First National Bank of Cameron

Two banks operated in Cameron prior to the establishment of the First National Bank. The Buckholts Exchange Commission, a small frontier deposit office, faltered during the Civil War, and the Milam County Bank closed during the panic of 1895. On August 22, 1889, the First National Bank of Cameron opened its doors for business in a rented building, while construction commenced on a permanent bank structure at the corner of First Street and Houston Avenue. John M. Hefley and other businessmen realized the necessity of a new financial institution for the growing town of Cameron, and they began the bank with $50,000 capital. Hefley was elected as the bank’s first president, and continued to serve as a director and stockholder until his death in 1903. The bank grew slowly at first, but record cotton prices and the discovery of oil in the county during the late 1910s and early 1920s helped the bank to develop. The bank temporarily relocated to the former post office building during construction of a newer, larger structure at the bank’s original site in 1921. Although the bank reorganized during the Great Depression, it remained open, unlike several other banks in Milam County. As a product of the reorganization, the bank was renamed First National Bank in Cameron. In 2007, the bank’s name changed again to Classic Bank, to reflect the expansion of its holdings to several cities which already had First National Banks. Today, the institution that began as the First National Bank of Cameron continues to serve the citizens of its community.

First National Bank of Cameron is a historical marker in Cameron, Milam County, dedicated in 2010. It is one of 88 historical markers documented in Milam County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 151 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 30.8509, -96.9774 near Cameron. The nearest cataloged historic site is First United Methodist Church of Cameron (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include All Saints Episcopal Church, Milam, Ben, and Milam County Courthouse.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507016507. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.