Wallis State Bank

The Guaranty State Bank of Wallis, which merged into this one in 1927, was named for a Texas system then in its heyday. Under the 1910 guaranty law a state bank could secure its deposits either by bond or by paying into a guaranty fund a percentage of its average daily deposits, and if a member failed the others could be assessed up to 2 percent a year. Most bankers chose the fund. State banks in Texas grew from 515 in 1910 to 1,035 in 1920, while national banks stayed near 500, and the state banks' resources increased sixfold.

What the plaque says

Wallis State Bank Settlement in this area began in the late 1830s. In 1880, when the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railway built a spur from Galveston to Temple, circumventing Houston, the community became known as Wallis Station and later Wallis, after a rail company executive. As the population grew with new residents and businesses, the community's need for a bank became apparent. In January 1906, with a capital investment of $10,000, D.N. Harris, F.D. Brandt, J.H. Thompson, R.W. Thompson, J.F. Walters, L. Tillotson and W.A. Matthaei established the Wallis State Bank. Harris served as the bank's first president, Matthaei as secretary and O.R. Prouty as first cashier. The bank began its operations at this site, and in 1912, the company constructed a two-story brick building to replace the original small frame structure. The board of directors leased portions of the second floor to the justice of the peace and a Masonic lodge. In 1918, the local economy justified the creation of a second bank, known as the Guaranty State Bank of Wallis. It merged with Wallis State Bank in 1927. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Wallis State Bank expanded its business by opening branches in Fulshear, Houston, Meadows Place and San Antonio, and it also acquired Wallis and Eagle Lake branches of another banking institution. Along the way, the bank constructed new facilities here. Bank records indicate the ways of business in small town Texas over the years, with loans secured by collateral such as tractors, cows and horses. For more than 100 years, the bank has served Wallis residents, representing local strength and security. (2006)

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Brazos Bend State Park — 33 mi
  Oak and pecan bottomland, lakes and alligators on the Brazos River 45 miles from downtown Houston, with the museum's George Observatory in the woods.

More markers nearby

• Guardian Angel Catholic Church — 0.7 mi
• Martin Allen — 4.0 mi
• Frydek Catholic Cemetery — 9.6 mi
• Pittsville — 10 mi