Del Rio, Val Verde County
One of the county’s oldest and most influential institutions is the Del Rio Bank and Trust, which is one year older than the city government of Del Rio. The bank organized on August 10, 1910. The original shareholders of the bank and trust purchased 750 shares at $100 per share. Those shareholders consisted of several of the most prominent members of the community and the southwest Texas ranching and entrepreneurial communities, including John Nance Garner, Vice President of the U.S. Under President Franklin Roosevelt. The original location was in the heart of the town’s original business district, moving in 1939 to a larger facility only a block away on south main. Drive-thru banking was added in 1957 and was the first bank in Del Rio to have this convenience. In the summer of 1976, the Del Rio bank and trust moved to its current location on Veterans Blvd. The new facility had double the square footage as well as a larger drive-thru. In addition to serving the area as a financial institution, the Del Rio bank and trust has assisted the community in many fashions. It has awarded scholarships and supported many local programs. The bank lends out their facilities to local clubs and community training classes. It has also adopted Greenwood Park, covers the cleaning and maintenance costs and is responsible for the restoration and preservation of the Cassinelli Gin House, one of Del Rio’s few national register sites. Almost consecutively owned by community members, the Del Rio Bank and Trust has been a part of the foundation of the Del Rio community for over a century.