First National Bank, Trafford City, PA (Charter 6962)
First National Bank, Trafford City, PA (Chartered 1903 - Receivership 1932)
Town History
Trafford is a borough primarily in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. Located near Pittsburgh in western Pennsylvania, the borough includes a small portion extending into Allegheny County. It was incorporated in 1904 from the northernmost corner of North Huntingdon Township, and was named by George Westinghouse for Trafford near Manchester, England. Westinghouse purchased the land in 1902, and the Trafford Foundry began operations on October 3, 1903. The population was 3,317 at the 2020 census. Of this, 3,113 were in Westmoreland County, and only 61 were in Allegheny County. In 1910, the population was 1,959, peaking in 1930 at 4,187. The Trafford City post office opened in 1907 and the name was changed to Trafford in 1909.
Trafford City had one National Bank chartered during the Bank Note Era, and it issued National Bank Notes.
Bank History
- Organized May 11, 1903
- Chartered September 23, 1903
- 2: Receivership March 2, 1932
In July 1902, the comptroller of the currency approved the application of P.W. Morgan, S.W.L. Hankey, Charles A. Rowan, M.B. Kindig and John F. Miller to organize the First National Bank of Trafford City with a capital of $25,000.
In March 1903, the comptroller of the currency approved the application to organize the First National Bank of Trafford City, capital $50,000, by A.W. Hecker, Wilmerding, J.R. McQuaide, Thomas S. Patch, J.A. Langfitt, G.W. Eisenbels, and others.
In April 1907, W.W. Giffin, vice president of the Land Trust Co., was elected president of the First National Bank, vice John Sylvan Brown, resigned. Mr. Brown would go to Chicago as credit man for J.T. Ryerson & Sons.
On Tuesday, January 12, 1915, the following were elected as directors: W.W. Giffen, W.A. Miller, R.A. McCall, H.T. Wynn, G.W. Cravan, G.R. Cashdollar, and T.S. Patch. In December, an application for a charter was made by August Slusser, Henry T. Wynn, L.F. Carson, and A.Q. Starr for the Trafford Oil and Gas Company. The character of the company was for the mining and boring for petroleum and natural gas, buying, selling, producing storing, transporting, shipping, etc.
On November 23, 1928, within an hour and a half after four bandits robbed the First National Bank of Trafford City of about $15,000, two of them were captured in Duquesne with a railroad yardmaster whom they had kidnapped. The two arrested gave names of Sam Fucci, 22, and Patsy Trader, 21, both of Monongah, West Virginia. They said they knew their two accomplices as Bill Davis and Eddie. Patrolman Tony Petraitis of Duquesne spotted the bandits' car matching the license number broadcast quickly after the robbery. He followed the car after it crossed the Riverton Bridge and signaled the officer directing traffic at an intersection to stop the car. Drawing his revolver, Petraitis ordered the driver to stop. Petraitis was able to make the arrest, recognizing one of the three men as Ollie Kimmell, yardmaster of the Pennsylvania Railroad at Pitcairn. Police at city lockup contacted officials of the bank who informed them that Kimmell was a depositor in the bank, thus securing his release.
The holdup occurred shortly after the bank opened for business. Three of the bandits entered the building, leaving an accomplice at the wheel of their automobile. There were four employees in the bank: Miss R.M. Whitney, assistant cashier; B.W. Carlson, cashier; F.J. Sucha, a teller, and Miss Barbara Peacock, a clerk. Brandishing revolvers, all employees were ordered to the rear and the cashier was forced to turn over the money. Sucha hastily scribbled a message "The bank is being held up," and passed it to Kimmell. Kimmell was near the door and went outside where he ran to a nearby burglar alarm and called police. About this time the bandits came running from the building and noticing Kimmell, two of them seized the yardmaster and dragged him to their automobile. S.L. Weyandt, a druggist whose store was across the street, fired twice at the get-away car. Half of the quartet abandoned the stolen car in East McKeesport, hailing a taxicab and headed towards Pittsburgh.
Cashier B.W. Carlson told state police how the robbery took place. "I was in the rear of the office in the telephone booth there when the bandits entered," he said. "The first I knew of the robbery was when one of the bandits shoved his gun in the booth at me and told me to keep talking as if nothing was the matter. After I hung up the receiver, the bandit leader had me go to the vault and said, 'Dish it out.' I tried to hold a little of it back, but he saw it and said, 'What is that?' I said 'It's currency.' He said, 'Well, isn't that money?' I said, 'Yes, but we need some for change,' He said, 'You dish it out. We need it worse than you do.' I pulled it out for him and he stuffed the money into his pockets."
