First National Bank, Lehighton, PA (Charter 2308)

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The old First National Bank of Lehighton, Pennsylvania, ca2023, located at 201 N. 1st Street. The bank was acquired by the Hazleton National Bank in 1942 and operated as the Lehighton Office until a new building was constructed in 1969.
The old First National Bank of Lehighton, Pennsylvania, ca2023, located at 201 N. 1st Street. The bank was acquired by the Hazleton National Bank in 1942 and operated as the Lehighton Office until a new building was constructed in 1969. Courtesy of Google Maps

First National Bank, Lehighton, PA (Chartered 1875 - Open past 1935)

Town History

Lehighton (/liˈhaɪtən/) is a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania. It is located 28.9 miles northwest of Allentown and 77.5 miles northwest of Philadelphia. Due in part to water power from the Lehigh River, Lehighton was an early center for U.S. industrialization. Lehighton had silk and lace mills, a meat-packing house, shirt factory, automatic-press works, car shops, stoneworks, and foundries. The Lehigh Valley Railroad was for years a major employer up until the post-World War II era when railroad and industry restructuring led to job and population losses.

As of the 2020 U.S. census, Lehighton's population was 5,248, down from a peak population of 7,000 in 1940. Lehighton is the most populous borough in Carbon County and still the county's business hub. The Lehigh River, a 109-mile-long tributary of the Delaware River, flows through Lehighton.

Lehighton had two National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, the Citizens National Bank (Charter 6531) and the First National Bank (Charter 2308), and both of those banks issued National Bank Notes.

Bank History

  • Organized October 23, 1875
  • Chartered November 3, 1875
  • Bank was Open past 1935

In January 1911, at the annual election for directors, Morris T. Trexler was elected to succeed Harry Peters, resigned. The other members of the board were re-elected as follows: J.G. Zern, H.L. Straub, John Seaboldt, William E. Ash, W.D. Weaver, Reuben E. Miller, George E. Gray, and John S. Lentz.

In December 1919, the directors elected Dr. J.G. Zern president to fill the vacancy caused by the death of John Seaboldt. Frank Obert was elected vice president. Dr. Zern was the oldest director in point of service. He was the secretary of the Lehigh Valley Railroad surgeons and was the first president of the Carbon County Medical Society.

In July 1929, the officers were Geo. D. Kresge, president; Frank J. Obert, vice president; Chas. F. Bretney, cashier; and Lewis S. Kemmerer, assistant cashier. The bank had capital of $125,000, surplus and undivided profits $286,792.91, and total resources of 2,500,800.57.

On Tuesday, January 14, 1941, stockholders elected the following directors: George D. Kresge, F.J. Obert, G.F. Rehrig, Dr. J.J. Humphries, Mahlon M. Kistler, W.D. Swartz, and Dr. J.A. Trexler.

In July 1942, the First National Bank and Citizens National Bank of Lehighton were acquired by the Hazleton National Bank (Charter 4204) and became the Lehighton office of the Hazleton National Bank. Mr. Charles F. Bretney was in charge of the Lehighton branch of the Hazleton National with the position of assistant cashier with Harold M. Griest as assistant cashier. Mr. Bretney started in banking in 1899, serving in Weatherly and New Tripoli as well as Lehighton. In 1915 he became cashier of the First National Bank, holding that position until August 1st when the First National and the Citizens National Bank were merged with the Hazleton National Bank.

Business was conducted in the quarters of the First National Bank, the building having been purchased by the Hazleton National. All safe deposit box holders at the First National would remain the same and the safety boxes of the closed Citizens National were transferred to the First National for the convenience of the owners. The officers of the Hazleton National Bank were C. Marvin Pardee, president; James F. Koch, vice president & trust officer; John H. Wettstine and B.F. Morse, vice presidents; Robert S. Gicking, cashier; Herman J. Swettman, assistant cashier; James H. Powers, Jr., and Arnold Krause, assistant trust officers. The directors were Karl Baberadt, Dr. John R. Dyson, Elmer J. Geissler, Atty. Edward J. Gormley, Harry Pardee Keller, James F. Koch, Geo. B. Markle, Jr., Benjamin F. Morse, William Lauderbach Morse, Charles Marvin Pardee, Frank Pardee, Jr., and John Wettstine.

Continued growth in Lehighton made the building at 147 N. First Street obsolete. On November 15, 1969, the bank moved to its present location in a newly constructed office at 120 N. First Street.

Official Bank Title(s)

1: The First National Bank of Lehighton, PA

Bank Note Types Issued

Series of 1875 $5 bank note with pen signatures of W.W. Bowman, Cashier and Daniel Olewine, President
Series of 1875 $5 bank note with pen signatures of W.W. Bowman, Cashier and Daniel Olewine, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com
1882 Date Back $5 bank note with stamped signatures of Henry J. Bretney, Cashier and John Seaboldt, President.
1882 Date Back $5 bank note with stamped signatures of Henry J. Bretney, Cashier and John Seaboldt, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com
1902 Plain Back $5 bank note with printed signatures of Charles F. Bretney, Cashier and John Seaboldt, President
1902 Plain Back $5 bank note with printed signatures of Charles F. Bretney, Cashier and John Seaboldt, President. Courtesy of Lyn Knight Auctions, www.lynknight.com
1929 Type 2 $10 bank note with printed signatures of Henry J. Bretney, Cashier and George D. Kresge, President
1929 Type 2 $10 bank note with printed signatures of Henry J. Bretney, Cashier and George D. Kresge, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

A total of $1,522,120 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1875 and 1935. This consisted of a total of 213,644 notes (174,100 large size and 39,544 small size notes).

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

Series/Type Sheet/Denoms Serial#s Sheet Comments
Series 1875 4x5 1 - 14784
1882 Brown Back 4x5 1 - 4365
1882 Brown Back 3x10-20 1 - 2154
1882 Date Back 4x5 1 - 4281
1882 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 2889
1902 Plain Back 4x5 1 - 8945
1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 1 - 6107
1929 Type 1 6x5 1 - 2748
1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 1714
1929 Type 1 6x20 1 - 442
1929 Type 2 5 1 - 5996
1929 Type 2 10 1 - 3366
1929 Type 2 20 1 - 758

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1875 - 1935):

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1875 - 1935):

Presidents:

Cashiers:

Other Known Bank Note Signers

  • No other known bank note signers for this bank

Bank Note History Links

Sources

  • Lehighton, 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
  • The Allentown Democrat, Allentown, PA, Thu., Jan. 12, 1911.
  • The Morning Call, Allentown, PA, Mon., Dec. 15, 1919.
  • The Morning Call, Allentown, PA, Sat., July 20, 1929.
  • The Morning Call, Allentown, PA, Wed., Jan. 15, 1941.
  • The Morning Call, Allentown, PA, Wed., Oct. 7, 1942.
  • Standard-Speaker, Hazleton, PA, Mon., Aug. 3, 1942.
  • Standard-Speaker, Hazleton, PA, Thu., Sep. 21, 1989.
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