| Marker Text |
Named for the occupation of many of its citizens, the town of Farmersville was founded in the mid 1850s. A private bank, the Exchange Bank was established in 1885, and housed in the rear of the Aston Brothers store. A national bank charter was obtained on January 17, 1887, and the Exchange Bank merged with the First National Bank of Farmersville. Pioneer Doctor A.H. Neathery served as the first president. The bank building, then located at 119 South Main Street, was destroyed by fire in 1905 but it was rebuilt. The First National Bank absorbed the Farmersville National Bank in 1929. In 1933 the First National Bank of Nevada, from the small town of Nevada south of here, was also absorbed. Despite experiencing heavy losses and undergoing two reorganizations during the Depression of the 1930s, the bank never failed and its customers suffered no interruption of services. The bank moved to its present location in 1970, and expanded the building in 1979. The bank converted to a state bank charter in 1986, and changed the name to the First Bank at Farmersville. The bank, one of the 20 oldest independent banks in Texas, has served Farmersville and the surrounding communities continuously for more than 110 years. (1996) |
