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First National Bank

Museum
In Erick, Oklahoma
On Route 66
National Register of Historic Places

The First National Bank in Erick, OK, is a 1907 building that served as the town's business hub for six decades. After the bank closed in 1968, it became home to the 100th Meridian Museum, which honors the surveying of the 100th meridian; a benchmark from that survey is set into the wall. It sits less than a mile off the main route line, on Main Street near Route 66.

What is First National Bank?

Besides the bank itself, the building held a barbershop at the back, and for a time the basement held a second barbershop. Upstairs were professional offices, including courtrooms used by local justices of the peace. Today it houses the 100th Meridian Museum, and visitors can look for the survey benchmark in the wall.

History of First National Bank

The building went up in 1907, the same year Oklahoma became a state, and the bank did business here until 1968. For most of that time it was the center of commercial life in Erick. The building was placed on the National Register on December 11, 1979.

Visiting First National Bank: tips

Erick is less than a mile off the main route line. Plan on 15 minutes to see the building and the meridian marker from outside, longer if the museum is open. The former Roger Miller Museum building is right nearby, and the West Winds Motel is about 0.4 miles away.