Sulphur Springs Loan and Building Association
Sulphur Springs, Hopkins County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Chartered on August 13, 1890, the Sulphur Springs Loan and Building Association is the oldest surviving savings association in the state of Texas. Charter members of the association included local business leaders Phil H. Foscue, W. F. Henderson, T. F. Gafford, L.. H. Avinger, M. G. Miller, O. M. Pate, John D. Williams, S. D. Crittenden, and R. F. Blythe. T. F. Gafford served as the first managing officer. Originally located in a two-story building southeast of the town square, the association responded to economic growth and development in the area brought about by the arrival of the railroad. Supporting both urban and rural building projects and home construction, the association has played an important role in Hopkins County history. Many of the area's businesses trace their roots to loans made by the association in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The association moved to new offices at this site in 1961. Among its public contributions are the support of numerous charitable and civic organizations through monetary assistance and the donation of meeting space. Benefits of the association's business practices can now be seen beyond the boundaries of Hopkins County in a number of northeast Texas communities.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Chartered in 1890 by a circle of local business leaders, this savings and building association arrived just as the railroad was quickening growth across Hopkins County. By lending for homes, farms, and businesses in town and countryside alike, it helped finance the community's expansion, and many area enterprises trace their beginnings to its early loans. Recognized as the oldest surviving savings association in Texas, it long paired its financial role with support for local charities and civic groups.
Why it matters
Local building-and-loan associations quietly bankrolled the homes and Main Streets of small-town America, and this pioneering Texas example shows how homegrown finance shaped a region's growth.
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Related people
- · T. F. Gafford
- · Phil H. Foscue
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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