THE BUILDING LOOKS DIFFERENT - BUT IT'S THE SAME LOCATION AND THE SAME BANK ORIGINALLY KNOWN AS LAMAR STATE BANK.

IN 1959 A GROUP OF LOCAL BUSINESSMEN RECOGNIZED THE FACT THAT SOUTH PARK WAS A GROWING COMMUNITY, AND THE NEED FOR A LOCAL BANK EXISTED.

THE FACT THAT LAMAR COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY WAS A RISING EDUCATIONAL FACILITY, AND WAS LOCATED IN THE SOUTH PARK AREA HELPED THESE MEN SELECT THE NAME OF LAMAR STATE BANK.

GENE VAN METER RECALLS THAT THE BUSINESSMEN WANTED TO GIVE THE CITIZENS OF SOUTH PARK THE OPPORTUNITY TO INVEST IN THIS BANK, AND LETTERS WERE MAILED OUT TO RESIDENTS ADVISING OF THE PLANS FOR A BANK AND OFFERING THEM THE CHANCE TO INVEST IN THIS ENDEAVOR. WHILE GENE WAS A YOUNG MAN AT THIS TIME, AND HIS FUNDS WERE LIMITED, HE RECOGNIZED THE OPPORTUNITY AND ARRANGED FOR A LOAN TO PURCHASE STOCK IN THIS NEW BANK - A DECISION HE HAS NEVER REGRETTED.

LAMAR STATE BANK OPENED ITS DOORS FOR BUSINESS ON AUGUST 8,1959. AT THIS TIME THERE WERE TWO LARGE NATIONAL BANKS AND ONE SMALLER STATE BANK IN BEAUMONT. TWO MORE SMALLER BANKS WERE ORGANIZED WITHIN SIX MONTHS, BUT THEY WERE ACTUALLY SUBSIDIARIES OF ONE OF THE LARGER LOCAL BANKS, THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK WHICH LATER BECAME FIRST CITY BANK OF BEAUMONT, AND WAS LIQUIDATED IN THE EARLY 1990'S.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS CONSISTED OF THE FORMER  MAYOR OF BEAUMONT, ELMO BEARD; SOUTH PARK INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT, JOE VINCENT; BEAUMONT POSTMASTER, F. S. "SPUD" BRADEN; ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT OF LAMAR COLLEGE, G. A. WIMBERLY; PRESIDENT AND OWNER OF JACK'S HARDWARE, INC., ( THE MAJOR HARDWARE STORE IN BEAUMONT) WILLIAM JACK TINKLE; INSURANCE AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER, PETER W. MAIDA; AND AN IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT OF FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF BEAUMONT, L PAUL TULLOS.

WHEN THE DOORS OF LAMAR BANK OPENED FOR BUSINESS, 10 EMPLOYEES WORKED IN THE BANK, INCLUDING THE PRESIDENT, L.PAUL TULLOS. ONE OF THE ORIGINAL EMPLOYEES WAS A YOUNG MAN, LONNIE WEIR, WHO HAD GRADUATED FROM LAMAR COLLEGE IN 1958 WITH A DEGREE IN GENERAL BUSINESS. AFTER GRADUATION HE HAD WORKED FOR AMERICAN NATIONAL BANK FOR A PERIOD OF ONE YEAR, AND WHEN OFFERED A JOB AT LAMAR STATE BANK AS NOTE TELLER, HE RECOGNIZED THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ADVANCEMENT WITH THIS NEW BANK, AND ACCEPTED THE POSITION. IN 1971, LONNIE EARNED HIS MASTER'S DEGREE FROM LAMAR.

A LITTLE OVER A YEAR AFTER LAMAR STATE BANK OPENED, F. S. "SPUD" BRADEN DIED OF CANCER,AND CARL JOHNSEN, THE MAJOR FLORIST IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS REPLACED HIM ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF LAMAR STATE BANK.

THE LEADERSHIP OF THE BANK HAS CHANGED TWICE SINCE PAUL TULLOS RESIGNED IN 1962. RICHARD COBB SUCCEEDED PAUL TULLOS; THEN IN 1966, LONNIE WEIR, THE CURRENT PRESIDENT, WAS NAMED PRESIDENT AND C.E.O. IN 1986 LONNIE WAS NAMED CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD WHEN PETER MAIDA RESIGNED.

IN 1968, JOHN RANEY, JR. (A SOUTH PARK YOUNGSTER) JOINED THE FIRM OF LAMAR STATE BANK AS A LOAN OFFICER, AND IN 1975 GENE VAN METER (ALSO A SOUTH PARK YOUNGSTER) JOINED THE FIRM AS A BOARD OF DIRECTOR. JOHN RANEY RETIRED FROM LAMAR BANK IN 1995, BUT CONTINUED TO WORK PART TIME UNTIL HE TOOK FULL RETIREMENT THIS MONTH.

