1907

Bank of Cherokee County

The Bank of Cherokee County was founded by a group of prominent members of the Cherokee tribe in Hulbert, Oklahoma. The bank was created to serve a community that others refuse to serve.

The Bank of Cherokee County was founded in the same year that Oklahoma statehood combined the Indian and Oklahoma territories and dissolved tribal government. When the Indian and Oklahoma territories achieved statehood under one banner, Indians and settlers joined forces to develop the state's cultural and economic assets. Although Indians in Oklahoma are an active part of modern society, many tribes continue their customs and believe that having their own bank would best serve the Indian community.

In 1996 the Bank of Cherokee County changed ownership when another prominent group, headed by Gary D. Chapman, acquired the bank. Chapman has been involved in Cherokee banking for 40 years.

The bank, the largest commercial entity in Hulbert, OK, established the Hulbert area Food Program for the Elderly and is committed to the education and leadership development of its youth.

The Bank of Cherokee County lives by its motto: Large enough to serve you, small enough to care.

Sources

• History of Oklahoma
• Bank of Cherokee County, (accessed May 8, 2008)

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