First National Bank of Killeen
Killeen, Bell County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Chartered on Feb. 27, 1901, the First National Bank of Killeen is the oldest continuously operated bank in Bell County. It first served a primarily agricultural economy, but as Killeen began to develop the bank led in the town's dramatic growth. Its merger with Jewelers Bank, a private financial Institution, in 1904 and its 1934 consolidation with the First State Bank of Killeen were instrumental in the bank's early progress. Later growth was a result of the institution's innovations and its commitment to the community. (1982)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Chartered in 1901, the First National Bank of Killeen opened to serve a small Central Texas farming community and became the oldest continuously operating bank in Bell County. Early mergers with the Jewelers Bank in 1904 and the First State Bank of Killeen in 1934 strengthened it as the town grew. Its fortunes tracked Killeen's own dramatic expansion across the twentieth century.
Why it matters
The bank's endurance illustrates how a local financial institution could both mirror and drive the transformation of a modest agricultural town.
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