Farmers National Bank, Myerstown, PA (Charter 9752)

This should be a contemporary postcard or photo of the bank. (Set Height x300px)

Farmers National Bank, Myerstown, PA (Chartered 1910 - Liquidated 1914)

Town History

Myerstown (Pennsylvania Dutch: Moyerschteddel) is a borough located in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. The population was 3,062 at the 2010 Census. It is home to over 100 businesses, including a Bayer HealthCare manufacturing plant, Farmer Boy Ag, Stoneridge Towne Centre and Wengers of Myerstown. The Evangelical Seminary is located on South College Street.

On December 24, 1757, 249 acres of land was deeded to Isaac Meier and wife Catherine, who built their house at the Hergelrode site on South College Street. As early as 1763 he began deeding out lots and planned to make a town which he called Tulpehocken Town, after the Tulpehocken Creek, which runs through the borough.

Meier was fatally shot by an unknown assassin on July 14, 1770, at the Henry Buch House on 40 West Main Street which was a tavern at that time. After his death the citizens of Tulpehocken Town began to call it Meier's Town after him.

Myerstown had two National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and both of those banks issued National Bank Notes.

Bank History

Organized Apr 6, 1910
Chartered May 9, 1910
Liquidated May 26, 1914

In February 1910, the application to organize a The Farmers National Bank of Myerstown with capital of $50,000 was approved. The applicants were Jonathan H. Yeiser, Aaron M. Vogt, Henry L. Corl, Salem T. Yost, and Ephraim Zug. In March 1910, Amos Hassler, cashier of the Intercourse National Bank was elected cashier of the Farmers National with duties to begin on June 1, 1910. The directors spent a day at York purchasing a fire and burglar proof vault, 50 private lock boxes and other bank equipment from the York Lock & Safe Company for use in the new bank. Work on remodeling the Sherk residence purchased by the bank was planned as soon as it was vacated and it was expected to be ready by June 1. It opened for business on the corner of Main Avenue and College Streets on August 10, 1910.

Stockholders held a meeting at the home of Dr. W.C. Kline and effected an organization by electing the following officers: Edwin H. Kurtz, president; Jonathan H. Yeiser, vice president, Dawson W. Light, secretary and solicitor; Amos Hassler, cashier. The directors were Edwin H. Kurtz, J.H. Yeiser, Dawson W. Light, Elias Gerhart, Dr. W.C. Kline, Henry L. Corl, Salem T. Yost, Ephraim Zug, and William Gettle.

In January 1913, no change was made in either directors or officers. The officers were: Edwin H. Kurtz, president; J.H. Yeiser, vice president; Dawson W. Light, solicitor; Ephraim Zug, Aaron Vogt, Dr. W.C. Kline, Henry L. Corl, Salem T. Yost, William R. Gettle, Elias H. Gerhart, A.H. Hunsicker, and S.B. Klinger, directors. The directors retained Amos Hassler, cashier, and Earl Bricker, teller.

On April 1, 1914, a state charter was issued to the Myerstown Trust Company. On May 26, 1914, the Farmers National Bank of Myerstown, was placed in voluntary liquidation. It was one of the two thriving banking institutions of the borough, and changed its name to the Myerstown Trust Company, having been incorporated as such under State laws. Under the able hands of Amos Hassler, the cashier, a large clientele among the farmers of the eastern part of the county became customers of the national bank. Hassler became treasurer of the new institution and the number of directors was increased to 15; the new members included N.P. Coldren, Newmanstown; Charles S. Peiffer, Stouchsburg, and Charles Z. Weiss, Avon. The capital was increased to $125,000 and as a Trust Company, additional transactions not permissible to national banks could be undertaken.

In March 1915, another bank defalcation startled the residents of Lebanon city. The Myerstown Trust Company suffered shortages of $8,372.81 due to Amos Hassler, the trusted treasurer of the institution. Charles E. Gebhard, a state bank examiner, made the discovery of the shortage. Hassler explained that it came about through an account overdue in a New York exchange, saying the deficiency would be righted in a day or two. Gebhard, however, kept his eye on the bank and found later that the shortage still existed, then quietly took the matter up with the New York clearing house. Hassler when confronted and without much persuasion confessed and afterwards was much relieved to have the matter off his mind. The trust company opened as usual with President Edwin Kurtz taking temporary charge as treasurer in Hassler's place. The institution held and American Surety Company bond on Hassler in the sum of $25,000 and thus would not lose a penny.

Official Bank Title(s)

1: The Farmers National Bank of Myerstown, PA

Bank Note Types Issued

1902 Date Back $5 bank note with pen signatures of Amos Hassler, Cashier and Edwin H. Kurtz, President.

A total of $170,700 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1910 and 1914. This consisted of a total of 20,628 notes (20,628 large size and No small size notes).

This bank issued the following Types and Denominations of bank notes:

Series/Type	Sheet/Denoms	Serial#s	Sheet Comments
1902 Date Back	4x5	1 - 2905
1902 Date Back	3x10-20	1 - 2252

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1910 - 1914):

Presidents:

Edwin H. Kurtz, 1910-1913

Cashiers:

Amos Hassler, 1910-1913

Other Bank Note Signers

There are currently no known Vice President or Assistant Cashier bank note signers for this bank.

Wiki Links

Sources

Myerstown, PA, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myerstown,_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 Wall Street Journal, New York, NY, Fri., Feb. 18, 1910.
The Morning Journal, Lancaster, PA, Sat., Mar. 12, 1910.
The Daily News, Lebanon, PA, Thu., Mar. 31, 1910.
Lebanon Courier and Semi-Weekly Report, Lebanon, PA, Fri., Apr. 15, 1910.
Semi-Weekly Report, Lebanon, PA, Fri., Jan. 17, 1913.
The Morning Journal, Lancaster, PA, Thu., Apr. 2, 1914.
Lebanon Daily News, Lebanon, PA, Thu., May 7, 1914.
The Daily News, Lebanon, PA, Fri., May 15, 1914.
Pittsburgh Daily Post, Pittsburgh, PA, Thu., June 18, 1914.
Lebanon Daily News, Lebanon, PA, Mon., Mar. 29, 1915.
The Daily News, Lebanon, PA, Sat., July 18, 1953.