First National Bank, Kemmerer, WY (Charter 5480)
First National Bank, Kemmerer, WY (Chartered 1900 - Closed (Merger) 1989)
Town History
Kemmerer is the largest city in and the county seat of Lincoln County, Wyoming. Its population was 2,415 at the 2020 census. In 1910 the population was 843 growing to 2,026 by 1940. The J.C. Penney company store was founded in Kemmerer in 1902.
Explorer John C. Frémont discovered coal in the area during his second expedition in 1843. The Union Pacific Coal Company opened the first underground mine in 1881 after construction of the Oregon Short Line Railroad from Granger to Oregon.
Patrick J. Quealy (1857–1930) founded Kemmerer as an "independent town" in 1897 when he was vice-president of the Kemmerer Coal Company, located 6 miles south of the original townsite. He named the company and town after his financial backer, Pennsylvania coal magnate Mahlon S. Kemmerer (1843–1925). In 1950, the operation converted to strip mining and became the world's largest open pit coal mine. In 1980 the Kemmerer Coal Co. was sold to the Pittsburg & Midway Coal Company, now a subsidiary of the Westmorland Coal Company. The pit remains in operation with an annual output of about 5 million tons.
Quealy sold lots in the townsite rather than lease them, which permitted the establishment of independent businesses. The company's subsidiary, Frontier Supply Company, provided electricity by utilizing a used $1,150 generator acquired in Utah. Quealy immigrated from Ireland. In Wyoming, he and his wife became active in Democratic Party politics and in St. Patrick's Church, for which the company donated land.
Kemmerer had one National Bank chartered during the Bank Note Era, and it issued National Bank Notes.
Bank History
- Organized June 9, 1900
- Chartered July 2, 1900
- Bank was Open past 1935
- For Bank History after 1935 see FDIC Bank History website
- Merged into Key Bank of Wyoming, Jackson, WY, October 5, 1989
Patrick J. Quealy was the founding president of the First National Bank, established in 1900. The Kemmerer Savings Bank, founded in 1909, had as it president Asbury D. Hoskins, manager of the Blyth-Fargo-Hoskins Company, and Wyoming state treasurer in 1919.
On November 17, 1930, Patrick J. Quealy, Democratic National Committeeman and one of the most prominent businessmen in the state died at his home in Kemmerer after a short illness. Mr. Quealy was a pioneer resident of the state and founded the town of Kemmerer. Mr. Quealy came to Wyoming in 1886. He was a coal miner and prospered in that occupation. In 1897 he founded Kemmerer. At the time of his death his holdings included considerable land and livestock and he was president of the First National Bank of Kemmerer and vice president of the Denver Joint Stock Land Bank. Mr. Quealy was born in County Clare, Ireland, on March 17, 1851, and was brought to America when he was nine years old. In 1874 he graduated from the Gem City Business College in Quincy, Illinois. He left for the west coast and was general foreman of the Seattle Coal and Transportation Company from 1878 to 1880. He was then coal mine superintendent for the Union Pacific Railroad mines at Grass Creek, Utah. For two years he was in Montana where he organized the Rock Springs Coal Company in 1887. He declined the nominations for United States Senate and the House of Representatives. He succeeded John E. Osborne of Rawlins as Democratic National Committeeman during the Wilson administration. He was a trustee at the University of Wyoming and a member of the university board at the time of his death. Four sons and a widow survived him Mrs. Quealy was formerly of Omaha, Nebraska.
John L. Kemmerer, the son of the late M.S. Kemmerer who was Mr. Quealy's partner, was notified of the death. He left New York for Kemmerer immediately.
On August 20, 1931, more than $100,000 was en-route by air from Denver to assist the First National Bank of Kemmerer to meet a run which started after the close of the Kemmerer Savings Bank. The Kemmerer Savings Bank established 20 years ago had resources of $1,000,000. It closed upon the order of its board of directors and A.L. Putnam and O.L. Bertagnolli, state bank examiners were placed in charge. A.D. Hoskins, former state treasurer was president and E.L. Smith, cashier. Principal stockholders were the estate of the late P.J. Quealy, Kemmerer capitalist, and John L. Kemmerer of New York. On Thursday, September 18, John A. Reed, state bank examiner, reported the affairs of the Kemmerer Savings Bank would be handled by the First National Bank without any loss to depositors. Reed said the same financial interests were behind both banks and that all money on deposit in the savings bank at the time it closed would be paid back. A corporate trust was established to protect depositors after an investigation of the bank's livestock loans was completed. The bank had deposits of $750,000 when it closed.
