HISTORY
The history of this beautiful building’s creation and primary use over the decades is really a history of the banks that occupied its main floor. As often is the case with banks, there was a complicated converting and merging of various local banks over the years. Each time the name changed slightly, but the name “CITIZENS NATIONAL BANK” remained etched in the stone header over the front door.
In 1905, the Citizens State Bank of Pawhuska was approved for conversion into a national bank, Citizens National Bank of Pawhuska. Its capital was $25,000. Below is documentation of the creation of the bank. It is a clip from a July 29, 1905, publication of The Chronicle.
Below is a moneybag that is part of the museum collection that will be in the building museum after the renovation. The bag would predate 1905 because it is from the Citizens State Bank of Pawhuska before it became the Citizens National Bank of Pawhuska.
On 11/28/1921, Stockgrowers State Bank consolidated with Citizens National Bank of Pawhuska.
On 6/1/1922, the Bank of Commerce converted to national charter, becoming National Bank of Commerce of Pawhuska
Prior to 1923 (the year that the building was built), the southeast corner of 6th and Kihekah contained various other buildings and businesses. One such business was Daniel’s Jitney Station. Jitney stations sprung up in the 1910s as cars became popular and individuals tried to make extra money by offering rides on certain routes around town. Jitneys were usually small buses or cars. See the picture below showing the corner where the building now stands. Notice the zoom-in on the sign for Daniel’s Jitney Station.
In 1923, the Citizens National Bank building was built for primary occupation by that bank. The stonework above the front door still bears the name “CITIZENS NATIONAL BANK” etched into the stone.
On 3/4/1931, the Citizens National Bank of Pawhuska and the First National Bank of Pawhuska merged, forming the Citizens-First National Bank of Pawhuska. So only 8 years after being built, the building then housed a bank with a slightly altered name.
On 1/8/1935, the National Bank of Commerce of Pawhuska merged with Citizens-First National Bank of Pawhuska and reorganized under the new charter National Bank of Commerce in Pawhuska. So beginning in 1935, the building became the home of the National Bank of Commerce in Pawhuska.
Consequently, the building became known in 1935 as the Commerce Building.
Below is another moneybag that is part of the museum collection that will be in the building museum after the renovation. The bag would be post-1935 because it is from the National Bank of Commerce.
In 1976, the building was deeded to Osage County and later became called the Kennedy Building. It was no longer used as a bank after Osage County took ownership. The County made various “improvements” and did a fairly major “restoration” in 1990. Up until approximately 2014, the building housed the Osage County Health Services Center. That was the last entity to use the building, aside from a brief temporary use for a few months in 2021 for a movie production.
The National Bank of Commerce in Pawhuska, which had occupied the building from 1935 to 1976, converted to state charter NBC Bank, Pawhuska in 1991.
In 2017, Osage County put the building up for public auction and the current ownership won the auction at that time. But the County did not complete the sale and a legal process began. Finally a settlement was reached 6 years later, in 2023, and as a result, the building was again auctioned and the current ownership won the auction again. This became a great historic moment for preserving the building. The efforts by so many supportive people finally paid off. They all helped to get the building into safe hands for the careful preservation that now begins.