About Us

Brief History of Clinton and Oklahoma Bank & Trust

The City of Clinton was established in June 1903 on land purchased from four Cheyenne Indians, Shoe Boy, Darwin Hayes, Nowahy & Night Killer. It was on land laid out along the banks of the Washita River 4 miles from the County Seat of Arapaho.

This location has since proved to be a crossroads of railroads, interstate highways, and a large airpark. This location has also become the heartland for major farming and cattle operations.

The City of Clinton has also become a major energy producer. For years this area has been recognized for its large oil and gas reserves, known as the Anadarko Basin. Recently, wind power has been added to make the area an even more vital producer of energy.

As the city was beginning to grow, a major force behind this growth was the establishment of the Oklahoma State Bank in 1908. On March 4, 1908 Otto Shuller and Lieutenant Governor George Bellamy were elected the first President and Vice President.

On May 1, 1919, G. C. Wheeler purchased the Bank and G. C. Wheeler became the president. During the next fifty years, Oklahoma State Bank passed through major wars, financial depression, crop failures, low crop, cattle and oil prices, but it was never necessary for the Bank to assess its stockholders, reorganize, or consolidate with any other institution.

G.C. Wheeler President, 1920-1964

On May 30, 1930, the bank’s name was changed to Oklahoma National Bank. It was during the early 1930’s that President Franklin Roosevelt ordered all the banks to close. Oklahoma National Bank was the only bank in town that reopened under its original charter.

Upon Wheeler’s death in 1964, his son-in-law, George Lowry, assumed the role of president. Lowry had been associated with the bank since 1947 after serving in World War II as a marine.  His leadership and community involvement lead the Oklahoma National Bank into continued growth, and in 1970, a new building was erected and is today’s main facility.

In May of 1971, G. W. Lowry, Jr., after he worked as a National Bank Examiner, came to work for Oklahoma National Bank. In 1975, he became the president, continuing the family tradition of leadership.

In 1971, Oklahoma National Bank once again became a state bank and added a new Trust Department. Since this time, it has been known as Oklahoma Bank & Trust Company.

In 1982, more buildings were added to the main facility. A large drive-in Express Bank with one-on-one tellers and a large community meeting room were added to better serve employees, customers and the community.

In February 1983, Oklahoma Bancorporation, Inc was formed as a holding company. The holding company owns 100% of the stock in Oklahoma Bank & Trust Company, and in 1990 Oklahoma Bancorporation purchased the Custer County State Bank at Arapaho. This bank was merged into Oklahoma Bank & Trust Company making it a full-service branch. This Arapaho branch now hosts a new facility at 115 South 10th Street and Highway 183 in Arapaho. It features a convenient drive-in, safe deposit boxes, and state-of-the-art computerized services.

To further provide the best in technology & service to Oklahoma Bank customers & the City of Clinton, a large two-story department store on Clinton’s main street was totally remade into a large state-of-the-art Financial and Investment Center. This attractive new downtown facility now houses the data processing, bookkeeping, operations, training, and investments.

Today, in its 97th year, Oklahoma Bank & Trust Company has grown to over $100,000,000.00 in assets. Oklahoma Bank & Trust Company is the only bank in Oklahoma to receive an A+ rating by the Weiss Palms Service for two consecutive years. Oklahoma Bank & Trust Company has consistently received an A+ rating from this independent rating company making it one of the safest and strongest banks in the country.