First National Bank, Ringtown, PA (Charter 6950)

Postcard of the First National Bank of Ringtown, Pennsylvania, ca.1910. Courtesy of Mark Hotz

First National Bank, Ringtown, PA (Chartered 1903 - Open past 1935)

Town History

The old First National Bank of Ringtown located at 14-16 Main Street. Courtesy of Google Maps 2018

Ringtown is a borough in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. It is approximately 5 miles north northwest of Shenandoah and 17 miles west southwest of Hazleton. Other nearby towns and boroughs include Zion Grove, Pattersonville and Nuremberg. At the 2000 census, there were 826 people, 319 households and 231 families living in the borough.

The land on which Ringtown is located was owned by Benjamin Nehf in 1838, and at that time there were four houses in the place. Ringtown takes its name from a thieving act which occurred in the locality in 1830 and caused an enemy of Mr. Nehf to speak sneeringly of the place at Ringtown. That title has still clung to it despite the efforts of its founders. However, the name has long since lost its significance and is now accepted by all.

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

Bank History

Organized September 8, 1903
Chartered September 10, 1903
Bank was Open past 1935

In September 1903, H.H. Zulick [sic], manager of the Ferndale Powder Plant and for a number of years employed at the First National Bank of Shenandoah, was elected cashier of the recently organized First National Bank of Ringtown. A brick building was planned with fire and burglar proof vault ready for opening in November 1903.

On January 12, 1904, stockholders elected the following directors: James Bankes, Dr. H.D. Rentschler, Charles A. Titman, R.A. Breisch, James Lorah, Henry Lindner, Rev. A.P. Pflueger, W.F. Fuhrman, E.K. Stauffer, J.M. Stauffer, and W.A. Guise. The directors elected the following officers: James Bankes, president; Dr. H.D. Rentschler, vice president; H.H. Zulick, cashier.

In January 1953, stockholders elected the following directors: George F. Leiby, Richard W. Faust, L.A. Teter, C.W. Kleckner, Charles Wolfe, A. Ray Breisch, F.J. Lindner, and Oscar H. Boyer. Officers and bank personnel appointed included George F. Leiby, president; Richard W. Faust, vice president; L.A. Teter, secretary; Grace A. Hart, cashier; Alma Rarick, clerk, and Harry Renschler, janitor.

In August 1953, the Comptroller of the Currency in Washington approved the sale of the First National Bank of Ringtown with deposits of more than $1 million to Pennsylvania National Bank and Trust Company, Pottsville. Frank D. Yuengling was President of the Pennsylvania National Bank and the Ringtown location was opened September 9th as a branch office.

Official Bank Title(s)

1: The First National Bank of Ringtown, PA

Bank Note Types Issued

1902 Date Back $20 bank note with pen signatures of H.H. Zulich, Cashier and James Bankes, President. Courtesy of Lyn Knight Auctions, www.lynknight.com

1929 Type 1 $10 bank note with printed signatures of H.H. Zulich, Cashier and Robert A. Breisch, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

A total of $529,060 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1903 and 1935. This consisted of a total of 42,496 notes (35,224 large size and 7,272 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 - 1557
1902 Date Back	3x10-20	1 - 2510
1902 Plain Back	3x10-20	2511 - 7249
1929 Type 1	6x10	1 - 736
1929 Type 1	6x20	1 - 206
1929 Type 2	10	1 - 1252
1929 Type 2	20	1 - 368

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1903 - 1936):

Presidents:

Cashiers:

Henry Hesser Zulich, 1904-1935 (Note: the family name is often spelled Zulick)

Other Bank Note Signers

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

Wiki Links

Sources

Ringtown, PA, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringtown,_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://bbdata.banknotehistory.com
Pottsville Republican, Pottsville, PA, Fri., Sep. 4, 1903.
The Plain Speaker, Hazleton, PA, Sat., Sep. 5, 1903.
Republican and Herald, Pottsville, PA, Wed., Jan. 13, 1904.
Standard-Speaker, Hazleton, PA, Fri., Aug. 7, 1953.
Republican and Herald, Pottsville, PA, Mon., Dec. 28, 1953.