Old Bay City Bank
Bay City, Matagorda County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Established 1898, four years after founding of Bay City. Private bank. Owners: Henry Rugeley, Frank Hawkins. This building erected 1903, site of many investment transactions important to Texas Gulf Coast development. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, 1965
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Founded in 1898, just four years after Bay City itself, this private bank was owned by Henry Rugeley and Frank Hawkins. The surviving building, erected in 1903, hosted many of the investment deals that helped develop the Texas Gulf Coast. It was recorded as a Texas Historic Landmark in 1965.
Why it matters
Early private banks like this one supplied the capital that turned raw Gulf Coast frontier into productive towns and farms at the turn of the twentieth century.
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Related people
- · Henry Rugeley
- · Frank Hawkins
Themes & tags
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