Oldest working bank in county

(Editor’s Note: The following article originally appeared in the Green River Star in 1994.)

In 1888, Mr. Robert Morris and Mr. Hunter established the Morris and Hunter Bank and operated it in conjunction with the Hunter & Morris General Merchandise, which was located in block 20 in the Railroad yards on the north side of West Second South, across from the present apartments at 95 South Second West Street.

The Morris brothers, Robert and Edward, purchased the Hunter & Morris General Merchandise and the Morris Hunter Bank, forming the Morris Mercantile Company and changing the name of the bank to the Morris State Bank in 1890.

The Morris Mercantile Company built a new brick building on the corner of West Railroad Avenue and North Center Street and moved into it in 1891.

The Morris State Bank was located in the north end of the building on the alley.

When the State of Wyoming established its first banking department in 1895, the Morris State Bank received its charter.

In 1915, T.S. Taliafero Jr. was elected as president of the Morris State Bank.

When the Green River Mercantile Company purchased the Morris Mercantile Company and the Morris State Bank in 1916, the bank was reincorporated under the name of State Bank of Green River.

On March 25, 1917, the Green River Mercantile building (The Old Morris Mercantile Company building) was completely destroyed by fire and also the State Bank of Green River with only the vault surviving the fire.

The day after the fire in 1917, the State Bank of Green River was open for business at 33 Elizabeth Street. This is the parking lot behind Ember’s Restaurant and where Nick’s Barber Shop was located.

In 1919, when the First National Bank of Green River moved from the Green River Mercantile Company building into their new building on East Railroad Avenue, the State Bank of Green River, established in 1907, moved into that location in the Green River Mercantile Company.

When the new Hotel Tomahawk building was opened in 1921, the State Bank of Green River moved into the first door south of the hotel lobby.

In 1932, the State Bank of Green River moved back into its old location off the alley in the Green River Mercantile Company building.

The State Bank of Green River built and moved into a new building at 79 West Flaming Gorge in 1960.

Again the State Bank of Green River built a new building and moved to 125 West Flaming Gorge Way in October, 1977.

The State Bank of Green River merged with the First Security Bank of Wyoming in October 1993, and became the First Security Bank of Green River.

 

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