Farmers National Bank, Topeka, KS (Charter 10390)
Farmers National Bank, Topeka, KS (Chartered 1913 - Liquidated 1931)
Town History
Topeka is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeastern Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 126,587. In 1910 the population was 43,684, growing to 64,120 by 1930.
The city, laid out in 1854, was one of the Free-State towns founded by Eastern antislavery men immediately after the passage of the Kansas–Nebraska Bill. In 1857, Topeka was chartered as a city.
The name "Topeka" is a Kansa-Osage word that means "place where we dig potatoes", or "a good place to dig potatoes". As a placename, Topeka was first recorded in 1826 as the Kansa name for what is now called the Kansas River. Topeka's founders chose the name in 1855 because it "was novel, of Indian origin, and euphonious of sound". Mixed-heritage Kansa Native American Joseph James, called Jojim, is credited with suggesting Topeka's name.
In the 1840s, wagon trains made their way west from Independence, Missouri, on a journey of 2,000 miles, following what came to be known as the Oregon Trail. About 60 miles west of Kansas City, Missouri, three half-Kansas Indian sisters married to the French-Canadian Pappan brothers established a ferry service allowing travelers to cross the Kansas River at what is now Topeka. During the 1840s and into the 1850s, travelers could reliably find a way across the river, but little else was in the area.
In the early 1850s, traffic along the Oregon Trail was supplemented by trade on a new military road stretching from Fort Leavenworth through Topeka to the newly established Fort Riley. In 1854, after completion of the first cabin, nine men established the Topeka Town Association. The group included Cyrus K. Holliday, an "idea man", who became mayor of Topeka and founder of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad. Soon, steamboats were regularly docking at the Topeka landing, depositing meat, lumber, and flour and returning eastward with potatoes, corn, and wheat. By the late 1860s, Topeka had become a commercial hub that offered many Victorian era comforts.
Topeka had 11 National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and all 11 of those banks issued National Bank Notes.
Bank History
- Organized May 10, 1913
- Chartered May 14, 1913
- Liquidated September 3, 1931
- Absorbed by 12740 (National Bank, Topeka, KS)
In May 1913, Miss Elizabeth E. Smith, formerly bookkeeper of the Bank of Topeka, but now a teller in the Great Falls, Montana National Bank, accepted the position of bookkeeper in the Farmers National Bank of Topeka to be opened on May 15th. According to J.W. Thurston, president of the new bank, Miss Smith was thoroughly competent and he felt fortunate in securing her services.[3] On Thursday, May 15, 1913, the new Farmers National Bank of Topeka opened and exceeded expectations for deposits by over 50% of the most conservative estimate. J.W. Thurston who for 42 years had been connected with the Bank of Topeka was the president of the new bank and since its opening he had a constant crowd of friends from opening until closing time offering their good wishes and good will. A. Fassler, vice president, was a successful and well-known businessman and capitalist of Topeka for the past 25 years. H.G. West, the cashier, had been in the banking business for the past 16 years at Council Grove and Junction City. He was thoroughly familiar with all the details of banking and had a very genial personality. The directors were all well-known farmers and businessmen and included Armin Fassler, J.W. Thurston, H.G. West, C.B. Merriam, Elon S. Clark, Guilford Dudley, Paul Huycke, H.H. Wallace, O.C. Skinner, Arthur Capper, and H.A. Auerbach.[4] F.F. Clinger was the assistant cashier.[5]
In October 1920, A.S. Blair purchased the interests of J.C. Hopper, former state legislator, in the Central State Bank of Hutchinson, becoming the bank's president. Blair was the vice president of the Farmers National Bank of Topeka. It was stated that Blair would control a majority of the stock of the bank which was capitalized at $500,000 making it one of the big banks of the western Kansas wheat belt. J.C. Hopper became president of the Hutchinson bank and was a former member of the state legislature having served from Ness County. He was for many years engaged in the banking business in Ness City and was regarded as one of the foremost irrigation promoters in the state. Blair was formerly engaged in the banking business in Junction City and before coming to Topeka was president and principal stockholder in the Commercial State Bank of Abilene.[6]
In October 1921, C.C. Scoville of Seneca, Kansas, purchased the interest of H.G. West in the Farmers National Bank of Topeka, and would move to Topeka with his family. West said that he had made no definite plans for the future, but that he probably would not continue as president of the institution. West organized the bank in 1913, taking the presidency in 1918 and to him in great measure was due the growth and strength of the institution. He began his career in the Cloud County Bank at Concordia in 1898, working up from the bottom to the position of assistant cashier. He then went to Junction City, where he organized the Home State Bank, becoming cashier, coming to Topeka in 1913. Scoville had been president of the Citizens' State Bank at Seneca since its organization in 1888.