First National Bank, Mocanaqua, PA (Charter 12349)

Map of Mocanaqua, Pennsylvania. Courtesy of Google Maps

First National Bank, Mocanaqua, PA (Chartered 1923 - Closed (Merger) 1980)

Town History

Mocanaqua is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Conyngham Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. The population was 646 at the 2010 census. It is located on the east bank of the Susquehanna River along PA 239, which crosses the river and links Mocanaqua to the borough of Shickshinny.

Mocanaqua had one National Bank chartered during the Bank Note Era, and it issued National Bank Notes.

Bank History

Organized March 27, 1923
Chartered April 5, 1923
Bank was Open past 1935
For Bank History after 1935 see FDIC Bank History website
Merged into Northeastern Bank of Pennsylvania in Mount Pocono, PA, December 18, 1980

In November 1922, an application was made to the Treasury Department at Washington for the organization of the First National Bank of Mocanaqua with $25,000 capital. D.Z. Mensch of Shickshinny made the formal application. In January 1923, the bank organized by electing F.M. Whitesell, J.E. Hughes, D.Z. Mensch, Charles Stawinski, Casper Urbanik, John Ballnt, John Bridal, Jacob Simon, and Philip Ciampi. directors. The directors elected S.M. Whitesell president; J.E. Hughes, vice president; and D.Z. Mensch, secretary. On Saturday, April 14, 1923, William Taylor, for some time teller of the First National Bank of Shickshinny, became cashier of the First National Bank of Mocanaqua when it opened in the Ciampi Building.

On January 14, 1930, directors announced to stockholders that the surplus account had been increased from $5,000 to $15,000. Stephen Charnltski retail grocer and merchant of Mocanaqua, was added to the directorate. Officers for 1930 were: F.M. Whitesell, president; John K. Bridle and Joseph Cavallini, vice presidents; William Taylor, cashier, and Arthur Brobst, secretary. Directors were: F.M. Whitesell, John K. Bridle, Joseph Cavallini, William Taylor, Arthur Brobst, John Balint, Stephen Charnitski, D.Z. Mensch, Andrew Sudol, Anthony Yamialkowski, and Philip Ciami.

On January 13, 1931, at a meeting of stockholders, the following directors were elected: John Balint, John J. Bridle, Arthur Brobst, James Caballini, Stephen Charnitski, Philip Ciampi, Daniel Z. Mensch, Nathan Simon, Andrew Sudol, William D. Taylor, and Anthony Yamiolkowski. At a reorganization meeting of the board, John J. Bridle was elected to succeed F.M. Whitesell as president. Other officers elected were: James Caballini, first vice president; John Balint, second vice president; Artnur Brobst, secretary; William D. Taylor, cashier.

On December 18, 1980, the First National Bank of Mocanaqua was acquired by the Northeastern Bank of Pennsylvania. David L. Tressler, president and chief executive officer for the Scranton-based Northeastern, announced the takeover under a purchase of assets and assumption of liabilities agreement. No details of the purchase price were released. The Mocanaqua bank became a regional office of Northeastern, and Tressler said all services available to Northeastern customers were now offered at the Mocanaqua location. Bank personnel in Mocanaqua continued their duties. Raymond Grant was named manager of the Mocanaqua office. Grant had been employed by the Northeastern Bank since 1964. He and his wife Marilyn lived in Wilkes-Barre.

Official Bank Title(s)

1: The First National Bank of Mocanaqua, PA

Bank Note Types Issued

1902 Plain Back $5 proof with an April 30, 1923 approval date from the first plate produced with the wrong title. First was inadvertently left out of the title. The mistake was noticed before it was used and it was altered and recertified on May 16, 1923 with the first notes printed and shipped to the Comptroller's office on June 1, 1923. Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution Archives

1902 Plain Back $5 bank note with printed signatures of William D. Taylor, Cashier and S.M. Whitesell, President. Courtesy of Lyn Knight Auctions, www.lynknight.com

1929 Type 2 $5 bank note with printed signatures of William D. Taylor, Cashier and John J. Bridle, President. Courtesy of Lyn Knight Auctions, www.lynknight.com

A total of $468,830 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1923 and 1980. This consisted of a total of 93,766 notes (45,536 large size and 48,230 small size notes).

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

Series/Type	Sheet/Denoms	Serial#s	Sheet Comments
1902 Plain Back	4x5	1 - 11384
1929 Type 1	6x5	1 - 5578
1929 Type 2	5	1 - 14762

Huntoon, Peter, Chapter N06, "Plate Errors on National Bank Plates and Notes," The Encyclopedia of U. S. National Bank Notes.

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1923 - 1980):

Presidents:

Cashiers:

William Dittis Taylor, 1923-1935

Other Bank Note Signers

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

Wiki Links

Sources

Mocanaqua, PA, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mocanaqua,_Pennsylvania
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
Plain Speaker, Hazleton, PA, Fri., Dec. 1, 1922.
The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, PA, Wed., Jan. 17, 1923.
The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, PA, Mon., Apr. 16, 1923.
The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, PA, Wed., Jan. 15, 1930.
The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, PA, Wed., Jan. 14, 1931.
The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, PA, Tue., Dec. 23, 1980.