First National Bank of Hallettsville
Hallettsville, Lavaca County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Oldest bank in Lavaca County; has operated in this city block continuously since its establishment by Friench Simpson (1848-1923) and Carey Shaw (1854-1944), former employees of the J. H. Simpson Bank, Columbus. Shaw was also one of the original officers in the Texas Bankers Association, founded in 1885. In 1888, the San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railroad was being built through Hallettsville. When S. A. A. P. construction gang reached here, the need for a local bank became apparent, and Simpson and Shaw organized "The Lavaca Bank" as a private institution, opening for business in southeast corner of the Kroschel General Merchandise Store, in this block. In 1890, they chartered the Lavaca County National Bank of Hallettsville, and took over entire Kroschel Building. In this bank, Shaw was president; T. Y. Hill, vice president; Friench Simpson, cashier; H. M. Tippett, assistant cashier; Joe Kahn and T. H. James, directors. Present name was adopted at bank's rechartering on May 21, 1910. Carey Shaw continued as a director until 1909; Friench Simpson until October 13, 1914. Succeeding generations of the Simpson family have also served in staff and management. New building, erected 1973, occupies the original site and adjacent lots. (1973)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
When the San Antonio & Aransas Pass Railroad pushed through Hallettsville in 1888, the arriving construction crews made a local bank a necessity, and former Columbus bankers Friench Simpson and Carey Shaw opened one in the corner of a general store. Chartered as the Lavaca County National Bank in 1890, it grew into the oldest bank in the county, later becoming the First National Bank of Hallettsville. Generations of the Simpson family stayed involved in its management.
Why it matters
It captures how the railroad's arrival triggered commercial institutions that turned rural Texas crossroads into lasting towns.
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Related people
- · Friench Simpson
- · Carey Shaw
Themes & tags
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