First National Bank, Ellsworth, KS (Charter 3249)

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1882 Brown Back $20 proof
1882 Brown Back $20 proof, approved September 24, 1884. Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution Archives.

First National Bank, Ellsworth, KS (Chartered 1884 - Receivership 1891)

Town History

Ellsworth is a city in and the county seat of Ellsworth County, Kansas. Known as a cow town in the 1870s, when the Kansas Pacific Railroad operated a stockyard here for shipping cattle to eastern markets, in the 21st century, it serves as the trading center of the rural county. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 3,066. In 1880 the population was 929, growing to 2,072 by 1930.

Once called "The Wickedest Cattletown in Kansas", the city is named for Fort Ellsworth, which was built in 1864. Due to speculation on imminent railroad construction, the population of Ellsworth boomed to over two thousand by the time it was incorporated in 1867. It has since been said, "Abilene, the first, Dodge City, the last, but Ellsworth the wickedest".

Ellsworth was a bustling cattle town for a time during the late 1860s, when the Kansas Pacific Railroad had a stop and stockyards there. Cattle were driven up from Texas to this point and then shipped to major markets. Often cowboys had the run of the town. In 1875 Kansas Pacific closed its cattle pens, moving to another location. The cattle trade dwindled to almost nothing by the mid-1880s.

Wild Bill Hickok ran for Ellsworth County Sheriff in 1868, but was defeated by veteran Union Army soldier E.W. Kingsbury. Lawman Wyatt Earp claimed to have served in Ellsworth for a short time. He also later claimed to have arrested gunman Ben Thompson there. But Thompson was arrested by Deputy Ed Hogue after his brother Billy Thompson accidentally shot and killed Ellsworth County Sheriff Chauncey Whitney in 1873. Billy Thompson fled, fearing that he would be lynched for the death of the popular sheriff. Thompson was eventually captured and put on trial, but was acquitted in the shooting.

In 1888, the Kansas Midland Railway Company built between Wichita and Ellsworth. The line was purchased in 1900 by the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway (the "Frisco").

Ellsworth had two National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, The First National Bank (Charter 3249) and The Central National Bank, (Charter 3447), and both of those banks issued National Bank Notes.

Bank History

An 1873 advertisement for D.W. Powers & Co., Bankers
An 1873 advertisement for D.W. Powers & Co., Bankers of Ellsworth, Kansas.[1]
  • Organized September 4, 1884
  • Chartered September 11, 1884
  • Succeeded The Powers Bank
  • Receivership February 11, 1891

In February 1870, Powers & Co., Salina, Kansas, announced its entrance to the general merchandizing and cattle trading business, the latter also included necessary banking accommodations. The new firm had D.W. Powers as the senior partner, a giant in the cattle trade while his juniors, Powers and J. Lubbers, were both enterprising young men. J. Lubbers until lately was the accomplished bookkeeper of Newman & Co.'s Bank, known in Leavenworth as a correct accountant and polished businessman. Salina was congratulated on the acquisition of this firm, expecting much improved business through the efforts of Powers & Co., merchants, traders and bankers.[2]

In February 1873, D.W. Powers, J.W. Powers, and D.B. Powers operated D.W. Powers & Co., bankers of Salina, Kansas.[3] In March they came up to Ellsworth from Salina to look at the town.[4] In April J.W. Powers rented a part of Nunamaker's jewelry store for Powers' Bank which would move to Ellsworth the first of May.[5]

In February 1883, the officers of the Powers Bank were E.A. Powers, president; I.W. Phelps, vice president; J.W. Powers, cashier; and W.F. Thompkins, assistant cashier. The directors were E.A. Powers, I.W. Phelps, J.W. Powers, W.F. Tompkins, M. Gray, John L. Bell, and D.B. Long.[6]

In June 1884, J.W. Powers decided to retire as president of the Powers Bank. I.W. Phelps, the vice president, was advanced to president with W.F. Tompkins, secretary.[7] On September 11, 1884, The First National Bank of Ellsworth received its charter succeeding The Powers Bank.

