Bird City Historical Association, Inc.

 History Lights the Way to the Future!


 

Bird City Banks 1885 to 1900's

    Cheyenne County Bank    

In Bird City

1885-1887

 

The Cheyenne County Bank building was constructed in June 1885 on the comer of 4th Street (south side) and Bird Avenue.                                                                             

This was owned and operated by C. N. Sears and Company with C. N. Sears, cashier. This bank was established with the belief that Bird City would be the county seat of Cheyenne County, Kansas.

It was organized as an independently owned and operated bank.

 

Source:  The Frontiersman - 1886

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The Farmers and Merchants' Bank has purchased the location and building with business of the Cheyenne County Bank and will assume all the deposits upon the books of the latter firm at the time the sale was consummated. The Farmers and Merchants has already removed to the building formerly occupied by Shapleigh, Keeler and Company (Cheyenne County Bank) where it will carry on general banking and loan business under the management of Mr. George Taylor, Cashier, and W. L. Darrow, President.

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Source:   Cheyenne County Democrat, July 2, 1887

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     LANNING AND ANTRAM BANK     

Bird City, Kansas

1886-1897

 

The new town site company, with Benjamin Bird, President, conveys Lot 13, Block 29 by Warranty Deed to W. H. Lanning, November 24, 1886 before D. W. Cave, Probate Judge.

 

Source: Register of Deeds, Deed Book 1, pg 20, Cheyenne County, Kansas.

 

Lanning and Antram Company Bankers and Land Brokers make farm loans and gives money as soon as papers are executed.

 

The new bank building Northeast corner of 4th St. and Bird Avenue, (pictured on page 65 of the Early Bird City Book.)

 

W. H. Lanning and wife, Alice Lanning conveys lot 13, Block 29 to Charles L. Antram by Warranty Deed -June 26, 1888. Source:    Deed Book 2, pg. 66.

Charles L. Antram and wife, Emma Antram conveys by Quit Claim Deed - Lot 13, Block 29 to the McKinley Lanning Loan and Trust Company on March 1, 1897.

 

Source:  Deed Book 9, pg. 311

 

The above deed book information was borrowed from the Abstract of the Security State Bank by the courtesy of Edgar Robertson, President.

The Lanning and Antram Bank was independently organized and operated.

It is unknown when the Kansas State intercepted with the requirements of Banking Institutions.

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The Farmers and Merchant' s Bank  

Bird City, Kansas

1886 -

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The Farmers and Merchants' Bank was established in 1886 as an independently owned and operated bank by local farmers and businessmen as stockholders.

W. L. Darrow was the President and C. L. Taylor was the Cashier.

 

At this time the bank will occupy a room in the Murray building at the Southwest corner of 4th Street.

 

The new safe for the Farmers and Merchants' Bank has arrived and placed in position. It is a 3-ton McNeal and Urban safe of the latest and most proven style, time lock and all. The man who can get into it without the combination is a "dandy."

 

Source:  The Frontiersman, November   1, 1886

 

The Farmers and Merchants ' Bank purchased the location and business of the Cheyenne County Bank and moved its banking business to that location.

 

Source: Cheyenne County Democrat, July 2, 1887

 

Note:  It is not known how long this bank was in operation before the State of Kansas intercepted with regulations.

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Bird City State Bank

                      Bird City, Kansas                       

1906 - 1926

 

The Bird City State Bank was organized in 1906 with R. S. Heinrick, some businessmen and farmers.

 

In 1908, the officers were:   R. S. Heinrick, President, D. W. Wolf, Vice President and C. A. Butler, Cashier. In 1910, C. A. Butler, G.A. Kemdt and C. D. Kemdt were the directors.

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In 1910, C. A. Butler, G. A. Kemdt and C. D. Kemdt were the directors.

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In 1911, C. W. Trickett purchased the Bird City State Bank. This bank was established under a state charter in 1906 and is the older of the two banks in Bird City at this time.  C. W. Trickett is the major stockholder and the President of this bank. The other officers were William Burr, Vice President and Boynton, Cashier.

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In 1914, C. W. Trickett, J. H. Anderson, Nellie Anderson and C.

A. Trickett were the directors.

 

The bank has a capital of $15,000 .00 and a surplus of $3,400.00. In 1914, C. W. Trickett, J. H. Anderson, Mollie Anderson and C. A. Trickett were the directors.

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In October 1925, it appears that the Bird City State Bank has been operating in the old Lanning and Antrum Bank building, as it was mentioned in the Bird City Times that the Bird City State Bank building was being moved to Lot 13, Block 29, north on the same lot to make room for the new bank building that became the Security State Bank in November 1929.

