Christiana National Bank, Christiana, PA (Charter 7078)
Christiana National Bank, Christiana, PA (Chartered 1903 - Open past 1935)
Town History
Christiana is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The population was 1,168 at the 2010 census. In 1900 the population was 823 and by 1930 it was 959. The present-day borough of Christiana was once known as "Nobleville". The present name is after Christiana Noble, the wife of a first settler.
On September 11, 1851, Christiana was the site of the Battle of Christiana (also called the Christiana Riot), in which the local residents defended with firearms a fugitive slave, killing the slaveowner. Southerners demanded the hanging of those responsible, who were accused of treason and making war on the United States, but after the first defendant was acquitted, the government dropped the case. The trial was the first nationally covered challenge to the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.
Christiana had two National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and both of those banks issued National Bank Notes.
Bank History
- Organized November 21, 1903
- Chartered December 29, 1903
- Opened for business January 4, 1904
- Bank was Open past 1935
- Merged with Lancaster County Farmers National Bank on October 27, 1964
On Saturday, November 7, 1903, stockholders of the National Bank of Christiana decided to go into liquidation and close the bank by January 12, 1904. When the decision was announced others saw it necessary to start a new bank as the closing would have left Christiana and vicinity without a home banking facility. Liquidation was necessary to settle the estate of the late Isaac W. Slokom who controlled the bank started by his father Samuel Slokom in 1882.
The stock subscribers to the new bank met Saturday afternoon in Firemen's Hall to elect directors and transact other necessary business for the opening of the institution. Capital was fixed at $60,000 all of which was expected to be paid in by the time the bank opened in January. The new institution planned to start business in the former quarters of the National Bank of Christiana. The following directors were chosen for the Christiana National Bank: James P. Marsh, Frank Reeser, Cyrus G. Barr, Howard Homsher, George Hastings, Joseph Cochran, Jacob H. Weaver, Alban Walton, Mahlon B. Kent, Edward G. Broomell, Maurice J. Brinton, Harry Davis, and Samuel Carter. M.B. Kent was elected president.
In December 1904, Roy H. Passmore, a school teacher of Gap, resigned to become teller in the Christiana National Bank to succeed Hoover McClure who resigned to take up business life.
In January 1905, the directors were M.B. Kent, E.G. Broomell, Harry Davis, Maurice J. Brinton, Samuel Carter, Plank Reeser, James P. Marsh, Alban Walton, H.N. Homsher, J.H. Weaver, George R. Hastings, Joseph S. Cochran, and Cyrus G. Barr. In April, a portion of the Fogle Building that the bank had bought was torn down for room to erect a banking house on the corner of Bridge Street and Slokom Avenue.
In January, 1906, the bank was nicely fixed in its new quarters. The same directors were reelected for another year.
In January 1938, the directors elected were S.W. Townsend, T.B. Jackson, H.N. Homsher, George D. Ferguson, Samuel J. Reeser, C.N. Groff, J. Chester Collins, and Mrs. Lydia R. Bushong.
The Comptroller of the Currency approved the merger of the Christiana National Bank with the Lancaster County Farmers National Bank effective at the close of business on Tuesday, October 27, 1964. Robert Y. Garrett Jr., president of the Lancaster County Farmers and Cyrus B. Ferguson, president of the Christiana National announced the merger plan was approved by the boards of the two institutions. Shareholders of the Christiana bank received 11 shares of the Lancaster County Farmers stock listed at $10 par for each share of their own listed at $100 par. The Christiana National became the Christiana Office of the Lancaster County Farmers National Bank and was the 12th office for the parent bank.
On January 6, 1970, Lancaster County Farmers National Bank, Reading Trust Company, and the National Bank & Trust Company of Central Pennsylvania announced that they were contesting a Justice Department antitrust suit intended to block their proposed consolidation into one bank. The bank had agreed to the consolidation into one bank to be known as the National Central Bank on September 3, 1968. the Comptroller of the Currency granted approval on Novermber 14, 1969 and on December 11 the Justice Department filed a civil suit alleging violation of Section Seven of the Clayton Act. The action automatically stopped the consolidation pending final disposition of the suit in the courts.