WHEN LAMAR BANCSHARES, INC.FORMED IN 1983, THE ORIGINAL NAME OF LAMAR STATE BANK WAS CHANGED TO LAMAR BANK, WHICH REFLECTED THE SHORTENED VERSION OF ITS NAME USED BY MOST PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY. SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1959, THE BANK'S MISSION HAS BEEN TO PROVIDE COMMUNITY BANKING SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS, FAMILIES, AND SMALL BUSINESSES IN BEAUMONT, TEXAS. TODAY ITS MISSION IS THE SAME, BUT THE SERVICE AREA HAS EXPANDED TO HARDIN, JEFFERSON AND ORANGE COUNTIES. OF THE MORE THAN $47.5 MILLION IN LOANS OUTSTANDING, 57 PERCENT ARE MADE TO RESIDENTS OF THE THREE COUNTY AREA WHERE 94% OF ITS DEPOSIT CUSTOMERS ARE LOCATED. THE BANK'S LOAN AND DEPOSIT GROWTH IN THE SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES CONTINUE TO INCREASE. CURRENTLY 12% OF THE BANK'S LOANS AND 6% OF ITS DEPOSITS COME FROM THE CITIES OF LUMBERTON, SILSBEE, SOUR LAKE, ORANGE AND VIDOR.

IN 1991 THE BANK PURCHASED A 12 ACRE TRACK OF LAND IN WEST BEAUMONT AND OPENED ITS SECOND LOCATION IN NOVEMBER, 1992, WHICH HAS GROWN TO MORE THAN $43 MILLION IN DEPOSITS AND $11 MILLION IN COMMERCIAL, REAL ESTATE AND CUSTOMER LOANS. THE HOME OFFICE DESIGNATION WAS OFFICIALLY CHANGED IN 1996 TO THE NEW LOCATION AT 555 N. DOWLEN, WHICH NOW SERVES AS THE BANK'S MAIN OFFICE. CUSTOMER SERVICE, THE REAL ADVANTAGE FOR COMMUNITY BANKS, IS CONSIDERED TO BE THE BANK'S MOST VALUED ASSET. THROUGHOUT IT'S 39 YEAR HISTORY, THE BANK OFFICERS AND STAFF HAVE FOCUSED ON BUILDING PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH ITS CUSTOMERS AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY. THOSE BONDS HAVE BEEN FURTHER STRENGTHENED BY THE LONGEVITY OF ITS EMPLOYEE AND OFFICER STAFF. THE PRESIDENT, LONNIE WEIR, HAS BEEN WITH THE BANK FOR 39 YEARS, AND PRESIDENT FOR 32 OF THOSE YEARS. THE EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT, TIM ZAJONC, 22 YEARS, THE SENIOR COMMERCIAL LENDING OFFICER, JASON RILEY, 27 YEARS, THE SENIOR CONSUMER LOAN OFFICER, DAN RICHARDS, 21 YEARS, THE SECOND CONSUMER LOAN OFFICER, WILMA PACE, 15 YEARS, THE SENIOR ACCOUNTS CALLING OFFICER 10 YEARS, THE BOOKKEEPING SUPERVISOR 23 YEARS AND FOURTEEN OTHERS HAVE MORE THAN 10 YEARS OF SERVICE.

TWO MAJOR FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS, FIRST CITY BANK OF BEAUMONT AND FIRST FEDERAL SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATION,BEAUMONT'S OLDEST AND LARGEST FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS FAILED DURING THE LAST TEN YEARS, AND MORE THAN TEN OTHER INSTITUTIONS EIThER FAILED, MERGED OR WENT OUT OF BUSINESS. DURING THIS PERIOD COMMUNITY CONFIDENCE IN LAMAR BANK HAS GROWN BECAUSE OF ITS REPUTATION FOR SAFETY, SOUNDNESS AND GOOD MANAGEMENT. THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT BECAME MORE EVIDENT AS THE THE LARGE NATIONAL BANKING INSTITUTIONS PRESENCE INCREASED. DURING THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF 1998, THE TOTAL ASSET OF LAMAR BANK EXCEEDED $99 MILLION, UP 8.5% FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR WHEN IT REPORTED MORE THAN $90 MILLION FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ITS HISTORY.

TODAYTRAVIS RILEY, VICE-PRESIDENT/CASHIER OVERSEES THE ACTIVITIES OF LAMAR BANK AT STADIUM SHOPPING CENTER IN SOUTH PARK,AND ALTHOUGH MANY OF THE FACES WE HAVE SEEN OVER THE YEARS HAVE EITHER MOVED TO THE NEW BANKING FACILITIES ON DOWLEN OR RETIRED, LAMAR BANK STILL HAS A VERY COMPETENT STAFF AT THE STADIUM BANKING FACILITY.

LAMAR BANK PRESIDENT, LONNIE WEIR IS MARRIED TO VITA BONURA, (DAUGHTER OF LABO BONURA), AND THEY HAVE ONE DAUGHTER, MARGARET (MAGGIE) WEIR.

LAMAR BANK OVER THE YEARS HAS BEEN A VERY VITAL AND IMPORTANT PART OF OUR SOUTH PARK COMMUNITY, AND THEIR OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES HAVE PLAYED A VERY SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN OUR SOUTH PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION - ALWAYS BEING READY TO HELP IN WHATEVER WAY THE CAN. WE APPRECIATE LAMAR BANK BEING A PART OF THE SOUTH PARK COMMUNITY, AND A VERY SPECIAL THANKS FOR ALL THEIR SUPPORT.