Battle of the Banks: The Genesis and Resilience of Community Banking in Oklahoma

The competition between banks in the Oklahoma Panhandle opens a portal into what I call Wild West capitalism-no-holds-barred battles between frontier communities, waged most visibly on the front pages of local newspapers, to become centers of Great Plains commerce. In what was perceived as a zero-su...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Great plains quarterly 2020-12, Vol.40 (1), p.89-104
Main Author: Hightower, Michael J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Banking
Banking industry
Banks
Capitalism
Colonies & territories
Community Development
Community Relations
Economic development
Economic growth
Grass roots movement
Land settlement
Money Management
Municipalities
Populism
Retailing
Social Systems
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Summary:The competition between banks in the Oklahoma Panhandle opens a portal into what I call Wild West capitalism-no-holds-barred battles between frontier communities, waged most visibly on the front pages of local newspapers, to become centers of Great Plains commerce. In what was perceived as a zero-sum game, three banks-the First State Bank of Boise City, the First National Bank of Texhoma, and the Cimarron County Bank in Kenton-vied for dominance in the regional economy. The first two survived and thrived, while the third merged with a New Mexico bank to reflect the near disappearance of Kenton.
ISSN:0275-7664
2333-5092
2333-5092
DOI:10.1353/gpq.2020.0003