Thesis (M.A.)--B.Y.U. Dept. of Church History and Doctrine.

Thesis (M.A.)--B.Y.U. Dept. of Church History and Doctrine. / Electronic thesis. Also available in print ed.

Kelsey, Texas, was a flourishing Latter-day Saint colony for more than a quarter of a century, beginning at a time when the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was encouraging its converts to stay in the mission field. Kelsey was an attempt by the Church to provide Latter-day Saints from the southern states a safe haven from persecution which existed in the South, while leaving them in a geographic area in which they could be comfortable. The growth and success for many years of the Kelsey Academy was the result of an interesting partnership, not always tranquil, between the Church and the state of Texas. Although the academy is closed and the community is little more than a collection of dairy farms at present, Kelsey served a valuable role in building up the strength of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in East Texas.

The purpose of this thesis is to present a history of the founding, operations, services, and growth of the First State Bank of Gladewater,Texas, with special emphasis placed on the economic relationships between the bank and the community. The general problem in this thesis is to gather all the material and data pertaining to the organization, operation, and functions of the bank, with relation to the growth of the community and to present them in a readable coherent manner.