First National Bank, Ligonier, PA (Charter 6281)

Needed: a contemporary postcard or photo of the bank.

First National Bank, Ligonier, PA (Chartered 1902 - Liquidated 1930)

Town History

Ligonier is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. The population was 1,573 at the 2010 census. Ligonier was settled in the 1760s. The borough is well known for nearby Idlewild Park (est. 1878), one of the oldest amusement parks in the country, and nearby Seven Springs Mountain Resort.

In 1758, when British forces launched a major campaign to remove French forces from the forks of the Ohio, now Pittsburgh, this spot on Loyalhanna Creek was the site of their westernmost camp before reaching the Ohio. The British maintained a large army, a virtual moving city of 6,000 people, that temporarily made Ligonier the second-most populated spot in Pennsylvania, second only to Philadelphia. Fort Ligonier was named after John Ligonier, a British noble of French origin who held the rank of Field Marshal in the British Army. Eventually, the name of the settlement that grew up around the fort was shortened to Ligonier.

In 1817, the Philadelphia-Pittsburgh Turnpike was completed, a gravel road that was the precursor to today's US Route 30. Fort Ligonier was a logical place for travelers to break their journey, and with such commercial opportunities in mind, a local resident named John Ramsay (sometimes spelled Ramsey) laid out the street plan, including the space now known as the Diamond. He initially called the town Ramseytown, later changed to Wellington (after the Duke of Wellington), and finally the name was changed to Ligonier. On April 10, 1834, Ligonier was incorporated as a borough.

Ligonier had four National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and all four of those banks issued National Bank Notes.

Bank History

Organized May 3, 1902
Chartered May 29, 1902 as The First National Bank of Ligonier, PA
Liquidated March 3, 1930
Succeeded by 13432 (Ligonier National Bank, Ligonier, PA)
Circulation assumed by 13432 (Ligonier National Bank, Ligonier, PA)

On April 2, 1902, Representative Jack filed an application with the comptroller of the currency for authority to organize a national bank for Ligonier with a capital of $25,000. The application was signed by Dr. D.E. Beltz, L.B. Weller, Lemon Byers, and W.A. Peterson all of Ligonier, and H.E. Marker of Greensburg. The name requested was the First National Bank of Ligonier. Subscriptions were taken for capital stock and more people offered than could be accommodated as the limit was $25,000. The bank had secured quarters renting the room at the Hotel Breniser formerly occupied by Chas. R. Lang as a Jewelry store. Business was expected to begin in June.

On May 29, 1902, Comptroller of the Currency, Wm. B. Ridgely, authorized The First National Bank of Ligonier to begin the business of banking. Ligonier now had two banks in town; J.H. Frank was the proprietor of a banking business in Ligonier for the past 20 years. The officers elected in 1902 were Dr. D.E. Beltz, president; L.B. Weller, vice president; and T.J. Kerr, cashier. The First National Bank installed a new Hibbard-Rodman-Ely Manganese Steel Mob and Burglar Proof bank safe of five cubic feet storage capacity.

On April 20, 1906, bids were closed for the new First National Bank building to be built on a lot 35X100 feet facing on "Diamond". Plans and specifications were approved and the contract awarded with the opened on Thursday May 23, 1907. The old fixtures used while the bank was located in the Breniser building were offered for sale in June.

In January 8, 1907, The First National Bank re-elected all its old officers: Dr. D.E. Beltz, president; L.B. Weller, vice president; T.J. Kerry, cashier and C.H. Bitner, assistant cashier. Directors elected were Dr. D.E. Beltz, Lemon Byers, J.M. Davis, Geo. W. Deeds, John Glessner, C.F. Marker, W.J. Potts, Jas. I. Ross, L.A. Weaver, and L.B. Weller.

On February 27, 1930, plans for merging the National Bank of Ligonier and the First National Bank of the same place into a new bank known as the Ligonier National bank were completed at separate meetings of the boards of directors of the two banks. The location of the new bank would be the National Bank of Ligonier building on Market street with a planned opening date of March 3, 1930.

Officers were elected for the new Ligonier National Bank as follows: G.C. Frank, president; R.B. Weaver and C.G. Conder, vice presidents; R.S. Keffer, cashier; E.C. McKelvey, J.W. Clopp, and T.O. Seaton, assistant cashiers; L.R. Schmertz, R.B. Weaver, H.J. Phillippi, Jacob E. Keffer, Dr. J.W. Barkley, J.M. Davis, C.G. Gonder, G.C. Frank, R.S. Keffer, H.S. Lohr, H.E. Marker, Lemon Byers, L.W. Darr, L.B. Weller, directors.

Officers of the National Bank of Ligonier were G.C. Frank, president; J.W. Barclay, vice president; R.S. Keffer, cashier; E.C. McKelvey and T.O. Seaton, assistant cashiers; H.S. Denny, L.R. Schmertz, Dr. J.W. Barclay, Jacob E. Keffer, G.C. Frank, R.S. Keffer, H.S. Lohr, directors.

Officers of the First National bank were: R.B. Weaver, president; L.B. Weller, vice president; C.G. Gonder, cashier; J.W. Clopp and Clyde Weller, assistant cashiers; R.B. Weaver, Lemon Byers, James M. Davis, C.G. Gonder, H.E. Marker, H.J. Phillippi, and L.B. Weller, directors.

The Ligonier National Bank became the only bank in Ligonier after the merger.

Official Bank Title

1: The First National Bank of Ligonier, PA

Bank Note Types Issued

1902 Plain Back $10 bank note with stamped signatures of C.G. Gonder, Cashier and D.E. Beltz, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

An image of a Small size bank note is needed.

A total of $361,560 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1902 and 1930. This consisted of a total of 29,076 notes (27,624 large size and 1,452 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	3x10-20	1 - 860
1902 Date Back	3x10-20	1 - 2180
1902 Plain Back	3x10-20	2181 - 6046
1929 Type 1	6x10	1 - 213
1929 Type 1	6x20	1 - 29

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1902 - 1930):

Presidents:

Cashiers:

Other Bank Note Signers

There are currently no known Vice President or Assistant Cashier bank note signers for this bank.

Wiki Links

Sources

Ligonier, 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://bbdata.banknotehistory.com
The Ligonier Echo, Ligonier, PA, Wed., Apr. 9, 1902
The Ligonier Echo, Ligonier, PA, Wed., May 14, 1902.
The Ligonier Echo, Ligonier, PA, Wed., June 11, 1902.
The Ligonier Echo, Ligonier, PA, Wed., June 25, 1902.
The Ligonier Echo, Ligonier, PA, Wed., Jan. 9, 1907.
The Ligonier Echo, Ligonier, PA, Wed., Jan. 16, 1907.
The Ligonier Echo, Ligonier, PA, Wed., June 12, 1907.
Latrobe Bulletin, Latrobe, PA, Fri., Feb. 28, 1930.