924 Main - Goodland State Bank Building

One of the earliest banks in Sherman County, The Kansas Banking Company, was originally listed from 1886 to 1887 in the town of Gandy, Kansas, one of the four towns in the County that failed when Goodland was named County Seat in May of 1888.

The title was changed to The State Bank of Goodland in 1889, then to the Goodland State Bank in 1892.  In April of 1894, business for the Goodland State Bank was discontinued for ten years.

In 1904, the growing city of Goodland had only one banking institution, and on March 4, the organizational meeting of the new Goodland State Bank completed plans to open another facility.

On April 16, 1904, the bank opened in the Real Estate Office of T. P. Leonard, 921 Main (at present Gar’s Upholstery) a year old brick building with the fixtures, including a safe, necessary for the business of banking.  J. W. Tibbles was named President of the Goodland State Bank, Ira Wolfe was Cashier and the bank had capital stock of $10,000.

Business was immediately successful and the principals soon realized the need for their own quarters.  In October of 1904, the newspaper announced the construction of a new Masonic Lodge at the northwest corner of 10th and Main.  "The Masons will build and occupy the north 25 feet of the double lot at street level and the entire 50 feet of the second floor.  The Goodland State Bank will build and occupy the south 25 feet of the corner lot at street level.  The bank was built with the distinctive corner entrance unique to Goodland’s Main (Boulevard) Street in that decade.  Double doors allowed two-way traffic and canvas awnings shaded the large plate glass windows.   On February 3, 1905, the bank moved in to their permanent quarters.  The GAR & Women’s Relief Corps also used the second floor.

In June of 1906 the controlling interest in the bank was sold to Charles Johnson of Oskaloosa, Iowa and two Goodland men, R. A. Kent and W. S. Coleman. Johnson was named president and Coleman was Cashier.  The Goodland Real Estate Co. and Burwell Real Estate Co. had offices on the south side of the bank in 1908.

For five months in 1906, Goodland’s first movie house, The Crystal Theater, occupied a room on the ground floor of the bank.

On April 2, 1912, The Goodland State Bank had as officers’ Charles John as President, Thomas P. Leonard, Vice-President; M. A Eversole, Cashier, and R. A. Kent, Assistant Cashier.  The Directors in addition to the above were; George Bradley, W. C. Jones, and E. F. Murphy.  The total assets were $95,116.05.

In 1929, the old "The Goodland State Bank of Goodland" voluntarily liquidated, and a new bank, "The Goodland State Bank", in Goodland, was organized and obtained a Charter with R. H. Golden, Thomas P. Leonard, J. H. Edmonson, J. G. Hamilton, Dr. M. J. Renner, W. L. Bunten and Elmer E. Euwer as Directors.  R. H. Golden was President, Mr. Leonard, Vice President, and Mr. Bunten, Cashier.

Along with the day to day business, the Goodland State Bank had its share of excitement.  In October of 1933, during the height of the Great Depression, the bank was robbed, the first time.  The second time was February of 1934.  Three men committed each robbery and one was suspected of engineering both events.  The felons were never caught, outrunning the Law and shooting a Sheriff in the process.  Shortly after the robberies, the bank was remodeled with a single door at the entrance and safety window treatments using modern glass block.

In 1941, the Goodland State Bank built an addition to the west all the way to the alley to accommodate the growing business.  It was stucco finish, and one story.  The occupants of the building were Dr. D. D. Vermilllion and Attorney E. E. Euwer.  In Dec. 1961, R. K. Driver OD PA moved into the office of Dr. Vermillion and is currently still at this location.

W. S. Goodwin purchased and became President of the Bank in July 1959 and the building next door north became available.  The building at 922 Main was owned by the Masonic Lodge in 1922 and they wanted to rent it because they needed the money.  It was used as the banquet room for the Masonic Lodge so they rented it to G. H. Garrett in 1922 until 1925.  He started it as a furniture business and then a Five & Ten Cent Store.   In 1930 it was the Skaggs Safeway Store.  This grocery store was there until around 1948 and from 1951 until 1957 was the Frey Furniture Store with R. L. Frey and J. J. Frey, owners.  From 1957 to 1959 the Calvin Supply was there and in 1960 Burlington Auto Parts was located there.  Extensive work was begun and in May of 1962 the public attended the "Open House" for the extended facility.

In 1964 The Goodland Daily News building next to the Bank was purchased and made into a drive-through facility, the location was 920 Main and was the Seyler building built in Jan. 1903.  The upper story was used for a hall and the lower one for a grocery store.  Donly and Scott had a grocery and general store.  They moved out in Mar. 1906.  That year he extended the building twenty feet to the rear and installed hollow tube gasoline light, both up stairs and down.  The new J. B. Gebhart Clothing Company started their new store there in Mar. 1906.  E. H. Elder who had a working interest in the company was in charge of the store and managed the business and was assisted by Mr. C. G. Moore.  When the clothing store opened it had at least $10,000 stock of ladies and gentlemen’s ready made clothing and furnishings and would handle nothing but the best and most up-to-date clothing.  In Nov. 2, 1906 Richard Auer purchased an interest in the Gebhart Clothing Company.  The Gebhart Clothing Company moved to 1006 Main on Dec. 28, 1906.  The Goodland News-Republic newspaper was there in 1930 and in 1932 Charles & Mabel Bigler started The Goodland Daily News in this location.  B. G. Robinson worked for the Biglers and bought the newspaper in 1948.   The McCants Publishing Company purchased The Goodland Daily News in 1960 and was there until they moved to 1205 Main in 1964.

Upstairs at 920 ½ Main was the Masonic Temple Lodge.  The Masonic Temple was started in Goodland in 1888.  Also the Goodland Elks Club started there with a membership of 70 on June 26, 1926.  On Oct. 15, 1930 they purchased the residence of Dr. F. H. Smith at 1312 main for their new lodge.  The Masonic Temple built a new building at 519 Center in 1987 and moved out of the building at that time.

In 1972 the name of the bank was changed to The Goodland State Bank and Trust Company.   A Drive-In Motor Bank was built on 10th and Center Street later that same year.   Dale Goodwin was named President of the Bank in January 1976.

In May of 1986, Goodland State Bank & Trust Co. began an expansion to serve neighboring cities.  The Citizens State Bank in St. Francis, 34 miles northwest of Goodland was the first acquisition in May 1986.  Four years later in 1990, Peoples Heritage Federal Savings & Loan in Colby, Kansas, 35 miles east of Goodland became a branch.  The name BANKWEST became official in 1990.  In Colorado, west of St. Francis on US 36, The Idalia LPO (Loan Processing Office) became operational in 1994.   In 1995 the St. Francis State Bank merged with BANKWEST.  A Colorado charter was obtained in 2000 to make Idalia an offical branch with Full Service Banking being named SUNWEST BANKS OF COLORADO.  At this time the Kansas branches of BANKWEST changed their name to BANKWEST OF KANSAS.

Still in the same corner location for almost 100 years, the new Logo advertises BANKWEST, and the building now occupies 75 feet of frontage on Main Street and the entire second floor after extensive remodeling inside and out from 1992 to 1994.  The distinctive ‘corner’ entrance facade remains to display the sign and ‘Time & Temp" display.