At the annual meeting of the shareholders of Lancaster County Farmers National Bank held in the main office, Tuesday, February 12, 202,239 shares representing 75.5 per cent of the total shares of stock outstanding were voted unanimously to re-elect the following directors: Roberts R. Appel, I.Z. Buckwalter, W. Douglas Darmstaetter, James C. Dunlap, Robert Y. Garrett Jr., Lester H. Herr, John F. Hinkle Sr., Henry F. Huth, William H. Mann, Carl Reynolds Sr., William J. Ryan, Arthur B. Sinkler, C. Abram Snyder, G. Theodore Storb, and Raymond F. Witmer. Officers elected were Lester H. Herr, chairman of the board and chairman of the executive committee, Robert Y. Garrett Jr., president and vice chairman of the executive committee, Charles L. VanDusen, executive vice president and secretary, John E. Barry, executive vice president and assistant secretary. Charles M. Rutter was renamed assistant vice president and cashier.
In September an accord was reached on the proposed merger. The terms required the sale of nine offices presently operated by the Lancaster County Farmers National Bank or National Bank & Trust Co. and imposed a 10-year ban against any other bank merger or acquisition in Dauphin, York or Lancaster Counties by the new institution without prior approval of the Attorney General.
On December 15, 1970, the Dauphin Deposit trust company absorbed four offices of the Lancaster County Farmers National Bank, namely the Hilton Inn Building and Wheatland Shopping Center, in Lancaster; in Columbia; and (Florin) Mount Joy. The Dauphin Deposit Trust Company, headquartered in Harrisburg, was in business for over 135 years. Approximately two weeks later the Lancaster County Farmers National Bank, Reading Trust Company, and the National Bank & Trust Company of Central Pennsylvania Merged into a new institution named National Central. National Central had 36 banking offices in Berks, Dauphin, Lancaster and York Counties.
Official Bank Title(s)
1: The Christiana National Bank, Christiana, PA
Bank Note Types Issued
A total of $1,256,290 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1903 and 1935. This consisted of a total of 100,975 notes (83,792 large size and 17,183 small size notes).
This bank issued the following Types and Denominations of bank notes:
Series/Type Sheet/Denoms Serial#s Sheet Comments 1902 Red Seal 3x10-20 1 - 3975 1902 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 5400 1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 5401 - 16973 1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 1776 1929 Type 1 6x20 1 - 502 1929 Type 2 10 1 - 2821 1929 Type 2 20 1 - 694
Bank Presidents and Cashiers
Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1903 - 1936):
Presidents:
Cashiers:
- Evan Lewis Ambler, 1904-1907
- Roy Hershey Passmore, 1908-1912
- Walter Augustus Gilbert, 1913-1919
- Thaddeus Birch Harry, 1920-1935
Other Bank Note Signers
- There are currently no known Vice President or Assistant Cashier bank note signers for this bank.
Wiki Links
- Pennsylvania Bank Note History
- General information on Christiana (Wikipedia)
- General information on Lancaster County (Wikipedia)
- General information on Pennsylvania (Wikipedia)
Sources
- Christiana, PA, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christiana,_Pennsylvania
- Don C. Kelly, National Bank Notes, A Guide with Prices. 6th Edition (Oxford, OH: The Paper Money Institute, 2008).
- Dean Oakes and John Hickman, Standard Catalog of National Bank Notes. 2nd Edition (Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 1990).
- Banks & Bankers Historical Database (1782-1935), https://spmc.org/bank-note-history-project
- The News-Journal, Lancaster, PA, Mon. Nov. 23, 1903.
- West Schuylkill Herald, Tower City, PA, Thu., Dec. 10, 1903.
- Lancaster New Era, Lancaster, PA, Tue., Dec. 27, 1904.
- The Inquirer, Lancaster, PA, Sat., Dec. 31, 1904.
- Lancaster New Era, Lancaster, PA, Tue., Jan. 10, 1905.
- The Semi-Weekly New Era, Lancaster, PA, Sat., Apr. 8, 1905.
- The Semi-Weekly New Era, Lancaster, PA, Sat., Jan. 6, 1906.
- Lancaster New Era, Lancaster, PA, Tue., Jan. 9, 1906.
- Lancaster New Era, Lancaster, PA, Tue., Jan. 11, 1938.
- Sunday News, Lancaster, PA, Sun., Oct. 25, 1964.
- Lancaster New Era, Lancaster, PA, Tue., Jan. 6, 1970.
- Lancaster New Era, Lancaster, PA, Wed., Feb. 11, 1970.
- The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, PA, Thu., Sep. 24, 1970.
- Intelligencer Journal, Lancaster, PA, Tue., Dec. 15, 1970.
- Lancaster New Era, Lancaster, PA, Tue., Dec. 29, 1970.