Palestine's First Bank *************************************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm Submitted by Scott Fitzgerald - scottfitzgerald@tyler.net East Texas Genealogical Society, President 8 September 2005 *************************************************************************** Originally published in The Tracings, Volume 3, No. 2, Fall 1984, Page 102 by the Anderson County Genealogical Society, copyright assigned to the East Texas Genealogical Society. Palestine's First Bank Dr. Bonner and Brice Robinson were encouraged by their close personal friends, the Moody family of Galveston, to open a bank in Palestine. The railroad had been completed in 1872, and the "New Town" had become a reality. W. B. Robinson had the leading role in the bank and his father-in- law, Dr. Bonner remained in Fairfield. After the Bonner-Robinson bank was established, it was called Bonner and Robinson, Bankers and Dealers in Eschange. The date was April 1, 1881. Before that time various merchants devoted some space in their stores to banking business. Brice sent for his two brothers, Z. L. (Lee) and G. Springs, and his sister Margaret (Mrs. Gray Boulware) to assist as officers and directors. They all moved here from the home town in Lancaster, S. C. After the death of Dr. Bonner in 1900, the bank was renamed Robinson Brothers, Bankers. In 1920, it was Robinson Guaranty State Bank and Trust Company. The word "Guaranty" was dropped in 1928. The officers at that time were Z. L. Robinson, President; Guy T. Robinson, Vice President; and William B. (son of G. S. Robinson) as Cashier. Z. L. Robinson became President in 1905 after the death of Brice Robinson, and he remained in that position until 1937, when the bank merged with the Royall National Bank. At the time of the merger, Z. L. Robinson, Guy T. Robinson and C. O. Miller, Jr., became officers in the Royall National Bank. William B. Robinson had retired a few years prior to this time. This bank was located at 213 W. Main Street and very conservative, the officers taking pride in the fact that they could liquidate their assets and pay all depositors their accounts with one day's notice. It was the first bank in Texas that was notified to re-open after President Franklin Roosevelt had ordered banks closed during the early days of his administration.