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Wichita Falls in Wichita County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
 

The Wichita Falls Bank Robbery of 1896

 
 
The Wichita Falls Bank Robbery of 1896 Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, July 22, 2016
1. The Wichita Falls Bank Robbery of 1896 Marker
Inscription.

On the afternoon of February 25, 1896, two cowboys, Foster Crawford and Elmer "Kid" Lewis, robbed the City National Bank, then located at Ohio and 7th Street (2 blocks east). They killed cashier Frank Dorsey, took about $410 cash, and fled on horseback. A posse of citizens and Texas Rangers captured the pair that night hiding in a thicket outside of town. The next day, after the Rangers departed, the anger of the townspeople turned to violence. On the night of February 26, a mob dragged the prisoners from the jail and lynched them in front of the bank building.
 
Erected 1978 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 5800.)
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & CommerceNotable EventsNotable Places. A significant historical date for this entry is February 25, 1896.
 
Location. 33° 54.695′ N, 98° 29.546′ W. Marker is in Wichita Falls, Texas, in Wichita County. Marker is at the intersection of 8th Street and Scott Avenue (Business U.S. 287), on the right when traveling east on 8th Street. Under the entrance awning, mounted to the building on 8th Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 807 8th Street, Wichita Falls TX 76301, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Site of Gorsline's Fashion Livery Stable (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Joseph Hudson Barwise (about 700 feet away); Texas Governor James V. Allred (about 700 feet away); First County Officials (about 700 feet away); The Lost Battalion
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(about 700 feet away); Charlye Ola Farris (about 700 feet away); John F. O'Donohue (about 800 feet away); The Zale Legacy (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Wichita Falls.
 
More about this marker. The marker was placed on the front wall of the City National building, 807 Eighth Street, rather than Seventh and Ohio streets where the robbery, murder, and lynching occurred. In May 1978, the chair of the Wichita County Historical Commission, Mrs. E. E. Clack, wrote that they would install the marker on Eighth Street to protect it from possible vandalism. The area around the former bank had by the 1970s deteriorated, and its safety was in question. The area has since experienced a Renaissance after successful revitalization efforts.
 
Also see . . .  Both robbers buried together at Riverside Cemetery in Wichita Falls. On February 25, 1896, he and Bill Crawford attempted to rob the City National Bank in Wichita Falls. During the holdup, they murdered bank cashier Frank Dorsey. Texas Rangers chased the bandits down and captured them, but they were dragged from the jail by local vigilantes and lynched. From Find-A-Grave memorial notes. (Submitted on August 13, 2016, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.) 
 
Marker location on 8th Street, centered under awning of former City National Bank. image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, July 22, 2016
2. Marker location on 8th Street, centered under awning of former City National Bank.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on November 25, 2020. It was originally submitted on August 13, 2016, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 788 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on August 13, 2016, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.

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Mar. 28, 2024