Bank of Hazlehurst has long been a cornerstone of growth and progress for Jeff Davis County. It is one of the oldest businesses in Hazlehurst, as it was chartered in 1906. Its original location was at the corner of Tallahassee and Latimer Streets. The bank was operated under Whitman Plan, which was the method of banking in the early part of the century.

In the bank's early days, Hazlehurst was small. During its horse and buggy days, it had no paved streets. There were a few wooden sidewalks but no electricity. Oil lamps were the common form of lighting, and there was no sewage system for the town. As time passed, Hazlehurst grew and so did Bank of Hazlehurst.

In 1913, Colonel John Rogers joined the organization as an attorney. At that time, the cashier was making a monthly salary of $85.00 while the bookkeeper's salary was $65.00. During this period, all bookkeeping for the bank was done manually.

During the latter part of the 1920's and during most of the 1930's the United States felt the effects of the Great Depression, and the bank struggled to remain open. John Rogers took over the full operations of the bank to help the bank survive during this time. During his early years as head of the bank, he did not draw a salary. He contributed his time and efforts to make the bank successful. With the help of local citizens, the bank grew in spite of the Great Depression.

From the location at the corner of Tallahassee and Latimer Streets, Bank of Hazlehurst moved to the building once occupied by Jeff Davis Pharmacy. In 1946, Charles Rogers, John's son, became president after having returned from serving five years in the United States Marine Corp during World War II. In the same year, the bank moved to the corner of Tallahassee Street, which is now the new downtown shopping center.

Mary Walker, a bank employee for over fifty years, fondly remembers the early years. "When I started in 1943, we were up on the corner where Hardie's Drug Store used to be. There were four employees and no bathrooms." Other employees were hired in 1947, including Florrie Sellers, Jeanette Bush, and Eunice Johnson. In 1959, W. G. Ellis was employed by the bank.

The bank and town continued to grow and it became necessary to build a larger building to handle the higher volume of business. The present building is located at the corner of Tallahassee Street and West Odum Street. It was built on a site where there had only been a saw dust pile.

In 1969, Colonel John Rogers died. He only served three months in the new location. It would also be the year the Charles Rogers would become full owner of the bank. Under his direction of providing up-to-date information to his customers, as well as keeping up with a fast changing society, it became necessary to add an in-house computer system. The bank was one of the smallest businesses in Hazlehurst to have its own complete computer system at the time.

In 1983, W. Luther Taylor was named president and CEO of Bank of Hazlehurst. Under his leadership, the bank opened another branch on South Tallahassee Street to better serve our community.

In August of 1991, Jack C. Floyd was named President and CEO, and continues today as Vice-Chairman and CEO. Under his leadership, the bank has had continuous growth and continues to offer even more products and services.