First National Bank, Rockwood, PA (Charter 5340)

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The old First National Bank of Rockwood, Pennsylvania. Readers of The Republic identified the two men in front of the building as H.F. Berkebile and C.A. Miller, who was president of the Rockwood borough council.  The photo was taken by D.S. Vere, an early Rockwood photographer.  This building was occupied by the Union National upon its opening in 1934.
The old First National Bank of Rockwood, Pennsylvania. Readers of The Republic identified the two men in front of the building as H.F. Berkebile and C.A. Miller, who was president of the Rockwood borough council.  The photo was taken by D.S. Vere, an early Rockwood photographer.  This building was occupied by the Union National upon its opening in 1934.

First National Bank, Rockwood, PA (Chartered 1900 - Receivership 1934)

Town History

The old First National Bank building and Post Office of Rockwood, Pennsylvania, ca2023.
The old First National Bank building and Post Office of Rockwood, Pennsylvania, ca2023. Courtesy of Google Maps

Rockwood is a borough in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, and located due north of Pennsylvania's highest peak, Mount Davis, which significantly constricts land travel routing south of the municipality. The population was 850 at the 2020 census. In 1900 the population was 685 peaking in 1940 at 1,375.

Rockwood was initially known as Shaff's Bridge and then Mineral Point. Philip Wolfersberger built a house in what is now Rockwood in 1856, and he laid out the town in 1857 with Martin Meyers serving as the primary surveyor. John Poister built a hotel in 1860, 1868 saw the development of a post office, Henry Werner built a tannery in 1869, and a railroad depot was built in 1871. Philip Stauffer Wolfersberger, a son of the above Philip Wolfersberger, was a ticket agent of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) and was instrumental in getting the current name of Rockwood to take hold. It was because of the rocks and woods that surrounded the town that it was named Rockwood. The B&O Railroad passes through Rockwood as it bends northerly in a long bow about the roots of Mount Davis, and it is now owned and operated by CSX, with daily Amtrak express trains between Pittsburgh and Cumberland, MD passing through the town and the nearby Cumberland Narrows.

Rockwood had three National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and two of those banks issued National Bank Notes.

Bank History

In 1930, the officers were H.F. Berkebile, president; Harry Swank and Irvin Wolf, vice presidents, J.R. Shanks, cashier; and Miss Catherine Ohler, assistant cashier. The bank had capital $25,000, surplus and undivided profits $106,000 and deposits of $900,000. It occupied an attractive structure it built in 1925 to provide every facility for its patrons.

On Thursday, January 12, 1933, stockholders met for the election of directors and officers. Most of the Somerset county's banks reorganized Tuesday, but it was the custom of the Rockwood institution to meet two days later. The directors elected were H.F. Berkebile, Harry Swank, Irvin Wolf, J.R. Shanks, J.M. Murdock, M.W. Speicher, J.E. Cramer, and B.F. Hanna, The officers elected were H.F. Berkebile, president; Harry Swank and Irvin Wolf, vice presidents; J.R. Shanks, cashier; and Miss Catherine Ohler, assistant cashier.

In March 1934, the Union National Bank of Rockwood which was the reorganization of the First National and Farmers and Merchants National Banks planned to open in the building occupied by the First National. The directors of the new bank were B.F. Hanna, D.F. Shultz, H.W. Musser, A.C. Meyers, M.W. Romesburg, and Luther Leaphart. The officers were B.F. Hanna, president; D.F. Shultz, vice president; W.M.G. Day, cashier; and J.R. Shanks, assistant cashier.

Official Bank Title(s)

1: The First National Bank of Rockwood, PA

Bank Note Types Issued

1902 Plain Back $10 bank note with printed signatures of J.R. Shanks, Cashier and H.F. Berkebile, President
1902 Plain Back $10 bank note with printed signatures of J.R. Shanks, Cashier and H.F. Berkebile, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com
1929 Type 1 $20 bank note with printed signatures of J.R. Shanks, Cashier and H.F. Berkebile, President.
1929 Type 1 $20 bank note with printed signatures of J.R. Shanks, Cashier and H.F. Berkebile, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

A total of $512,470 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1900 and 1934. This consisted of a total of 41,232 notes (35,412 large size and 5,820 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 - 2040
1882 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 2230
1882 Value Back 3x10-20 2231 - 3147
1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 1 - 3666
1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 736
1929 Type 1 6x20 1 - 180
1929 Type 2 10 1 - 242
1929 Type 2 20 1 - 82

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1900 - 1934):

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

  • Rockwood, 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 Daily American, Somerset, PA, Sat., June 7, 1930.
  • The Daily American, Somerset, PA, Fri., Jan. 13, 1933.
  • The Daily Courier, Connellsville, PA, Sat., Mar. 10, 1934.
  • The Republic, Myersdale, PA, Thu., July 18, 1957.
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