First National Bank, Weatherly, PA (Charter 6108)
First National Bank, Weatherly, PA (Chartered 1902 - Open past 1935)
Town History
Weatherly is a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania. It is located in Northeastern Pennsylvania, 12 miles northwest of Jim Thorpe and 28 miles south of Wilkes-Barre. Originally called "Black Creek", it received a name change to "Weatherly" in 1848. Clock-maker David Weatherly, also an executive of the Beaver Meadow Railroad, made an agreement with the town that he would build them a clock if they would rename the town "Weatherly". They changed the name of the town to Weatherly, however David Weatherly returned to Philadelphia to be treated for cancer and died before he could build the promised clock. Charles and Eurana Schwab funded the clock that was built into the clock tower on top of the town's school, but the town kept the name Weatherly. Early in the twentieth century, there were silk mills, foundries, a candy factory, a fabricating plant, and a cigar factory. In 2020, the population was 2,541. In 1900, 2,471 people lived there, and in 1930, the population was 2,531.
Weatherly had one National Bank chartered during the Bank Note Era, and it issued National Bank Notes.
Bank History
- Organized December 30, 1901
- Chartered January 28, 1902
- Bank was Open past 1935
On December 30, 1901, at a meeting of the stockholders of the First National Bank of Weatherly, the articles of association were drawn up and signed and the following officers elected: Elmer Warner, president; Liddon Flick, vice president; Dr. W.P. Long, secretary; J.C. Sendel, treasurer; Lawrence Harleton, J.M. Stauffer, Frank M. Larned, Henry Shaffer, and H.W. Harlbart, directors. The directors met on January 22, 1902, and elected Ira W. Barnes of Wilkes-Barre, cashier. Mr. Barnes was employed as a clerk in the Second National Bank of Wilkes-Barre and would assume his new duties around the middle of February when the bank planned to open for business. He was a son of a Methodist minister and a native of Montrose. He had been with the Second National for the past three or four years, having graduated from the Wyoming Seminary.
Attorney Frank W. Larned of Wilkes Barre was an organizer of this first ever bank in Weatherly. The town was located on the Hazleton division of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. It had large car shops, a large silk mill employing about 500 hands, a foundry employing 150 hands and a bobbin factory where about 70 people were employed. The directors ordered a new Manganese safe together with the necessary office and bank furniture, stationery, etc.
On Tuesday, January 13, 1903, the directors held their annual meeting. The board was increased from nine to ten, all of the old members being re-elected. The new director elected was H.H. Sloat.
In July 1904, Ira W. Barnes tendered his resignation to take effect on August 15th. The Union National Bank of Mahanoy City secured Mr. Barnes as teller and assistant cashier to replace John Meyer who resigned. In August, W.F. Wagner, who had been with the Wyoming Valley Trust Company in Wilkes-Barre for 8 years, was elected cashier of the First National Bank of Weatherly.
In December 1906, Welsh & Sturdevant, architects of Wilkes-Barre, prepared plans and specifications for a handsome building for the First National Bank. While not large, being 30X50 feet, it was well-designed and would be of pressed brick with terra cotta trimmings. The front entrance would be through large plate glass doors and the interior featured mosaic floors complimented with Flemish oak.
In March 1907, Jesse G. Bell, cashier of the First National Bank of Saxton, Bedford County, was elected to the same position in the First National Bank of Weatherly, Carbon County. He was just a little past 21 years of age and one of the youngest cashiers in the state. He was the son of William T. Bell, a prominent banker and influential citizen of Mount Union. Invitations were issued to the opening of the new bank building on Saturday, March 30, 1907. Entertainment would be provided by DePierio's Orchestra of Freeland. The building was erected by contractor Samuel Shaefer at an approximate cost of $10,000 and was located on Carbon Street, a few doors above the old place of business.
In July 1911, Jesse G. Bell accepted the cashiership of the First National Bank of Freeland. Freeland had a population of of more than 6,000 and was in Luzerne County. Mr. Bell would receive a salary of $2,000 annually.
In 1915, Hon. Elmer Warner of Weather was sent to the Senate in Harrisburg by the voters of Carbon, Monroe, Pike and Wayne counties. He was a proud Democrat, born and reared in a Democratic environment near Tannersville, Monroe County, spending his early life on a farm. At 21, he entered the mercantile business at Tannersville, later establishing a large creamery. Seeing a fine opening in the town of Weatherly, he pulled stakes in Monroe and went to his adopted home. Active in organizing the First National Bank, he was rewarded by the stockholders by being elected president. Several years later, Senator Warner was holding the post of general manager and treasurer of the Weatherly Foundry and Machine Company. Senator Warner was one of the most influential men on the minority side of the senate chamber. A staunch supporter of President Wilson, he always was in accord with movements intended to rejuvenate the Democratic Party in Pennsylvania.
