Info Please (2)

[dandymomma]

Tell me the story about this building...

[patyrn]

The building on the left with the arched doorway was the original Howard National Bank.  The bank (now the Howard State Bank) moved to its present location one block south and across the street probably in the 1960s.  This  is a beautiful building, and several people have attempted to refurbish it since it was abandoned by the bank, but no one has ever made much progress and  it is in a state of horrible dismay.  When I was young in the 50s and 60s, there was a barber shop down several steps under the bank and later a barber and beauty shop run by the Cooleys. There might have been an apartment or two upstairs.

Next door was the American Legion Hall.  That building now houses "used" items--it is never open when we visit, so I'm not sure what is in it except for looking in the window and seeing lots of old "stuff".

 

[dandymomma]

Does anyone know what year it was built? It looks like it should be on the historical registry. It's such a grand building. I was suprised that the sign at the top was wooden, not stone.

[frawin]

I think that bank was formed around 1885, I have pictures of that building dated 1905.
Frank Winn

[W. Gray]

The Elk County State Bank was formed in Howard in 1886 and a year later renamed the Howard National Bank.

The Blue Skyways Howard, Kansas, web site says the facility was built in 1887.

I thought the year of construction was on a stone somewhere on the building but do not see a year reference in any of the photos available.

A separate Elk County State Bank came along again in Howard in the 1920s but did not last through the depression.

[frawin]

Dr. Buchele had his office in back part of that old bank building.  The entrance was on the north side, entered by going up a few steps. 

Myrna

[Jo McDonald]

Grover and Annie Cooley and their son Elmer lived above the bank in the 40's and 50's and Carl and his Dad Grover had the barber shop then and Ruth, Carl's wife had her beauty salon down below the bank.  I think that Lela May lived above the bank in the 50's in one of the apartments.

[Ding-Dong]

From the Elk County Citizen, January 2, 1907

(Along with this article was a picture of the Howard National Bank, but it did not print off)

The Howard National Bank opened its doors for business April 17th, 1877, nearly thirty years ago and is the oldest financial institution in the county.   The management has never changed. Mr. A.F. Eby having been its cashier ever since its organization, and there is no man in Elk county better known and whose financial standing is rated higher.

While this bank is very conservative, it has always been willing and ready to extend every acommodation to the customers consistent with good banking.  There's a number of men in this county now classed among our well-to-do citizens who have told the writer that they would have lost all they posessed but for the accommodations extended by Mr. Eby at the right time, and not once has his judgement been in default.

The Howard National is a home institution, every dollar of its stock being held by home people of worth and established business reputations.  None of its stockholders or directors are in any way liable as borrowers or endorsers.  The capital stock is $50,000.00 and surplus $10,000.00 with deposits averaging $120,000.00

Geo W. McKey has been president of the above institution for the past 28 years.  Noyes Barber, Vice president, has been connected with the bank 26 years; B.M. Thompson, assistant cashier for the past ten years, and J.W. Eby, bookkeeper for the past two years.  These men are all well known to our citizens as gentlemen of integrity, and all Elk county is proud of such business concerns.

The picture of the bank building appeared on the 1907 calendars that the Elk County Citizen printed for the Howard National Bank.  These calendars are the finest ever put out by any business house in Elk county.

[Marcia Moore]

     In December 1888, the Howard Post Office was moved to its new quarters in the rear portion of the Howard National Bank building.  The new quarters were really very nice and convenient, (the bank building was only one year old), but lots of people kicked on the change, so the post office was moved in 1889 to the northwest corner of Randolph and Wabash Street.