On February 16, 1932, a report of the consolidation of the State bank of Cokeville with the First National Bank of Kemmerer was confirmed by John A. Reed, state bank examiner. The Kemmerer bank took over the business of the Cokeville institution and would pay the Cokeville depositors in full together with all interest. Directors of the Cokeville bank proposed the merger following a recent meeting. The First National Bank had previously shown its strength and ability to care for the people in Lincoln County by taking over the deposits of the former Kemmerer Savings Bank. For a short time an agent of the bank would maintain an office to assist the people of Cokeville in adjusting any business with the bank.
In August 1932, it was announced that John A. Reed, state bank examiner of Wyoming for the past four years, would become president of the First National Bank of Kemmerer on November 1st. Mr. Reed would succeed Mr. John L. Kemmerer who succeeded the late P.J. Quealy in the post. Mr. Kemmerer would remain as the chairman of the board of directors of the bank.
In 1933, the officers and directors were John L. Kemmerer, chairman; John A. Reed, president; Roy A. Mason, Mrs. Susan J. Quealy, and H.R. Christmas, vice president; J.W. Biggane, cashier; F.L. Fagnant, assistant cashier; and T.D. O'Neil and L.M. Pratt, directors. On October 13, 1933, Roy A. Mason announced his resignation as vice president after 33 years of service. He accepted a position with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) with headquarters in Cheyenne. The FDIC was adding to its force to ascertain qualifications of banks to accept the new bank guarantee law after the first of the year.
In 1946 the officers were J.A. Reed, president, H.R. Christmas, vice president; Susan J. Quealy, vice president; J.W. Biggane, cashier; Merl Case and V.J. Staudaher, assistant cashiers; and N.E. Frizzell, secretary. The directors were J.A. Reed, president; T.D. O'Neil, T.D. O'Neil Co., Inc., livestock; Patrick J. Quealy, attorney; J.W. Biggane, cashier; A.S. Miller, corporation executive; Susan J. Quealy, vice president; H.R. Christmas, district judge; Jas. Mickelson, livestock; and John L. Kemmerer, Jr., capitalist and US Army Major. The bank had resources of $5,032,697.42, capital stock $100,000, surplus and undivided profits $185,616.44 and deposits of over $4.7 million.
On December 31, 1976, the institutions name was changed to First Wyoming Bank, N.A. - Kemmerer.
Official Bank Title(s)
1: The First National Bank of Kemmerer, WY
Bank Note Types Issued
A total of $1,314,150 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1900 and 1935. This consisted of a total of 105,940 notes (84,288 large size and 21,652 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 3x10-20 1 - 1560 1882 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 3400 1882 Value Back 3x10-20 3401 - 7800 1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 1 - 11712 1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 2556 1929 Type 1 6x20 1 - 680 1929 Type 2 10 1 - 1913 1929 Type 2 20 1 - 323
Bank Presidents and Cashiers
Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1900 - 1935):
Presidents:
Cashiers:
Other Known Bank Note Signers
- No other known bank note signers for this bank
Bank Note History Links
Sources
- Kemmerer, WY, 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
- Casper Star-Tribune, Casper, WY, Mon., Nov. 17, 1930.
- Casper Star-Tribune, Casper, WY, Sun., Mar. 8, 1931.
- Casper Star-Tribune, Casper, WY, Thu., Aug. 20, 1931.
- Casper Star-Tribune, Casper, WY, Fri., Sep. 18, 1931.
- Casper Star-Tribune, Casper, WY, Tue., Feb. 16, 1932.
- Star Valley Independent, Afton, WY, Thu., Feb. 18, 1932.
- Casper Star-Tribune, Casper, WY, Sun., Aug. 28, 1932.
- Casper Star-Tribune, Casper, WY, Fri., Feb. 24, 1933.
- Casper Star-Tribune, Casper, WY, Fri., Oct. 13, 1933.
- Casper Star-Tribune, Casper, WY, Sun., Mar. 3, 1946