Banks   The First State Bank opened for business on December 17, 1909. The first building was located on the southeast corner of the Avenue D and Main Street intersection. The building was a square, brick building measuring twenty-four feet by twenty-four feet. The building was heated with one large coal stove which was not adequate. Later an oil burning stove was installed but it was not much better. For air conditioning they opened all the windows and let the hot air blow through.   There were seven original stockholders: Dr. M.C. Overton, who was the first bank president; C.A. Burrus, who was the first cashier and owned a majority of the shares of stock; S.R. Merrill, who was president from 1910 to 1493; N.C. Hix, who served as president from 1944 to 1952; W.A. Shelton; W.H. Ragland, and Vint Stambaugh.   In May, 1925, the bank moved into larger quarters across the street and down about the middle of the block. This is the building where Struve Hardware was later located. The vault is still there. This building was, first heated with oil but in 1927, natural gas was available and several stoves were installed.   Loans were mostly for cattle. Customers borrowed one hundred to two hundred and fifty dollars a year. A few of the larger loans might reach two thousand dollars or more. The interest rate was ten percent. Mules, horses, cows, and sheep were used as security.   The stock market crash and the depression hit the Abernathy community hard. In March, 1933, when the Banking Holiday was declaired, many banks could not re-open. The First State Bank, under the leadership of S.R. Merrill, president, L.A. Harral, vice-president, N.C. Hix, acting vice-president, survived the holiday, being the only bank in the county to re-open.   L.A. Harral was elected president of the bank after the death of Mr. Merrill in 1933. He served as president until 1944.   (Copied from the Abernathy Chamber of Commerce 75th Jubilee book, 1984). Today, two banks are located in Abernathy; First State Bank and Vista Bank.