First National Bank of Enid, OK (Charter 5335)

This should be a contemporary postcard or photo of the bank. (Set Height x300px)

First National Bank of Enid, OK (Chartered 1900 - Liquidated 1909)

Town History

This could be recent photo of the bank or another postcard. (Set Height x300px)

Enid is the ninth-largest city in the state of Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Garfield County. As of the 2010 census, the population was 49,379. Enid was founded during the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in the Land Run of 1893, and is named after Enid, a character in Alfred, Lord Tennyson's Idylls of the King. In 1991, the Oklahoma state legislature designated Enid the "purple martin capital of Oklahoma." Enid holds the nickname of "Queen Wheat City" and "Wheat Capital" of Oklahoma and the United States for its immense grain storage capacity, and has the third-largest grain storage capacity in the world.

In summer 1889, M.A. Low, a Rock Island official, visited the local railroad station then under construction, and inquired about its name. At that time, it was called Skeleton. Disliking the original name, he renamed the station Enid after a character in Alfred Lord Tennyson's Idylls of the King. However, a more fanciful story of how the town received its name is popular. According to that tale, in the days following the land run, some enterprising settlers decided to set up a chuckwagon and cook for their fellow pioneers, hanging a sign that read "DINE". Some other, more free-spirited settlers, turned that sign backward to read, of course, "ENID". The name stuck.

During the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in the Land Run of 1893, Enid was the location of a land office which is now preserved in its Humphrey Heritage Village, part of the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center.

The Enid-Pond Creek Railroad War ensued when the Department of the Interior moved the government site 3 mi south of the station prior to the land run, which was then called South Enid. During the run, due to the Rock Island's refusal to stop, people leaped from the trains to stake their claim in the government-endorsed site. By the afternoon of the run, Enid's population was estimated at 12,000 people located in the 80-acres comprising the town. A year later, the population was estimated at 4,410, growing to 10,087 by 1907, the year of Oklahoma statehood.

Vance Air Force Base was opened in 1941 and briefly closed down in 1947. On July 9, 1949, the base was renamed for Lieutenant Colonel Leon R. Vance, USAAF, an Enid native who was awarded the Medal of Honor in World War II.

Enid had eight National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and four of those banks issued National Bank Notes.

Bank History

Organized Apr 26, 1900
Chartered May 7, 1900
Succeeded Enid State Bank
Liquidated Mar 8, 1909
Succeeded by Enid State Guaranty Bank

In 1900, three banks in Enid, Oklahoma Territory, were preparing to be chartered as National banks. The Murphy, or Exchange Bank, chose the title The First National Bank of Enid. The Fleming or Bank of Enid, chose The Enid National Bank. The Watkins-Kennedy Citizens Bank chose The Citizens Bank.

In April, 1900, the Comptroller of the Currency approved the application of John Murphy, John A. Murphy, A.A. Murphy, W.W. Hagan, and G.M. Frantz for authority to organize the First National Bank of Enid with a capital of $25,000. The charter, No. 5,335, was assigned on May 7, 1900 by Chas. D. Doss, to succeed the Enid State Bank.

The Enid State Bank was organized in 1894 with capital stock of $5,000; it was purchased by the present owners in 1899. The officers of the First National Bank were John Murphy, president, W.W. Hagen, vice president, J.A. Murphy, cashier, and John P. Cook, bookkeeper. Mr. John Murphy erected a handsome brick building of three stories on the west side of the public square. The bank occupied the corner room and was equipped with the most modern and up-to-date bank fixtures including fire-proof deposit vaults.

On April 9, 1902, the First National Bank of Enid was sold to the Goltry Brothers, S.T. Goltry, C.M. Goltry and U.M. Goltry; and J.D. Cheney, cashier of the Fort Dodge National Bank of Iowa. Mr. Murphy operated the bank for about 2 years before selling, having reached an age appropriate for retirement. He regretted retiring from banking, but had considerable real estate interests in San Diego, California that needed attention. He planned to return to Enid, his permanent home. Sherman T. Goltry became president of the First National Bank. On November 20, 1903, Mr. Goltry purchased the stock of J.D. Scarborough in the Douglas State Bank and was elected president by the directors.

During the Spring of 1909, the First National was changed to a state bank, operating under the name of the Enid State Guaranty bank.

Official Bank Title(s)

1: The First National Bank of Enid, OK

Bank Note Types Issued

1882 Brown Back $10 Proof. No image of a note is currently available. Courtesy of Smithsonian Institution

A total of $80,000 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1900 and 1909. This consisted of a total of 6,400 notes (6,400 large size and No small size notes).

This bank issued the following Types and Denominations of bank notes:

Series/Type	Sheet/Denoms	Serial#s	Sheet Comments
1882 Brown Back	3x10-20	1 - 1400	Territory, Oklahoma
1882 Brown Back	3x10-20	1 - 200

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1900 - 1909):

Presidents:

Cashiers:

Other Known Bank Note Signers

No other known bank note signers for this bank

Bank Note History Links

Sources

Enid, OK, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enid,_Oklahoma
Don C. Kelly, National Bank Notes, A Guide with Prices. 6th Edition (Oxford, OH: The Paper Money Institute, 2008).
Dean Oakes and John Hickman, Standard Catalog of National Bank Notes. 2nd Edition (Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 1990).
Banks & Bankers Historical Database (1782-1935), https://spmc.org/bank-note-history-project
The Enid Daily Morning News, Enid, OK, Thu., Mar. 22, 1900.
The Enid Daily Morning News, Enid, OK, Tue., May 8, 1900.
The Sun-Eagle, Enid, OK, Thu., May 17, 1900.
The Sun-Eagle, Enid, OK, Thu., June 14, 1900.
The Enid Daily Wave, Enid, OK, Thu., Apr. 10, 1902.
The Guthrie Daily Leader, Guthrie, OK, Tue., Nov. 24, 1903.