Oklahoma Stock Yards National Bank, Oklahoma City, OK (Charter 9856)

On Tuesday, December 6, 1910, more than 100 members of the Legislature were taken on a trip through Packingtown, the guests of the Oklahoma Livestock exchange. The senate was headed by J. Elmer Thomas of Lawton, president pro tem, and the house by Speaker W.L. Anthony. The Oklahoma Stockyards National Bank which recently opened with two mammoth deposit vaults, was where the assembly gathered for a photo, resembling a "run" on the bank But officials were watchful and the legislators did not secure any of the funds. It was the intention of the bank officials to distribute $5 bills as souvenirs, but at the last moment the bills did not arrive. Photo by Larrick

Oklahoma Stock Yards NB, Oklahoma City, OK (Chartered 1910 - Liquidated 1926)

Town History

Stock Yards National Bank.

Oklahoma City, often shortened to OKC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. It is the 20th-most populous U.S. city and 8th largest in the Southern United States, with a population of 681,054 at the 2020 census. The Oklahoma City metropolitan area, with an estimated 1.49 million residents, is the largest metropolitan area in the state and 42nd-most populous in the country. It is the county seat of Oklahoma County, with the city limits extending into Canadian, Cleveland, and Pottawatomie counties.

Oklahoma City has one of the world's largest livestock markets. The city is bisected geographically and culturally by the North Canadian River, which divides North Oklahoma City and South Oklahoma City. The north side is characterized by diverse and fashionable urban neighborhoods near the city center and sprawling suburbs further north. South Oklahoma City is generally more blue-collar working class and significantly more industrial, having grown up around the Stockyards and meat packing plants at the turn of the century.

Oil, natural gas, petroleum products, and related industries are its economy's largest sector. The city is in the middle of an active oil field, and oil derricks dot the capitol grounds. The federal government employs a large number of workers at Tinker Air Force Base and the United States Department of Transportation's Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center (which house offices of the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Department's Enterprise Service Center, respectively).

Oklahoma City is on the I-35 and I-40 corridors, one of the primary travel corridors south into Texas and New Mexico, north towards Wichita and Kansas City, west towards Albuquerque, and east towards Little Rock and Memphis. Located in the state's Frontier Country region, the city's northeast section lies in an ecological region known as the Cross Timbers. The city was founded during the Land Run of 1889 and grew to a population of over 10,000 within hours of its founding. It was the site of the April 19, 1995, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, in which 168 people died.

Oklahoma City had 15 National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and 11 of those banks issued National Bank Notes.

Bank History

Advertisement from 1910 announcing the opening of the Oklahoma Stock Yards National Bank on October 1, 1910.

Advertisement from 1911 for the Oklahoma Stock Yards National Bank.

• Organized September 17, 1910
• Chartered September 27, 1910
• Opened October 1, 1910
• 2: Liquidated May 20, 1926
• 2: Absorbed by 11230 (Liberty National Bank, Oklahoma City, OK)

On Saturday, September 17, 1910, the Oklahoma Stock Yards National Bank organized with the following officers: T.G. Morton, president; E.F. Bisbee, vice president; and R.J. Robb, cashier. The directors were T.G. Morton, E.F. Bisbee, C.F. Welhener, W.T. Hales, R.J. Robb, R.M. Evans, and J.W.S. Hutchings. The new institution would occupy a two-story white stone structure at Exchange and Agnew Avenues in Packingtown being rushed to completion. Mr. Bisbee and Mr. Welhener were connected with the Morris and Schwarzschild & Suizberger Packing companies, respectively. The banking room measured 50 by 90 feet with tile floors and marble wainscoting throughout. All the fixtures were of mahogany. One section of the banking rooms would be maintained for safety deposit boxes. The bank planned to open within the next 10 days and would enter the local financial field as the second largest bank in the city having a capital stock of $250,000. E.F. Bisbee was vice president of the Oklahoma Live Stock News, Inc., and R.J. Robb was secretary-treasurer.

In October 1918, directors elected J.B. Hines, vice president; A. Weisman, cashier; and F.C. Knepper, assistant cashier. T.P. Martin, Jr., was the president; E.B. Bisbee, vice president; and J.W. Byrd, assistant cashier. The capital, surplus and profits of the bank were $600,000.