 

On April 22, 1926, the Bird City Bank merged with the Farmers' State Bank. This gave Bird City only one bank. The directors of the Bird City Bank were Henry Greisler, J. A. Anderson, Leroy Howk and William Burr with Bertha Kemdt, cashier. The officers of the Farmers' State Bank were Henry Weaver, President, John E. Kite, Vice President and A. E. Nichols, Cashier.

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On April 4, 1928, the merged Farmers' State Bank was closed by order of the directors, as announced by Mr. Eagle, examiner, as banks were closing all over the country.

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The Farmer 's State Bank  

Bird City, Kansas

1918 - 1928

 

The Farmer 's State Bank was organized in 1918. The officers were:                                        

       Henry Weaver, President

        John E. Kite, Vice President

        A.B. Nichols, Cashier

The Hickert building was constructed in 1920 on Lot 24, Block 28. The Southeast room of this building was leased to the Farmers’ State Bank on March 31, 1920.

 

Source:  Cheyenne County Register of Deeds, Book 32, p. 328.

 

The Farmer 's State Bank operated there in 1920.  On April 26, 1926, the Bird City State Bank merged with the Farmers' State Bank. At the time of the merger the Directors of the Bird City State Bank were:

      Henry Greisler

      J. A. Anderson

      William Burr

      Bertha Kemdt, Cashier.                               

The officers of the Farmers' State Bank were:

       Henry Weaver

       John Kite

       A.B. Nichols, Cashier

 

On April 4, 1928, the merged Farmers' State Bank was closed by order of the Directors, announced by Mr. Eagle, the State Bank Examiner.

 

Source: Cheyenne County Register of Deeds on Lot and Block Book.

 

Anna (Greisler) Busse had this to say, "The Bank closed, and the stockholders were required to make good, necessitating all mortgaging of deed and leases. The land was divided and deeded to the children." "This took many years to pay off the mortgage."

 

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In 1929, for many months, Bird City was without a bank.

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Security State Bank

Bird City, Kansas

1929 – 2002

 

The new bank building (article enclosed) was built in October 1925 - 1926. This building was unoccupied in the fall of 1929 when E. L. Bacon and his wife were searching for a town to start a banking business.     

 

Bird City Times Oct. 31, 1929

 

A new bank opens tomorrow, November 1st. No one can realize what a bank means to a town any community until they have lived in a town without a bank.    The people of Bird City and community know what a terrible handicap it is to be without a bank and due to that reason, they are certainly going to patronize faithfully and boost for the Security State Bank which is coming up for business for the first-time tomorrow morning, November 1st. The local men who bought shares in this new bank did so only after they carefully looked up the past banking record of Mr. E. L. Bacon, who will be cashier of this bank.  His record is excellent, in fact, it compares with any banker in this state.

 

Mr. Bacon has made a study of this town, and he knows that Bird City is a good-one-bank town.  That is why he was willing to invest heavily in the capital stock of the bank.

Mr. H. W. Hickert, Vice President as too well known for us to comment on his character. Hank is well liked by everybody, and he is well fixed financially.

 

The other directors besides Bacon and Hickert are·. C. C. McMillen, George Alberty, Ray Atkinson, Leroy Howk,

Dr. E. R. Biderwell, Fred LeBow and Harvey Dorsch.  Everyone will have to agree that each one of these men is a success in his line of business and all are financially responsible.

Therefore, folks let's lay aside our prejudices, our likes and dislikes, and boost for the new bank, instead of immediately trying to find results with it.   It's starting with a clean slate and will undoubtedly have a paid 

and healthy growth, so be one to give it your patronage and then pride yourself on being one who is making a good bank possible here in Bird City.

 

The Bird City Lions are 56 strong in this community and they represent most of the businessmen and some of the farmers.  At their last meeting, they decided unanimously to give their loyal support to this institution.

 

A committee was appointed by President Cannon to draw up resolutions of support.  Following are the resolutions passed by the committee Resolutions:

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Whereas for the past 14 months the city and the community surrounding Bird City have been without the services rendered by a banking institution and whereas during this period of time such a banking institution has been badly needed as the inconvenience necessitated by the use of banking facilities in other communities and whereas - recently several public spirited men have headed by an experienced banker has secured a charter for the operation of a bank in this community and - whereas -the cashier of this newly organized bank has proved himself to be a man capable of successfully managing and operating banking institutions as shown by the records left in the communities where he has owned such business enterprises during the last ten years and - the cashier, Mr. E.L. Bacon is a public-spirited man in every sense of the word. Therefore - the Lions ' Club of Bird City through their instructive committee do hereby resolve as a club and as individuals in the club they pledge themselves to support this new community enterprise in a material and moral way.

Leo Branham

J.E.M. Chambers

B.V. Brubaker

J. A. Anderson   - Committee

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First National purchased The Security State Bank on March 22, 2002 with $16 million in assets. The merger increased First National Bank 's assets to $346 million.

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