Gillespie Building
a.k.a. American State Bank Building;Canadian Rivers Historical Muse
102 E. Main St., Geary, OKThe Gillespie Building is significant within the historic context of Geary, Oklahoma, because it reflects the town's early development and commercial growth during the 1903-1931 period. During these years the building was continuously occupied by banking concerns. In the circumstances of its construction and subsequent function, it typifies Geary's business buildings of the era. It reflects the historical associations of "the bank corner," which was the financial heart of Geary in its early years.
Local significance of the building:Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.
The first oil well in Oklahoma was drilled in 1897 in what is now Bartlesville. The discovery of oil in Oklahoma led to a boom in the state's economy, and it quickly became one of the largest oil-producing states in the country.