Our Arklahoma Heritage: Eufaula bank founder's life reads like a retelling of a Paul Harvey radio broadcast

In the early days of Oklahoma’s statehood, when ambition met frontier grit,  emerged as one of Eufaula’s most influential figures. A man of vision and resolve, Foley helped shape the town’s civic and financial foundations—--and narrowly escaped one of history’s greatest tragedies.

Born in Iowa in 1854, Foley was the son of Irish immigrants who instilled in him a strong work ethic and a sense of purpose. In 1881, he moved with his father to Muskogee, Indian Territory, leaving his mother behind until they could settle. She later joined them but passed away soon after, and was buried in Eufaula--a town that would become synonymous with the Foley name.

As a young man, Foley worked as a store clerk in Muskogee before relocating to Eufaula, where he became the first licensed white trader in the area. At the time, Eufaula was a modest settlement with only a handful of stores and a single druggist. Foley’s early business ventures laid the groundwork for his future success.

Foley’s entrepreneurial spirit led him to invest in real estate and infrastructure. He built a hotel, helped establish the town’s first telephone line, and played a key role in developing trade routes along the old Kansas and Texas trail. His efforts earned him the nickname “EuFoley” among locals—a nod to his outsized influence.

In 1898, Foley founded the First National Bank of Eufaula, a bold move that cemented his status as a financial leader. The bank became a cornerstone of the town’s economy, issuing currency and supporting local development. Foley’s wealth grew through a combination of land investments, banking, and civic leadership.

He was also a passionate advocate for statehood, lobbying in Washington, D.C., for the creation of a separate Sequoyah State for Indian Territory. Though the effort failed, Foley’s commitment to the cause was commemorated in a $5 bank note dated November 16, 1907—the day Oklahoma officially became a state. That note, issued by his own bank, became a personal keepsake.

By 1911, Foley had taken his family abroad for a year long European tour. His son, Arthur Foley, was just two years old. The trip was meant to be both business and pleasure—a chance to explore Europe before returning to the Oklahoma plains.

Foley booked passage home aboard a new luxury liner departing from Southampton in April 1912. His luggage was loaded. His plans were set. Arthur was to sail with him.

But on the day of departure, Arthur suffered a sudden appendicitis attack. Foley stayed behind for the emergency surgery. The ship sailed without them.

It was the RMS Titanic.

Days later, the world learned of the disaster. Over 1,500 lives were lost when the ship struck an iceberg and sank in the North Atlantic. Foley never spoke publicly about the incident, and the fate of his ticket remains a mystery.

Some say he gave it away--perhaps to a friend or associate who perished in his place. Others believe he sold it or canceled it, though his luggage remained aboard. In 2003, during the Oklahoma City showing of Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, crews displayed a $5 bank note issued by Foley’s bank, dated with Oklahoma’s statehood. It was found among Titanic artifacts--almost certainly his.

Arthur’s emergency not only saved his life and his father’s--it altered the course of their family’s legacy. The Foleys returned to the U.S. later that year aboard the RMS Lusitania, which would itself be sunk by a German U-boat in 1915.

C.E. Foley continued his work in Eufaula, never seeking attention for the tragedy he avoided. He died in 1944, leaving behind a town shaped by his vision, a bank built on his ambition, and a story that history nearly forgot.

Though he spent much of his life shaping Eufaula, Foley was laid to rest far from the town he helped build.

He is buried in Olney Cemetery, located in Pendleton, Umatilla County, Oregon. The reasons for his burial in Oregon remain unclear--perhaps due to family relocation, personal wishes, or connections made later in life.

His grave is modest, but the legacy he left behind is anything but. From Iowa roots to Oklahoma statehood, from banking halls to the Titanic’s shadow, Foley’s story is one of nearly forgotten historical significance.

And now you truly know… the rest of the story.