Tom Layden

Forney Herald
Friday, 14 April 1939

Tom Layden was the fourth president of The Farmers National Bank of Forney and served the institution as its presiding officer the greatest numbers of years up until that time. Mr. Layden became president of the National Bank of Forney in 1897 and served in that capacity until the expiration of the bank charter, March 31, 1909, when the National Bank of Forney went into voluntary liquidation. Five days before this, he was chosen president of the newly chartered Farmers National.

Born in Ireland about 1840, Mr. Layden came to America and settled in Kaufman County in 1872, marrying one of the belles of the county in 1879, Miss Mary Talty. To this union were born nine children, one of whom, M.M. Layden (Martin) is now a director. Becoming one of the biggest land owners in Kaufman County, Mr. Tom Layden, a member of St. Martin’s Church at Talty, donated the land for St. Martin’s church in 1891. He was a progressive farmer, a prosperous black land hay dealer, and one of the most enterprising and progressive citizens of Forney. He was active in civic and financial circles up to the time of his death in 1925.