First National Bank, Avoca, PA (Charter 8494)
First National Bank, Avoca, PA (Chartered 1907 - Closed (Merger) 1987)
Town History
Avoca is a borough within the Greater Pittston area of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. It is located 7.5 miles northeast of Wilkes Barre and 3.4 miles southwest of Scranton. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport borders Avoca to the east. The population was 2,501 at the time of the 2020 census. In 1910 the population was 4,684, peaking in 1920 at 4,950.
The community was incorporated as a borough in 1871. Its original name was "Pleasant Valley", and in 1887, it changed to "Avoca", because the name "Pleasant Valley" was already used elsewhere in Pennsylvania. It was named after Avoca, County Wicklow, Ireland.
Avoca had one National Bank chartered during the Bank Note Era, and it issued National Bank Notes.
Bank History
- Organized September 10, 1906
- Chartered January 2, 1907
- Opened for business January 9, 1907
- Bank was Open past 1935
- For Bank History after 1935 see FDIC Bank History website
- Merged into Northeastern Bank of Pennsylvania in Wilkes Barre, PA, November 30, 1987
In August 1906, the comptroller of the currency approved the application for a charter for the First National Bank of Avoca, a new organization. The applicants were John F. McLaughlin, J.H. Anderson, Edward Laird, Thomas McLaughlin, and M.J. Murphy, all residents of Avoca.[1] In October H.N. Weller was the new cashier of the First National Bank. For seven years he was assistant cashier of the Athens National Bank. Mr. Weller would assume his position in Avoca on December 1st.[2]
A charter was issued on January 2, 1907, for the First National Bank of Avoca, capital $50,000. John F. McLaughlin was president; W.H. Hollister, vice president; and H.N. Weller, cashier.[3] The new building was nearing completion and the officers expected to be in occupancy and prepared for business by the middle of February or at the latest by March 1st. There were 93 holders of the bank stock and a number of applicants for stock whose order could not be filled.[4] The new bank began business on April 1st with H.N. Weller, cashier and Andrew J. Druffner, teller. The building was of federal granite, 25X50 feet. The facade was of Grecian style with huge pillars manufactured at the Nicholson works. The inner work was heavily laid in quartered oak and the windows were curved plate glass. The building was beautifully illuminated and the chandeliers were an excellent selection of plain but durable work. The safe was installed by the Cleveland National Safe Company and was the latest fire- and burglar-proof design. The first depositor was Michael Gilhooley of Ansonia. The directors were J.F. McLaughlin, president; W.H. Hollister, vice president; Max Gross, secretary; M.J. Murphy, Edward Laird, E.L. Snyder, W.H. Berge, Thomas G. Brown, Thomas F. Walsh, Harry Friend, and J.H. Anderson.[5] The report of condition as of the close of business May 20, 1907, showed total resources of $156,721.01 with capital $50,000, surplus and profits $5,688.18, circulation $12,500, deposits $51,299.86, and savings deposits $37,232.97. The bank paid 3% on savings deposits.[6]
On February 9, 1939, John F. McLaughlin, Jr. was elected as president of the bank. On January 9, 1940, William G. Alexander of Avoca was elected cashier to succeed the late Mr. Weller. Mr. Alexander died April 27, 1946, was succeeded by John M. Snopkowski of Duryea, a native of Avoca. On April 1, 1947, the First National Bank of Avoca celebrated its 40th anniversary with a special dividend of $1.50 to mark the occasion. The formation of the bank began at a meeting of leading businessmen of Avoca, Dupont, Duryea and Moosic held December 26, 1905 in the store room of John H. Anderson, out of which came the establishment of the bank.[7]