[7] On Wednesday, November 23, 1921, the Farmers National Bank of Topeka was under new management when it opened its doors. The deal started some weeks ago by C.C.K. Scoville of Seneca, and Walter E. Wilson, former state bank commissioner, to acquire a majority of the stock, was consummated yesterday. The board of directors met the previous night and H.G. West resigned as president. Mr. Wilson was elected as managing officer for the present. There were no changes in the directors nor working force. Mr. Scoville who recently sold his banking interests at Seneca to locate in Topeka, was unable to attend the meeting. He was at Mount Clemens, Michigan, for his health and would come as soon as his health permitted. The Farmers National bank was organized about ten years ago by J.W. Thurston, for many years cashier of the Bank of Topeka, and H. G. West. Mr. Thurston was its first president, and Mr. West its first cashier. Later Mr. Thurston sold his stock and went East to live. Mr. West succeeded, him as president and had been at the helm ever since. Mr. Wilson was well-known in banking circles. He had operated a bank at Washington, Kansas, for many years. Governor Capper appointed him state bank commissioner, a position he held for four years. He was associated with the Kansas Reserve State Bank and its affiliated companies for some time, but had sold his interests in them and would devote his entire time to the Farmers National Bank.[8]
In January 1922, F.F. Clinger, until recently cashier of the Farmers National Bank was elected assistant cashier of the Central National Bank at the regular meeting of the directors. He joined J.R. Burrow, president; J.R. Burrow, Jr., vice president; E.E. Ames, vice president and chairman of the board; George A. Guild, vice president; J.D. Mossman, cashier; Edith L. Price, Herbert Guild, C.E. Miller, R.W. Maneval, and H.B. Atwell, assistant cashiers.[9]
In January 1922 the officers of the Farmers National Bank were Walter L. Payne, president and former state treasurer; Walter E. Wilson, chairman of the board and former bank commissioner; Guilford Dudley, vice president and president, McCleery-Dudley Co.; J.E. Yingling, vice president and farmer; G.W. Shimeall, cashier; Hugh A. Smith, assistant cashier. The directors included United States Senator Arthur Capper; H.A. Auerback, Auerbach & Guettel; C.B. Merriam, investment banker; H.H. Wallace, retired farmer; F.W. Durein, capitalist; R.S. Hendricks, capitalist; Geo. W. Stansfield, druggist; and Wm. Jacobs, Jr., secretary and treasurer, Emahizer-Spielman Furniture Co. The bank was located on Seventh and Kansas Avenue and its motto was "The Bank Where You Feel at Home."[10]
Arthur Capper was known throughout the United States as a statesman and a newspaper man. He was a United States Senator (1919-1949) and put his best efforts into all agricultural problems arising in the senate. He also published a chain of the leading agricultural publications in the country. Mr. Capper was born in Garnett, Kansas, July 14, 1865, and graduated from the Garnett High School. In 1884 he began working for the Topeka Daily Capital and was a reporter, city editor, and Washington correspondent for that paper. In 1892 he became publisher and editor. He then established Capper Publications, a nationally known publication that included Capper's Farmer, Household Magazine, Farmer's Mail and Breeze, The Ohio Farmer, The Michigan Farmer, The Pennsylvania Farmer and The Missouri Ruralist. He was a director of the Farmers National Bank of Topeka and president of the board of regents of the Kansas Agricultural College. In 1911 Mr. Capper first appeared on the scene of Kansas politics when he was a candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor of Kansas. He was unsuccessful, but in 1915 his ambition was realized and he was elected Governor of his state and served as chief executive from 1915 to 1919.[11]
Official Bank Title
1: The Farmers National Bank of Topeka, KS
Bank Note Types Issued
A total of $1,005,650 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1913 and 1931. This consisted of a total of 80,842 notes (69,388 large size and 11,454 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 3x10-20 1 - 3800 1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 3801 - 17347 1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 1513 1929 Type 1 6x20 1 - 396
Bank Presidents and Cashiers
Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1913 - 1931):
Presidents:
- John Winthrop Thurston, 1913-1917
- Herbert G. West, 1918-1921
- Walter Levi Payne, 1922-1925
- George W. "Pop" Stansfield, 1925-1930
Cashiers:
- Herbert G. West, 1913-1917
- Frank Fernley Clinger, 1918-1921
- Glen Woodward Shimeall, 1922-1923
- Hugh A. Smith, 1924-1930
Other Known Bank Note Signers
- No other known bank note signers for this bank
Bank Note History Links
Sources
- Topeka, KS, on Wikipedia
- 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 Topeka Daily Capital, Topeka, KS, Sun., Jan. 15, 1922.
- ↑ The Topeka Daily Capital, Topeka, KS, Sun., June 13, 1920.
- ↑ The Topeka Daily Capital, Topeka, KS, Thu., May 8, 1913.
- ↑ The Topeka Daily Capital, Topeka, KS, Sun., May 18, 1913.
- ↑ The Topeka Daily Capital, Topeka, KS, Sun., Oct. 26, 1913.
- ↑ The Topeka State Journal, Topeka, KS, Wed., Oct. 13, 1920.
- ↑ The Topeka State Journal, Topeka, KS, Sat., Oct. 8, 1921.
- ↑ The Topeka Daily Capital, Topeka, KS, Wed., Nov. 23, 1921.
- ↑ The Topeka State Journal, Topeka, KS, Fri., Jan. 13, 1922.
- ↑ The Topeka Daily Capital, Topeka, KS, Sun., Jan. 15, 1922.
- ↑ St. Joseph News-Press, St. Joseph, MO, Tue., July 14, 1931.