Louise, Wharton County
In the 1900s, the growing town of Louise welcomed its first bank, which received its state charter in 1909. The board of directors included W.F. O’Briant, president; Dan W. Wybrants, secretary; and Alfred Peterson, W.G. Davis and Maude Davis. A two-story brick building, attributed to Victoria architect Jules Leffland, was completed in the center of the commercial district. Louise State Bank served the community until 1927, when Peoples Bank bought its assets and merged to become Peoples State Bank, which closed in 1932. First State Bank operated here from 1956 until 1974, when it opened a new facility. The building has been the site of much local history, having housed the community’s first telephone exchange, public library and post office. (2019)