In May 1918, Winslow W. Peters, cashier of the First National, accepted a position as secretary and treasurer of the Gosztonyi Savings and Trust Co. of Bethlehem. Russell Gangwer, assistant cashier at the bank for the past 8 years was given the position vacated by Mr. Peters. Mr. Peters had been in charge of the bank since September 28, 1915, coming from the Mauch Chunk Trust Company.
In January 1925, the officers elected were Elmer Warner, president; T.J. Drumbor, vice president; Dr. W.P. Long, secretary, and E.F. Warner, W.O. Gerhardt, Henry Schaeffer, A.L. Patterson, A.B. Roth, H.E. Schwartz and Samuel Hamm, directors.
In January 1928, stockholders re-elected the following directors: Elmer Warner, T.J. Drumbor, Dr. W.P. Long, Henry Schaefer, A.D. Roth, A.L. Patterson, Samuel Hamm, E.F. Warner, W.O. Gerhardt, and A.G. Swartz. The board re-organized and elected the following: Elmer Warner, president; P.J. Drumbor, vice president; W.P. Long, secretary, R.R. Gangwer, cashier; Wesley Frable, assistant cashier; Miss Hilda Derr, clerk.
On May 27, 1929, Thomas Drumbor, aged 63, died at State Hospital, Hazleton, of apoplexy sustained while he was driving with his wife at Weatherly. He was survived by his widow, a patient at the State Hospital having been injured when the car crashed after her husband was stricken. Dr. Drumbor was one of the Weatherly's most prominent citizens. He served as secretary of the Anthracite Building and Loan Association and was a director and vice president of the First National Bank. For many years he was a school teacher.
In July 1929, directors awarded a contract to D.S. Kistler of Weatherly for the erection of a 32 foot addition to the present bank building at a cost of $45,000. The work would start at once. The new addition would be of limestone and brick giving the bank 12 additional feet of space, the remainder would be used for offices. New vaults would also be installed. The formal opening of the remodeled and enlarged bank took place in June 1930.
On Tuesday, January 13, 1931, the stockholders elected the following officers: Elmer Warner, president; Dr. W.P. Long, vice president; Samuel W. Hamm, secretary; E.F. Warner, A.D. Roth, Henry Schaeffer, W.O. Gerhard, A.L. Patterson and John Taniscanish, directors. The entire staff was also re-elected and was composed of John Trezise, cashier; Wesley Frabel, assistant cashier; Hilda Derr, teller; and Nora Ward, clerk.
On Wednesday, March 18, 1931, Michael Vladyka, was held in Hazleton State Hospital for murder. He was out on parole when he took part in the attempted holdup of the White Haven Bank on the 17th. He was released in January 1930 after serving one year of a sentence from one to six years for holding up and robbing a gas station in Rush Township near McAdoo on November 19, 1928. Vladyka said he and his confederates had first planned to rob the First National Bank of Weatherly, but others balked, claiming a getaway at Weatherly would be too difficult. A large posse of state troopers, detectives and state game wardens scoured the mountainous region in the vicinity of Weatherly searching for two members of a bandit gang. The gang was frustrated in an attempted bank holdup in White Haven on Tuesday. Two lookouts, one of them a women, thwarted the attempt by opening fire on bystanders who disregarded their warnings to "keep out of sight." None of the bystanders were injured. The two young men who were inside the bank attempting to force employees to surrender keys to the currency drawers fled without obtaining any loot when they heard the shots. With the lookouts, the jumped into a waiting car and fled.
Vladyka, 20, and Miss Anna Ignatovich, 20, both of McAdoo were captured following the killing of James Gibbons McGill and the serious wounding of his brother, Thomas Gibbons Kennedy, both of Laurytown, on the road between Laurytown and Weatherly. The brothers, orphaned when infants, were reared by different families, hence the different names. Vladyka was being treated for the wounds he received in the gun battle which took place in the automobile of the two brothers when the motorists refused to obey the command of the bandit to drive toward White Haven to pick up the other two members of the gang. The brothers were headed to a St. Patrick's Day card party in Weatherly. Vladyka was wounded in the groin by the discharge of his own gun. The two wanted bandits were thought to be the same as the men also paroled for the gas station holdup.
In October 1931, a Ford sedan parked opposite the First National Bank started off driverless and proceeding down Carbon Street, collided with a coal truck at the corner of First and Carbon Streets.
On Tuesday, January 8, 1935, P.G.C. Warner of Weatherly was elected to succeed his father, Edwin F. Warner, who died the previous summer. The other directors were re-elected as follows: Elmer Warner, Dr. W.P. Long, A.B. Roth, Henry Schaefer, J.L. Patterson, W.O. Gerhard, S.W. Hamm, and William H. Horlacher, all of Weatherly; and Nicholas Yackanicz, Jr., of Beaver Meadow.