In January 1922, at the annual meeting, Ben Mills, formerly vice president of the Tradesmens National Bank was elected president of the Oklahoma Stock Yards National Bank, succeeding T.P. Martin Jr., who became chairman of the board of directors. There were no other changes. The directors were W.T. Hales, E.B. McKillip, Ben Mills, J.W.S. Hutchings, W.H. Garside, E.F. Bisbee. The officers were Ben Mills, president; E.F. Bisbee, vice president; A. Weisemann, active vice president and cashier; Harold R. Empie, O.N. Harris, and Glenn P. Lee, assistant cashiers.

Ben Mills, although only 45 years old, was well-known to the banking fraternity of Oklahoma. He began his banking career at Peirce City, Missouri in 1894 as runner for Peirce City National Bank working his way up to the cashiership eleven years later. He was then elected assistant cashier of The First National Bank of McAlester, which institution he served until 1909, when he took over the affairs of the James Degnam Coal Co., and closed up that estate. Three years after taking over this company he was elected cashier of the City National Bank, of McAlester. One year later he purchased the McAlester Trust Company and in 1920 came to Oklahoma City on a call from the Stockyards National and became the first vice-president of that growing institution, serving about one year when he accepted a position with the Tradesmen National Bank of Oklahoma City as vice-president, which position he had acceptably filled. Recently Mr. Mills was called to the presidency of the Oklahoma Stockyards National Bank, Oklahoma City at the same time the board of the Stockyards National advanced T.P. Martin to the position of chairman of the board.

On Saturday night, October 25, 1924, the Oklahoma Stockyards National located in Packingtown picked up, lock, stock and barrel and moved to its new location in the heart of the Main Street district in the old stand of the Wilkin-Hale Bank, 209 West Main Street. The new name of the bank was Oklahoma National Bank. Ben Mills, president, thought a larger and stronger institution could be built up by getting closer to Oklahoma's financial center. The bank left the stockyards district with $2,386,000 in deposits. At the close of business on its opening day, Monday, October 27, 1924, the deposits totaled $2,511,000, a gain of $125,000 on the first day. This gain was increased the third day to $208,887. The bank expected to hold all of its stockyards patronage and pick up its share of downtown business. The cattle loan business was expected to continue. The other officers were Melven Cornish, chairman of the board; H.R. Empie, vice president and cashier; E.F. Bisbee, vice president; O.N. Harris and M.K. Moussa, assistant cashiers. The directors were Melven Cornish, W.T. Hales, Ben Mills, E.B. McKillip, W.H. Garside, J.W.S. Hutchins, E.F. Bisbee, Dr. LeRoy Long, and E.E. McInnis. Melven Cornish was president of the McAlester Trust Co. and was at one time a member of the well-known legal firm of Mansfield, McMurry and Cornish of McAlester who had charge of the legal work for the Choctaw Nation. Ben Mills shared control of the trust company with his brother-in-law, Mr. Cornish. During Governor William's administration, Mr. Cornish was a member of the State Banking Board. The board was increased from six to eight members, with Mr. Cornish, Mr. McInnis, and Dr. Long newly elected. Since the organization of the bank in 1910, the majority of the stock had been in the hands of the packers including the estate of Edward Morris and the Morris family and also the Wilson family. These interests willingly relinquished control to Oklahoma City men but still retained a substantial interest in the bank.

In March 1925, a charter was granted for a state bank with a capital of $25,000 for Packingtown just west of Oklahoma City. This charter was granted under the provisions of a special statute passed by the last legislature. The institution's name was the Stockyards Bank and it would take over the building formerly occupied by the Oklahoma Stockyards National Bank. J.M. Herd, formerly in the wholesale grocery business in Guthrie and for many years proprietor of a general mercantile agency in Broken Arrow, was named president. R.R. Herd, brother and partner of the president, was chosen vice president; and Mrs. E.G. Moore was named cashier. Mrs. Moore formerly was connected with the Southwest National Bank, Oklahoma City. The board of directors was composed of Russ Bryant, Packingtown garage man; F.Q. Quillin, a grocer of Packingtown; Ben Mills, president of the Oklahoma National Bank, Oklahoma City; J.M. Herd and R.R. Herd.

View of North Robinson Avenue, the "Wall Street" of Oklahoma City. Photo take from the top of the Oklahoma Club building shows every building on the avenue from Grand to the Masonic temple, including the Fidelity Bank, Colcord, American National, First National, Liberty National, Braniff and other big buildings.

