Some interesting Kerrville banking photos were donated to my collection this week -- you might recognize some folks!

Some of the employees of Kerrville's First National Bank, around 1990.
Click on any image to enlarge.

Years ago, when I was an elementary student in the late 1960s, there were two banks on Water Street in the downtown area.

The largest was Charles Schreiner Bank; it was on the corner of Water and Earl Garrett, opposite the Schreiner Company building, and diagonally across Water Street from today’s Francisco’s Restaurant.

The "new" bank building

There was another bank in the next block, the 800 block of Water, next door to today’s Francisco’s Restaurant. It was First National Bank, housed in a building now owned by the Fore family.

This is the story of that bank and its big decision in 1973 to build a new building at the intersection of Water and Junction Highway, an area known locally as “Five Points.” 

I visited that fifty-year-old ‘new bank building’ this week. A kind employee gave me some historical materials about the bank, because the current bank occupying the ground floor, Wells Fargo Bank, is moving out. I do not know what is planned for the location, though I learned recently the bank does not own the property, and leases the space from a landlord.

Here’s the story of the bank which built that building in 1973, from my files:

In 1907, a group of eleven Kerrville citizens started a new bank. This was a bold move in a small town which already had a strong bank, the Charles Schreiner Bank, owned by one of the most successful families in our region. Consider that for a moment: they were going to compete against Charles Schreiner, and later his son, Louis Schreiner. Bold move, indeed.

First State Bank, 1950s

The new banking group included a former Texas state senator and his son, two medical doctors, several merchants, one woman, and some ranchers. They met on May 25, 1907 to organize the First State Bank, and subscribed $25,000 in capital, which was paid in full and placed in the hands of the bank's trustee.

First State Bank (1907) became First National Bank (1959), keeping that name through several owners; it was later sold and became a part of Norwest Bank (1994); which later became a part of Wells Fargo Bank (1999).

In 1907, First State Bank was located at the corner of Water and Sidney Baker streets. During a renovation of 631 Water Street, when the original foundations were exposed, the outline of the old bank safe foundation could still be seen. That site is currently the home of Wellborn Engineering & Surveying. No photograph has been found (yet) of that building when it was in use as a bank.

Tellers, old First State Bank, around 1966

In 1909 the bank moved to a new location in the 800 block of Water Street. It was built on a small lot purchased from George Walther, and it was a one-story building wedged between other commercial buildings there. In 1926 that building was enlarged.

In 1953 the bank combined and remodeled two adjoining buildings and purchased completely new fixtures. The façade from that renovation still exists, in part, at 804 Water Street, in a building housing several businesses, including Fore Premier Properties and what was recently Yeo Bo’s Café.

That site saw further changes when, in 1959, the bank received its national charter and became First National Bank. I remember visiting there as a child in the late 1960s and opening up my very first bank account there, with the help of my father. 

In 1973, when Ben Low was president of the bank, a new bank building was constructed at 301 Junction Highway. “We are very proud of this addition to the Hill Country area,” Low said at the time. “We wanted a modern building with the capability of expansion. We believe what we have will serve this community and area for many decades to come.”

Opening FNB's "Motor Bank," 1961

My own memory of the new bank building of 1973 was watching armed men riding in loaded pickups and trailers as items were transferred from the old building in the 800 block of Water to the new site on Junction Highway, a strange parade which passed right in front of our print shop. 

In researching the very beginnings of the First State Bank, I noticed something which spoke of the times in which was created. In the minutes for the board of directors’ July 20, 1908, meeting, it was decided “that no loan be made for less than twenty-five cents.”

While the bank which had its start nearby in the 600 block of Water Street has undergone a lot of changes and is no longer locally owned, the men and women who worked at those banks over the decades have helped thousands of businesses and hundreds of families with their banking needs – and in providing capital and liquidity have helped our community grow.

Perhaps some of these photographs will bring back memories for you, too.

Until next week, all the best.

Joe Herring Jr. is a Kerrville native who appreciates the good a strong bank can do for a community. This column originally appeared in the Kerrville Daily Times June 17, 2023.

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