On Tuesday, January 21, 1936, the directors met and re-elected the same staff that served the previous year. It was: Elmer Warner, president; Dr. W.P. Long, vice president; S.W. Hamm, vice president; J.N. Trezise, cashier; W.H. Frable, assistant cashier; Nora C. Ward, Hilda M. Derr, and Ambrose E. Warner, clerks. The directors were all re-elected.
In January 1942, the officers and directors were C.H. White, president; William Horlacher, vice president; W.H. Sloat, secretary; D.S. Kistler, Robert Patterson, P.G.C. Warner, James Bradbury and Nicholas Kackanic, directors. J.G. Jackson continued to operate the bank as cashier. The bank was located at 20 Carbon Street, Weatherly.
In March 1942, The Hazleton National Bank acquired the First National Bank of Weatherly and opened the Weatherly office of the Hazleton National Bank. In July of that same year, the First National Bank of Lehighton and Citizens National Bank of Lehighton were acquired and became the Lehighton office.
Official Bank Title(s)
1: The First National Bank of Weatherly, PA
Bank Note Types Issued
A total of $1,226,050 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1902 and 1935. This consisted of a total of 152,843 notes (108,768 large size and 44,075 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 4x5 1 - 1465 1902 Red Seal 3x10-20 1 - 1134 1902 Date Back 4x5 1 - 4550 1902 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 2900 1902 Plain Back 4x5 4551 - 9050 Plate dated 1901 1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 2901 - 5320 Plate dated 1901 1902 Plain Back 4x5 1 - 5890 Plate dated 1921 1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 1 - 4333 Plate dated 1921 1929 Type 1 6x5 1 - 2868 1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 2036 1929 Type 1 6x20 1 - 466 1929 Type 2 5 1 - 6910 1929 Type 2 10 1 - 3897 1929 Type 2 20 1 - 1048
Bank Presidents and Cashiers
Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1902 - 1935):
Presidents:
Cashiers:
- Ira Winslow Barnes, 1902-1903
- William F. Wagner, 1904-1906
- Jesse Gilbert Bell, 1907-1910
- Charles F. Bretney, 1911-1915
- Winslow William Peters, 1916-1917
- Russell R. Gangwer, 1918-1928
- John N. Trezise, 1929-1935
Other Known Bank Note Signers
- No other known bank note signers for this bank
Bank Note History Links
Sources
- Weatherly, 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 Plain Speaker, Hazleton, PA, Tue., Dec. 31, 1901.
- Wilkes-Barre Times, Wilkes-Barre, PA, Thu., Jan. 23, 1902.
- Standard-Speaker, Hazleton, PA, Wed., Jan. 14, 1903.
- The Plain Speaker, Hazleton, PA, Fri., July 29, 1904.
- Republican and Herald, Pottsville, PA, Fri., July 29, 1904.
- The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, PA, Sat., Aug. 6, 1904.
- Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, PA, Sat., Dec. 15, 1906.
- Altoona Tribune, Altoona, PA, Wed., Mar. 20, 1907.
- The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, PA, Mon., Mar. 25, 1907.
- Standard-Speaker Hazleton, PA, Sat., Mar. 30, 1907.
- Mount Union Times, Mount Union, PA, Fri., July 14, 1911.
- The Times-Tribune, Scranton, PA, Sat., Feb. 24, 1917.
- The Morning Call, Allentown, PA, Fri., May 17, 1918.
- The Plain Speaker, Hazleton, PA, Jan. 14, 1925.
- The Plain Speaker, Hazleton, PA, Wed., Jan. 11, 1928.
- Mauch Chunk Times-News, Mauch Chunk, PA, Tue., May 28, 1929.
- Mauch Chunk Times-News, Mauch Chunk, PA, Mon., July 8, 1929.
- The Plain Speaker, Hazleton, PA, Tue., June 3, 1930.
- Standard-Speaker, Hazleton, PA, Wed., Jan. 14, 1931.
- The York Dispatch, York, PA, Wed., Mar. 18, 1931.
- The Tribune, Scranton, PA, Thu., Mar. 19, 1931.
- The Plain Speaker, Hazleton, PA, Mon., Oct. 19, 1931.
- The Plain Speaker, Wed., Hazleton, PA, Jan. 9, 1935.
- The Plain Speaker, Hazleton, PA, Wed., Jan. 22, 1936.
- Standard-Speaker, Hazleton, PA, Wed., Jan. 14, 1942.
- Standard-Speaker, Hazleton, PA, Thu., Sep. 21, 1989.