Farmers & Merchants State Bank - Krum, TX
N 33° 15.699 W 097° 14.287
14S E 664110 N 3681678
The old Farmers & Merchants State Bank is now the Krum Heritage Museum, located at 150 W. McCart St, Krum, TX. The museum is open on Saturdays from 10 AM to 3 PM, or by appointment.
Waymark Code: WMM02C
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 06/25/2014
Views: 4
The Krum Society of Historic Preservation placed a metal plaque here in 2005. This is #7, and it provides some background about the bank:
Farmers & Merchants State Bank
F & M, located in this building until 2004, was established by a merger of Continental Bank and Trust Co. and First State Bank in 1910.
First State Bank, housed in this building, was erected by Dr. A.H. Knox. The doctor was Executive V.P. and driving force of the bank until his death in 1948 [sic]. The following men served as president:
J.W. Wilkerson [Wilkinson] 1910-1927
J.O. McClister, Sr. 1927-1937*
Dr. A.H. Knox 1937-1947*
R.L. Cole, Sr. 1947-1948*
Walter McClister 1948-1953*
A.H. Knox, Jr. 1953-1972
J.T. Jones 1972
John Porter 1972-1974
Edwin Mullins 1974-1976
Vaughn Andrus 1976-2005
* Died in Office
The bank helped to acquire improved cotton and wheat seed for the area, encouraged the building of FM 156 and consistently aided local civic and commercial ventures. First United Bank acquired F & M in March 2005.
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The Images of America book on Krum, by Della Isbell Davis and George U. Hubbard, clarifies that Dr. Knox moved here in 1909, built the bank building, and the merger of the two banks happened the following year. J.W. Wilkinson was nominal president, but he was busy with other matters in Fort Worth, so Knox managed the bank's operations until he became president in 1937.
They were robbed four times, in 1925, 1954, 1959, and 1970. Each time, the bad guys faced justice. The note that the robber passed in 1959 appears in the Images of America book, indicating that he wanted to "borrow" two thousand dollars, with his "good looks" being the security.
Porter bought controlling interest in the bank in 1970, becoming chairman of the board, and Jones joined him as executive vice president. Jones served briefly as president before resigning, leaving Porter as interim president until Edwin Mullins took over in 1972. Vaughn Andrus replaced him, later retiring in 2005 when the bank was sold to the First United Bank of Ardmore, OK.
Address:
150 W. McCart St, Krum, TX 76249
Year: 1909
Website: [Web Link]
Current Use of Building: Krum Heritage Museum
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Visit Instructions:
Please give your impression about the bank and/or it's architecture. Also please post another photo of the building.