First National Bank of Ballinger

When the Santa Fe Railroad was pushing the railroad into this then undeveloped country, Santa Fe officials decided to build a town on the banks of the Colorado River. June 29, 1886 brought one of the largest crowds Ballinger has ever had. It is estimated that over 5,000 people attended the town lot sale that day. Some arrived days before in covered wagons and pitched camp along the Elm Creek or Colorado River to await the sale. Others arrived on horseback, came in hacks or buggies or arrived on special trains. These people came to buy town lots and remain in the new town of Ballinger.

A group of local and out-of-town men met in a train coach on the newly constructed Santa Fe tracks to form a bank. These men of vision could see that the new town must have a financial institution to take care of the future banking needs. From that meeting The First National Bank of Ballinger was born with total capital described at $50,000.

Throughout the last century, The First National Bank of Ballinger has seen changes in ownership and locations. It has seen drastic growth of the bank and the community of Ballinger. The First National Bank of Ballinger is proud of its history and looks forward to contributing many more years of history and service to the citizens of Ballinger and the surrounding community. While The First National Bank of Ballinger has seen many changes, one thing has not changed–the support of our friends and neighbors. We have pride in our history. We are a part of this community’s history and they have made us a part of theirs. All of us at The First National Bank of Ballinger would like to say “THANK YOU”.