and a new building was started in May, 1970. The bank opened for business in its new quarters on March 15, 1971 with Mayor Franklin Jones cutting a ribbon of one dollar bills to make everything official.

Directors of Woodford County Bank in 1971. Seated, left to right: Dr. C. E. Cryer, Carl T. Cooper, Loren E. Ludwig, George E. Drake, Harold McMillan, Dr. Leonard J. Rich, and William F. Kitchell. Standing are Clyde Stoller, Harold Burroughs, Fred B. Baker and Walter F. Pfister.
 
  In 1955, the Woodford County National Bank had total assets of 2.1 million and the El Paso National Bank had assets of 1.8 million. Since then the bank has continued to enjoy good growth with assets now standing at 17 million.

Present officers of the Woodford County Bank are: George E. Drake, president and trust officer; Harold McMillan, executive vice president and assistant trust officer; Loren E. Ludwig, vice president and assistant trust officer; Erman Schairer, assistant vice president and farm manager; Gregory W. Slayton, assistant vice president; Roger L. Bradle, cashier; and Neva Jane Dust and Twyla Terven, assistant cashiers.

EL PASO TELEPHONE COMPANY – In the "gay nineties," many small telephone companies were started. The El Paso Telephone Company was also started in that era.

In 1895, Robert Earl Gordon, a young doctor came to live in this community. He called upon his patients riding a bicycle and later on horseback. His clientele came to solicit his services in a similar manner. This, he realized, was the slow way of treating the sick. In 1898, the doctor rented two double-box telephones from the Farr Construction Company of Chicago. He connected these from his office to his home with a single iron wire. Later, he hand-built a 25-line

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