Fucci later told county detectives the two were out of work and hungry. Bill and Eddie gave them some change and bought meals. The four youths spent the earlier part of the night in a downtown billiard hall after which they went to the Wylie Ave. Hostelry. They were told of the chance to hold up the bank and Fucci and Drueder agreed to participate, considering the aid they had received and after their companions had painted a picture of how easy it would be for them to escape. The automobile used by the bandits was stolen that night from the residence of C.R. Buchanan at 5001 Baum Blvd. Only $1,000 of the stolen money was found in the possession of Fucci and Drueder. Two women were arrested in a downtown hotel, believed to be friends of Sam Fucci and Patrick Trader. The women were Kathryn Mullen and Mrs. Kitty Shaffer, both of Fairmont, West Virginia. Detectives were seeking William Davis, 32, of Detroit and a man named "Eddie," who escaped after perpetrating the holdup.
In February 1929, an eye-glass and moustache disguise proved insufficient in preventing the arrest of Edward Motes, 24, of Fairmont, West Virginia. He was arrested while visiting five suspects held in the Westmoreland County jail. In October 1929, William Gillespie, fourth member of the bandit gang which held up the Trafford City National Bank, was sentenced in Criminal Court, Greensburg, to serve from 8-16 years in the Western Penitentiary when he pleaded guilty to charges of robbery, pointing firearms and carrying concealed weapons. The sentence was on the robbery charge only, the penalty being suspended on the other two charges. In September, Gillespie was the last of the quartet to be arrested by police in Salt Lake City, Utah, on charges of highway robbery. Several other charges including robbery and theft of automobiles in Sacramento, California, and in Pittsburgh were denied by Gillespie. He was a native of California. Patrick F. Trader, Sam Fucci and Edward Motes, all of West Virginia, were sentenced earlier in February after also pleading guilty. Their terms were the same as Gillespie's, but each was assessed a heavy fine in addition.
In November 1932, checks representing a 20% dividend were mailed to depositors of the First National Bank of Trafford which closed on February 3rd. In June 1935, Thomas J. Donahoe, receiver, announced a dividend of 13% to depositors. This dividend would bring total payments to 43%.
On February 8, 1943, William Wilson Giffen died in his home on Woodmont Avenue. He was born in Westmoreland County on August 22, 1866, and come to Pittsburgh 53 years earlier. He was employed by T. Mellon & Sons Banking House. Later he entered the real estate business, being one of the partners of the firm of Gault and Giffen. In 1904, Mr. Giffen was elected president of the First National Bank of Trafford City and served in that position for 12 years. He was past vice president of the Oakland board of Trade.
Official Bank Title(s)
1: The First National Bank of Trafford City, PA
2: The First National Bank of Trafford, PA (4/10/1930)
Bank Note Types Issued
A total of $586,770 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1903 and 1932. This consisted of a total of 47,028 notes (42,132 large size and 4,896 small size notes).
This bank issued the following Types and Denominations of bank notes:
Series/Type Sheet/Denoms Serial#s Sheet Comments 1: 1902 Red Seal 3x10-20 1 - 1912 1: 1902 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 2700 1: 1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 2701 - 8621 1: 1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 618 1: 1929 Type 1 6x20 1 - 186 2: 1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 12
Bank Presidents and Cashiers
Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1903 - 1932):
Presidents:
- J. F. Hepler, 1904-1905
- John Sylvan Brown, 1906-1906
- William Wilson Giffen, 1907-1914
- W. A. Miller, 1915-1917
- Henry Triece Wynn, 1918-1930
Cashiers:
- John Sylvan Brown, 1904-1904
- Cloyd Wilson Faust, 1905-1916
- Harry Stephen Miller, 1917-1928 NOTE: a featured biography is available
- Birger W. Carlson, 1928-1931
Other Known Bank Note Signers
- No other known bank note signers for this bank
Bank Note History Links
- First National Bank, Trafford City, PA History (NB Lookup)
- Pennsylvania Bank Note History (BNH Wiki)
Sources
- Trafford City/Trafford, 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 Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA, Tue., July 29, 1902.
- The Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA, Wed., Mar. 25, 1903.
- The Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA, Mon., Apr. 22, 1907.
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA, Wed., Jan. 13, 1915.
- The News-Herald, Franklin, PA, Fri., Nov. 23, 1928.
- Mount Carmel Item, Mount Carmel, PA, Fri., Nov. 23, 1928.
- The Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA, Fri., Nov. 23, 1928.
- The Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA, Mon., Nov. 26, 1928.
- The Evening News, Harrisburg, PA, Thu., Feb. 7, 1929.
- Altoona Mirror, Altoona, PA, Thu, Sep. 5, 1929.
- The Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA, Tue., Oct. 8, 1929.
- The Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA, Sun., Nov. 6, 1932.
- The Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA, Wed., June 26, 1935.
- The Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA, Tue., Feb. 9, 1943.