History

There have been many changes in the area since the days of when “cotton was king”, but First National Bank of Winnsboro has been continually serving multiple generations of families for over a century!

 

S.S. Morris and his two sons, Charles H. and R. A. (Lon) Morris founded the M & P Bank on March 10, 1893, with $15,000.00 in capital. The town of Winnsboro thought the family was crazy and operations wouldn’t last 6 months. The townspeople wanted to make sure their money was safe, and the bank wouldn’t fold and lose their hard-earned wages. 

Two years after the inception, President S.S. turned the bank over to his son, Charles. Banking was still new to Winnsboro, but six years after Charles began serving as president, on January 1, 1901, the bank was nationalized and soon became known as “Old Reliable First National Bank of Winnsboro.” The bank showed steady profit and growth during the infant years, and by 1905 had surpassed $300,000 in assets. The next 30 years proved to be profitable under the leadership and ownership of Charles and later his cousin, Alf Morris.

The bank would remain under the ownership of the Morris family until the 1960s, when a group of local businessmen and area investors formed ETex Banco, Inc. and purchased controlling ownership from the Morris clan. In 1965, Gordon Wilkinson was brought aboard as the next president of the five-million-dollar bank. Mr. Wilkinson served as the bank president and CEO for 38 years before leaving his legacy to his oldest daughter, Jan Wilkinson Mills, who took over the reins in 2003. 

Today, FNB Winnsboro continues to be small-town and community focused. With three locations in two small East Texas towns, staying small and present in the communities FNB Winnsboro serves is the main business model of the bank. FNB Winnsboro has continued to serve generations of families for over 132 years. Thank you for making FNB Winnsboro Your Financial Partner for Life!