The Peoples Bank was chartered by the State of Kansas on May 20th, 1887 to a group of businessmen and investors from St. Louis, Missouri. The initial capital of the bank was $50,000 of which $30,000 was spent on the construction of a three story banking house at the corner of Third and Main Streets in Pratt, Kansas. The bank opened for business in July, 1888, and has operated continuously ever since under its original name and charter, and in its original quarters.
From its beginning, The Peoples Bank has been inextricably linked with the activity of agricultural producers in its service area. In the first report to stockholders in 1888, it was noted, “Deposits have not been as large as we anticipated, owing to a very unfavorable crop year, but we have some good accounts in prospect, and shall expect to show a very gratifying increase in this item in the future.” Today, The Peoples Bank owes much of its success to the farmers and ranchers of South Central and North Central Kansas.
The Peoples Bank established its trust department in 1932 to serve the trust and investment related needs of its valued customers. Our trust department has grown to be one of the largest in western Kansas, offering services in the areas of Trust and Estate Administration, Investment Management accessible to investors of all sizes, Retirement planning and administration for individuals and employers, and Farm Management of tens of thousands of acres.
The bank began expanding geographically with the opening of a loan production office in Medicine Lodge, Kansas in the late 1980’s. The Medicine Lodge location was later expanded to a full-service branch location, and two additional banks were acquired in Barber County – The Sharon Valley Bank in 1991 and The Farmers State Bank of Hardtner and Kiowa in 2001.
The bank further expanded into Kiowa County, acquiring the Greensburg, Kansas location of Commercial Federal Bank in 2000. In 2008, The Peoples Bank acquired The Smith County State Bank with offices in Smith Center and Lebanon, Kansas. A loan production office was opened in Kingman, Kansas in 2016. The Farmers Bank of Osborne, with offices in Osborne and Luray, Kansas was acquired in 2020.
The Peoples Bank today employees nearly 100 people in its six locations. We count it a great honor to partner with our loyal customers, serving their financial needs and striving with them toward financial strength of individuals and their communities alike.
