First National Bank/Conrad Block

125-127 South Summit Street

When the First National Bank building was built in 1883, it covered less space than it does today.

Known as Union State Bank since 1898, the two-story brick building at the northwest corner of Fifth Avenue and Summit Street extended about half the distance to the west, down West Fifth Avenue, as it does today as one of the key buildings in the Downtown Historic District.

But the building located at 127 S. Summit St. did not originally extend north to include the 123 and 125 addresses, as it does now.

A previous, wood-frame building on the site housed the Cowley County Bank, which was started in 1872. Its officers were A.A. Newman, president; W.M. Sleeth, vice president; H.P. Farrar, cashier; and directors T.H. McLaughlin, H.O. Meiss and R.C. Haywood. 

In 1876, Sleeth and Farrar purchased all of the bank stock and made it a private bank called First National Bank. They announced in March 1879 that a new building would be erected, and they moved into the new two-story brick building in 1883.

A decade later, the bank experienced lean economic times and, in 1893, went into receivership.

Major Sleeth gave up all of his investments to liquidate the bank’s debt and he paid 100 percent to all of the bank’s depositors. 

The vacant bank building was occupied for the next five years by E.L. McDowell’s jewelry store. 

By February 1894, the First National Bank was reorganized, but by the early 1900s, the bank’s business was taken over by the newly formed Citizens State Bank.

George S. Hartley was president and Thomas Baird was vice president.

It opened as the Union State Bank in January 1909, with Thomas Baird as president and O.E. Mabee as vice president. 

The bank purchased the building from the Baird Investment Co. on October 7, 1909, and Baird resigned his position about two years later. Baird’s successors as bank president were Fred C. DeMott, 1910-1940; Grover Dunn, 1940-1958; and the Docking family. Since 1956, control of the bank and the holding company, Docking Bancshares, Inc., has been with the Dockings.

Two Kansas governors, George Docking and his son Robert Docking, have served as chairmen of the board of Union State Bank.

Gov. Robert Docking was president of the bank from 1958 to 1982. Robert’s son, Bill, took over the position in 1983 and currently is chairman of the board. After 31 years of serving as Union State Bank’s chief executive officer, Bill Docking handed the CEO position over to Eric Kurtz in February 2014.

The bank building has been modified several times through the years, but still retains its basic shape.

Originally, it had 10 steps leading up to the front door.

In 1928, these were removed and the floor was lowered to street level. The bank’s upstairs rooms were occupied for many years as law offices for W.L. and W.E. Cunningham, D. Arthur Walker and William Howard.

In October 1961, bank president Robert Docking bought the Fifth Avenue Book Store building adjoining the bank on West Fifth Avenue. The building continued to be used as a bookstore during the 1960s.

By 1974, when the bank expanded to the west and north, the bookstore was demolished to provide easier access to the drive-through facility behind the bank off West Fifth Avenue.

Meanwhile, to the north at 125 S. Summit St.: In 1899, a two-story stone building replaced a frame dry goods store located on the east portion of this lot, where a saloon was housed. A billiards room and lunch café were located in the basement of the building’s west portion.

In December 1908, owner C.B. Kinslow named the billiards and pool parlor the Salty Dog. The saloon remained in operation until at least 1905, but was replaced by a cigar store by 1912.

In August 1915, building owner W.B. Conrad announced the Salty Dog billiard and pool hall would be converted into a movie theater. On December 30, 1915, the Strand Theater opened. It continued in operation until at least 1937.

In the 1950s, a bar called Modern Recreation was located in the building, which was later acquired by Union State Bank and incorporated into the bank building at 127 S. Summit St.

A pool hall and bar have continued in operation at 123 S. Summit St. through the years, under various names and owners.

Built in the Italianate style, both of these buildings feature hooded segmental arches above their windows, egg and dart border columns with plant motifs, arcade block, and a definitive Italianate porch at the main entry