The next oldest bank in existence was started in Alliance and called the American Bank, operated under a state charter, which later absorbed the Citizens' Bank, and also took over the business of Porter, Eihlers & Company, and was continued under this name until the fall of 1889, when it was reorganized with the same officers and became the First National Bank of Alliance. Its first president was O. M. Carter, with R. M. Hampton, cashier and D. M. Forgan, assistant cashier. Mr. Hampton is now president of the institution and has been in the banking business continuously since 1888.

Among the other banks of the county was the Bank of Hemingford, which was established in 1888 and failed in 1895, and the Box Butte Banking Company of Alliance, which was founded in 1888 and failed in 1896. These were the only two bank failures in the county since its organization. The financial interests of the county are now cared for by seven banks : The Alliance National Bank, the First National Bank, First State Bank and Guardian State Bank, all of Alliance; the First State Bank, First National Bank, and Farmers' State Bank, of Hemingford.

Social and Fraternal Organizations

The first fraternal organization to organize in the county was the Knights of Pythias, who instituted Clarion Lodge No. 88 in the second story of the courthouse at Nonpareil in September, 1888. This lodge was later moved to Alliance, but after some years was discontinued.

The next fraternal organization was that of the Masons. A preliminary meeting was held in November of that year, in the second story of the wooden building on the north side of west Third Street in Alliance, which is now used as a cream station. Word was sent out and about all the Masons living in Box Butte county assembled in this small hall and selected a committee to secure a dispensation from the Grand Lodge of the state.