At the turn of the last century,
Oklahoma was a rich frontier full of promise. Statehood was years away, the Spanish American War was still fresh in the minds of many, and a new century had just begun. In celebrating over 100 years of service, we pay tribute to the pioneering spirit that brought us to this day and renew our commitment to improving the quality of life in Western Oklahoma.
Historical records reveal that on September 3, 1901, a charter was granted to the Thurmond State Bank in Sayre and a few days later the bank was reorganized into The First National Bank. In 1909, the name of the bank was changed to The First State Bank, but in 1911, the name was changed back to The First National Bank of Sayre and remained unchanged until January 1996, when it became InterBank. An original 1911 document from the U.S. Treasury Department is displayed in the Sayre bank lobby today as a reminder of the bank’s heritage.
As we’ve grown from The First National Bank of Sayre to InterBank, we have seen many changes. But one thing has remained constant – a family focused commitment to provide integrity and excellence in banking services.
Through the years, InterBank has kept pace with changing times and expanded banking services to meet emerging needs in our communities.
In 1994, we opened a location in Clinton to serve the citizens of Clinton and surrounding communities. In 1995, InterBank moved its home office to Elk City, where a new bank building was completed in September 1997. Our Hobart office was opened in November 1998. A newly renovated banking facility in Hobart was completed September 1999. Our new Clinton full-service bank building was completed in the fall of 1999.
The bank’s history has seen only five presidents. Serving at the helm of the bank were: A.L. Thurmond, 1901-1905; E.K. Thurmond, 1906-1926; Guy Ford, 1927-1957; J.A. French, 1957-1990 and C.H. Wyatt, Jr., 1991-present.