On September 11, 1884, John S. Langworthy, deputy and acting comptroller of the currency, authorized The First National Bank of Ellsworth to commence the business of banking.[8] The Powers Bank which came to Ellsworth from Salina in 1873 and had been one of the most prominent and reliable institutions of Ellsworth County would be known no more to the business world, its place under the same managing officer having been taken by the First National Bank. With I.W. Phelps as president; M. Gray as vice president; and W.F. Tompkins as cashier and business manager; and with Joe. L. Powers as the assistant cashier, their well-known cautious and successful financiering experience firmly captured the confidence of the patrons of the old Powers Bank.[9] In October the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr. M. Gray was filled by A.N. McLennan as vice president and M.B. Powers as director.[10] The directorate was then composed of I.W. Phelps, J.H. Clark, W.F. Tompkins, A.N. McLennan, M.S. Powers, D.B. Long, and M.B. Powers.

On Tuesday, January 12, 1886, the shareholders elected the following directors: I.W. Phelps, A.N. McLennan, W.F. Tompkins, J.H. Clark, J.A. Wiggin, J.H. Yingst, and W.Z. Smith. The directors elected the following officers: I.W. Phelps, president; A.N. McLennan, vice president; W.F. Thompkins, cashier. The bank was located on Douglas Avenue.[11]

In January 1889, the directors were C. Jackson, J.H. Clark, W.F. Tompkins, A.N. McLennan, J.S. Conway, O.N. Hull, and W.Z. Smith. The officers were A.N. McLennan, president; J.H. Clark, vice president; W.F. Tompkins, cashier; and T.W. Hail, assistant cashier. The bank had authorized capital of $100,000 and paid-in capital $50,000. The Ellsworth bank was established in 1870 and incorporated in 1882.[12]

In January 1891, the directors were C. Jackson, J.H. Clark, W.F. Tompkins, A.N. McLennan, J.S. Conway, and W.Z. Smith. The officers were J.H. Clark, president; C. Jackson, vice president; W.F. Tompkins, cashier; and T.W. Hail, assistant cashier.[13] On January 30, 1891, the First National Bank of Ellsworth was compelled to close its doors.[14] In December the comptroller of the currency made an assessment of 100% on the shareholders of the City National Bank of Hastings, Nebraska, and an assessment of 76% on the shareholders of the First National Bank of Ellsworth, Kansas.[15]

Official Bank Title

1: The First National Bank of Ellsworth, KS

Bank Note Types Issued

1882 Brown Back $5 proof
1882 Brown Back $5 proof, approved September 24, 1884. Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution Archives.

A total of $26,390 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1884 and 1891. This consisted of a total of 3,352 notes (3,352 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
1882 Brown Back 4x5 1 - 517
1882 Brown Back 3x10-20 1 - 321

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1884 - 1891):

Presidents:

Cashiers:

Other Known Bank Note Signers

  • No other known bank note signers for this bank

Bank Note History Links

Sources

  • Ellsworth, 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
  1. ↑ Ellsworth Reporter, Ellsworth, KS, Thu., May 15, 1873.
  2. ↑ The Leavenworth Times, Leavenworth, KS, Tue., Feb. 15, 1870.
  3. ↑ Ellsworth Reporter, Ellsworth, KS, Thu., Feb. 6, 1873.
  4. ↑ Ellsworth Reporter, Ellsworth, KS, Thu., Mar. 13, 1873.
  5. ↑ Ellsworth Reporter, Ellsworth, KS, Thu., Apr. 17, 1873.
  6. ↑ Ellsworth Reporter, Ellsworth, KS, Thu., Feb. 15, 1883.
  7. ↑ Ellsworth Reporter, Ellsworth, KS, Thu., June 19, 1884.
  8. ↑ Ellsworth Reporter, Ellsworth, KS, Thu., Oct. 9, 1884.
  9. ↑ Ellsworth Messenger, Ellsworth, KS, Wed., Sep. 17, 1884.
  10. ↑ Ellsworth Reporter, Ellsworth, KS, Thu., Oct. 9, 1884.
  11. ↑ Ellsworth Reporter, Ellsworth, KS, Thu., Jan. 14, 1886.
  12. ↑ Ellsworth Reporter, Ellsworth, KS, Thu., Jan. 10, 1889.
  13. ↑ Ellsworth Messenger, Ellsworth, KS, Thu., Jan. 22, 1891.
  14. ↑ The Ellis Review-Headlight, Ellis, KS, Fri., Jan. 30, 1891.
  15. ↑ The Advance, Morganville, KS, Sat., Dec. 26, 1891.
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