In January 1926, one addition to the board of directors was made. V.E. McInnis was named as a new member. Other directors were Melven Cornish, W.H. Garside, W.T. Hale, J.W.S. Hutchings, E.E. McInnis, and Ben Mills. The officers were Mills, president; Cornish, chairman; H.R. Empie, vice president and cashier; O.N. Harris and M.K. Moussa, assistant cashiers. On Monday, April 19, 1926, the entire working force of the Oklahoma National Bank from president to bookkeepers became connected with the Liberty National Bank, the business of the two banks being transacted in the name of and at the location of the Liberty National Bank. Ben Mills, president of the Oklahoma National, stated: "The merger and consolidation of the resources of the two banks will enable us to render better service to the customers of both banks. Since the removal of the Oklahoma National Bank from the stockyards into the city something over a year ago, its business has grown to such an extent that we are cramped for quarters and space. We have heretofore specially served the livestock industry and outside banks requiring an Oklahoma City correspondent. With the merger of the resources and working forces of the two banks in the name and location of the Liberty National Bank and with ample quarters, lobby space, safe deposit vaults and other equipment, we all feel that we can serve these special interests, our regular customers and the general public even better than heretofore. Also a majority of our directors will serve on the new board. We shall welcome and serve in the new location all of our friends and customers who we have heretofore so earnestly endeavored to serve at 209 West Main Street." P.A. Janeway, president of the Liberty National Bank, said: "The merger and consolidation of the two banks is in line with the trend of banking and other business, and will enable us with larger resources and working forces to render better service to the customers of the two banks and the general public.

In January 1927, officers of the Liberty National Bank were P.A. Janeway, president; Ben Mills, executive vice president; M.B. Blake, Kee R. McKee, Fay Thompson, H.R. Empie, Chas. H. Tayor, Chas. F. Colcord, vice presidents; W.H. Griffith, cashier; Geo. L. Baird, O.N. Harris, and M.K. Moussa, assistant cashiers. The directors were Thomas E. Braniff, president, T.E. Braniff Co. and president, Provident Mortgage Co.; M.B. Blake, vice president and president, Security National Bank, Lawton, OK; James B. Barnes, capitalist; Phil D. Brewer, general counsel, Everest, Vaught & Brewer; Charles F. Colcord, capitalist; Melven Cornish, capitalist; W.H. Garside, general manager, Wilson & Co.; Vernon V. Harris, loans and investments; J.W.S. Hutchings, manager, Oklahoma National Stock Yards Co.; P.A. Janeway, president; E.E. McInnis, general solicitor, Santa Fe System; V.E. McInnis, attorney; Kee R. McKee, vice president and president, Oklahoma Industrial Finance Co.; Ben Mills, executive vice president; J.K.D. Shaffer, oil producer; Chas. H. Taylor, capitalist; and Carl Williams, editor, Oklahoma Farmer-Stockman. Liberty National had total resources of $10,982,791.67 with capital $600,000, surplus and reservices $138,574.40, and deposits $10,164,217.27.

Official Bank Titles

1: The Oklahoma Stock Yards National Bank of Oklahoma City, OK

2: 2nd title not used on notes: Oklahoma National Bank in Oklahoma City, OK (10/29/1924)

Bank Note Types Issued

1902 Date Back $5 bank note with SN 1A and pen signatures of R.J. Robb, Cashier and T.P. Martin, Jr., President. This is a Replacement note. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

1902 Date Back $5 bank note with SN 1000, pen signed by E.J. Litteer, Assistant Cashier. This is a Replacement note. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

A total of $509,200 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1910 and 1926. This consisted of a total of 62,180 notes (62,180 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
1: 1902 Date Back	4x5	1 - 8935
1: 1902 Date Back	3x10-20	1 - 6610

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1910 - 1926):

Presidents:

• Thomas Pugh Martin, Jr., 1911-1921
• Ben Mills, 1922-1925

Cashiers:

• Robert J. Robb, 1911-1911
• Earl Jacob Litteer, 1911-1915
• A. W. Weismann, 1918-1922
• Harold Robert Empie, 1923-1925

Other Known Bank Note Signers

• James Bailey Hines (Asst Cashier 1918)

Bank Note History Links

• Oklahoma Stock Yards NB, Oklahoma City, OK History (NB Lookup)
• Oklahoma Bank Note History (BNH Wiki)

Sources

• Oklahoma City, OK, on Wikipedia
• 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