The Rich Hill Bank

had a gentleman e-mail me, he was asking me questions about the Rich Hill Bank.

One question he asked was; Where did I get the picture? The answer, from the Rich Hill Memorial Library in an old souvenir book. The story I printed came from the 1955 memoirs of Rich Hill by Ed McQuitty

The Rich Hill bank opened for business in the early summer of 1881 with W. F. Tygard, president; Thos. Orr, vice president; C. G. Weeks, cashier and Triad Burch, as­sistant cashier. The bank building was then as it is today construcred of brick made in Rich Hill, with the excep­tion of the stone front. The stone was quarried and dressed in the neighborhood of Rockville and transported to Rich Hill by wagons.

The Rich Hill bank continued inuntil 1906. At that time the Bates County National Bank at Butler with F. J. Tygard, (a brother of W. F. Tygard, of the Rich Hill institution) president, failed on account of some infraction of the banking laws and in so doing, dragged the Rich Hill bank down with it. The old bank building is now owned and occupied by the Northrup Drug store.

Old Western Auto Building

12-13-2008 just a few minutes before it was pushed down

year unknown

12-8-2008
About 2002

Security Bank Statement (Sept.25 1931)

Rich Hill Mining Review Sept.25 1931

Responding to the official call of the state commissioner of finance, the Security bank of Rill Hill presents its statement of the financial condition of the bank in this issue of the Review. It is worth the attention of the public. The statement shows sound, conservative management, evidenced by the amount of cash on hand and in bank, and a large amount of U. S. government and other state and high class municipal securities, averaging 80 percent of total deposits. (This total combines cash and securities referred to.)

Richard W. Trefs, cashier, Tersely Says: "Probably few country banks can measure up to such a standard of conservatism. A bank and its management can only be gauged by its ability to keep its doors open and not by any possible accommodation that may be extended in a careless way to a selected few to the detriment of the real active supporter of a bank, the depositor "

The Security bank is a newly established institution, but is making steady strides for success on sound financial basis and courteous treatment to the public.

September 2001

September 2001

This is the flag that flew on the Rich Hill overpass after 9-11 2001

Post from Rootsweb

I found this story on Rootsweb Message Board

A newspaper report from the time is as follows:

"July 20, 1938

11:00 p.m.

The Skelly Filling Station on Highway 71 at Rich Hill, Missouri, was robbed.

Three men had been to the station shortly before, and had the attendant put $3 worth of gas in the car. They returned a short time later armed with a sawed off shotgun and revolvers. They had the attendant, E. McKinney, fill the gasoline tank of their car.

The men took $50 from McKinney and all the cigarettes and candy he had in the filling station. McKinney was led to a back room and bound hand and foot with wire. As he lay trussed up, McKinney was smashed across the head with a gun. When he regained consciousness he found his place had been ransacked."

Rich Hill Depot 1967

I think this is a good picture of the old Rich Hill Depot

Then and Now

6th and Park- South East Corner 1909

6th and Park- South East Corner 2009