Banking in the early days of Tipton was reliably done but was without the protection provided by armored delivery trucks, which are used today. An article in The Tipton Times of Nov.16, 1893 told this story:

W.S. Stephens, the popular cashier of the Central National Bank of Boonville passed through town Friday accompanied by his two little daughters, Misses Margaret and Riley, going to St. Louis. Mr. Stephens' luggage was somewhat out of the ordinary, consisting of 25,000 silver dollars in gunny sacks, marked "Old Iron."

While awaiting the eastbound train, this money was wheeled to over the Bank of Tipton and dumped into its vaults, and on the arrival of the train was unceremoniously piled on the floor at the end of the smoker. Mr. Stephens was accompanied by a faithful colored man as a guard and landed the money in St. Louis without incident, except that a few passengers who stumbled over the sacks roundly cursed the railroad company for allowing its cars to be lumbered up in such a manner with junk.