, guiding the bank safely through the Great Depression. It anchored Decatur's town square for over eighty years before moving in 1966.
Why it matters
The bank's survival of the Depression under the Waggoner cattle-and-oil fortune illustrates how ranching wealth underwrote the financial institutions that stabilized North Texas towns.
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Related people
- · Dan Waggoner
- · W. T. Waggoner
- · Henry Greathouse
Themes & tags
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