Bank of Gage
18 Main St., Gage, OKThis building housed the first banking facility to serve both the town of Gage and what would eventually become Ellis County. The building was constructed by S.A. McMannis and designated the Bank of Gage. Chartered on 6 June 1901, the original stockholders were S.A. McMannis, Elsie Daniels, and Jake Pryor. The bank served the many needs of the community for years until it was robbed in 1920. Most of the bank records were destroyed and the bank was unable to recover from the loss. The Bank of Gage merged with the Farmers State Bank on 22 October 1921. During its existence, the bank helped both settlers and businessmen get a financial foothold in this area of the county and gave its subscribers a sense of well-being by providing for their many needs. After the merger of the bank, the building continued to house a number of local businesses. Lippincott Hardware, Millers Hardware, Baxters Drugstore, Brownie Tiffin's Pool Hall, E.H. Ball Dry Goods, and Johnson's Mortuary. By the 1960s, the bank building itself was used for storage, but additions to the building continued to provide shelter for other businesses and community groups. For many years, a barber shop was in operation in the addition to the rear of the main building and the upstairs has been converted to apartments. Youth groups and senior citizens also meet in these facilities.
Local significance of the building:Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
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.