In July 1958, the Northeastern Pennsylvania National Bank and Trust Company was proposed to be created by combining the Markle Banking and Trust Company of Hazleton with the Wilkes-Barre Deposit and Savings Bank and the First National Bank and Trust Company of Scranton.[8] The comptroller of the currency approved the new institution which came into existence on August 1, 1958, with Frank E. Hemelright as president.[9]
In January 1980, the directors were John D. Carroll, Charles A. Adonzio, Jr., Dr. L.C. Druffner, Jr., Thomas E. Llewellyn, Joseph X. Lakuta, Mrs. Alice M. McDonald, John R. Reap, Jr., and John M. Snopkowski. The officers were John M. Snopkowski, president & chairman of the board; John R. Reap and Andrew P. Magda, vice presidents; Wilbur H. Smith, cashier; Dorine J. Blackwell and Stephen J. Bryk, assistant cashiers.[10] Snopkowski, who rose from a clerk to head the financial institution, had been president since 1955, succeeding the late John F. McLaughlin, and would mark his 60th year with the bank later in the year. The bank moved into its beautiful new building across the street from the site which dated back to 1907. The latest report of the bank showed assets in excess of $26 million.[11]
In June 1987, David L. Tressler, chairman and chief executive officer of Northeastern Bank of Pennsylvania and John R. Reap, Jr., chairman of the board of the First National Bank of Avoca, announced an agreement to merge the Avoca bank into Northeastern, an affiliate of PNC Financial. Shareholders of the Avoca bank would receive 248 shares of PNC Financial common stock for each share of First National Bank of Avoca's common stock. Based on the closing price of PNC common stock, the transaction had a value of $14 million. ON March 31, 1987, the Avoca bank had assets that totaled in excess of $48 million. On that same date Northeastern bank's assets totaled more than $2 billion. The bank served the towns of Avoca, Dupont, Duryea, parts of Pittston, West Pittston, Moosic, Old Forge and Taylor. PNC was formed in 1983 with the consolidation of Pittsburgh National Corp. and Provident National Corp., Philadelphia. PNC operated approximately 350 community banking offices in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Indiana.[12]
Official Bank Title
1: The First National Bank of Avoca, PA
Bank Note Types Issued
A total of $1,595,500 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1907 and 1935. This consisted of a total of 196,634 notes (127,316 large size and 69,318 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 4x5 1 - 1200 1902 Red Seal 3x10-20 1 - 1235 1902 Date Back 4x5 1 - 5350 1902 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 3840 1902 Plain Back 4x5 5351 - 17187 1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 3841 - 12207 1929 Type 1 6x5 1 - 5260 1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 2776 1929 Type 1 6x20 1 - 850 1929 Type 2 5 1 - 9072 1929 Type 2 10 1 - 5466 1929 Type 2 20 1 - 1464
Bank Presidents and Cashiers
Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1907 - 1935):
Presidents:
Cashiers:
Other Known Bank Note Signers
- No other known bank note signers for this bank
Bank Note History Links
Sources
- Avoca, PA, 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
- ↑ Pittston Gazette, Pittston, PA, Thu., Aug. 9, 1906.
- ↑ The Tribune, Scranton, PA, Wed., Oct. 24, 1906.
- ↑ The Wall Street Journal, New York, NY, Tue., Jan. 8, 1907.
- ↑ Wilkes-Barre Times, Wilkes-Barre, PA, Fri., Jan. 18, 1907.
- ↑ The Scranton Truth, Scranton, PA, Mon., Apr. 1, 1907.
- ↑ The Times-Tribune, Scranton, PA, Sat., May 25, 1907.
- ↑ The Times-Tribune, Scranton, PA, Mon., Mar. 31, 1947.
- ↑ The Plain Speaker, Hazleton, PA, Wed., July 2, 1958.
- ↑ The Times-Tribune, Scranton, PA, Fri., Aug. 1, 1958.
- ↑ Sunday Dispatch, Pittston, PA Sun., Jan. 13, 1980.
- ↑ The Tribune, Scranton, PA, Wed., Jan. 23, 1980.
- ↑ The Times-Tribune, Scranton, PA, Fri., June 5, 1987.