Harrisburg National Bank, Harrisburg, PA (Charter 580)

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An 1891 advertisement for The Harrisburg National Bank, located at No. 16 South Market Square. The officers were George W. Reily, president and J. Uhler, cashier and the bank had Capital and Surplus of $475,000.
An 1891 advertisement for The Harrisburg National Bank, located at No. 16 South Market Square. The officers were George W. Reily, president and J. Uhler, cashier and the bank had Capital and Surplus of $475,000.

Harrisburg National Bank, Harrisburg, PA (Chartered 1864 - Open past 1935)

Town History

The Harrisburg Bank obsolete $20 proof, Haxby PA-170, featuring a large vignette of the State Capitol of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg flanked by a vignette of Red Jacket on the left and an oval portrait of Washington on the right. A small eagle vignette appears at bottom center.
The Harrisburg Bank obsolete $20 proof, Haxby PA-170, featuring a large vignette of the State Capitol of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg flanked by a vignette of Red Jacket on the left and an oval portrait of Washington on the right. A small eagle vignette appears at bottom center. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,099 as of the 2020 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pennsylvania. In 1880 the population was 30,762 peaking in 1950 at 89,544.

Harrisburg is situated on the east bank of the Susquehanna River. It played a role in American history during the Westward Migration, the American Civil War, and the Industrial Revolution. During part of the 19th century, the building of the Pennsylvania Canal and later the Pennsylvania Railroad allowed Harrisburg to develop into one of the most industrialized cities in the Northeastern United States. In the mid-to-late 20th century, the city's economic fortunes fluctuated with its major industries consisting of government, heavy manufacturing, agriculture, and food services.

The Pennsylvania Farm Show, the largest indoor agriculture exposition in the U.S., was first held in Harrisburg in 1917 and has been held there every early-to-mid January since. The city also hosts the annual Great American Outdoor Show, the largest of its kind in the world, among many other events. Harrisburg experienced the Three Mile Island accident on March 28, 1979, in nearby Middletown.

Harrisburg had three National Banks chartered during the National Bank Note Era, The First National Bank (Charter 201), The Harrisburg National Bank (Charter 580), and The Merchants National Bank (Charter 3713). All three of those banks issued National Bank Notes.

Bank History

The Harrisburg Bank obsolete $5, Haxby PA-170, dated May 14th, 1819 with pen signatures of Jno. Forster, Cashier and Thomas Elder, President.
The Harrisburg Bank obsolete $5, Haxby PA-170, dated May 14th, 1819 with pen signatures of Jno. Forster, Cashier and Thomas Elder, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com
The Harrisburg Bank obsolete $5, Haxby PA-170, dated January 1, 1859 with pen signatures of J.W. Weir, Cashier and W.M. Kerr, President.
The Harrisburg Bank obsolete $5, Haxby PA-170, dated January 1, 1859 with pen signatures of J.W. Weir, Cashier and W.M. Kerr, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com
Home of the Harrisburg National Bank and Harrisburg Trust Company on Market Square, ca1941.
Home of the Harrisburg National Bank and Harrisburg Trust Company on Market Square, ca1941.

On May 9, 1814, an "Act regulating Banks" was enacted by the Pennsylvania Legislature that established 27 districts. The county of Dauphin was made a district and was allowed to establish two banks, one to be called the Harrisburg Bank and the other the Bank of Swatara. The following were appointed as Commissioners of the Harrisburg Bank: John Forster, Jacob Boas, William Wallace, John Downey, Thomas Brown, John McCleery, Daniel Ferree, Joseph Clokey, Isaac Hershey, Abraham Brandt, John Fox, Jr., and John Landis (of Springcreek). The bank's capital was set by authorizing 12,000 shares of stock at a par value of $50. The bank organized in June by the election of the following board of directors: John McCleary, Isaac Hershey, Henry Beader, Robert Harris, Christian Kunkel, John Howard, David Ferguson, William Wallace, Jacob M. Haldeman, Thomas Brown, John Shoch, Abraham Oves, and Peter Keller. William Wallace, Esq., was elected president, and John Downey, cashier. The bank first went into operation at the residence of its cashier, John Downey, in the building at No. 118 South Second Street, a few doors northwest of Cherry Alley, directly opposite the Presbyterian Church. The banking room was in the front part of the building, and the board of directors usually met in the front room on tne second story. The bank remained there, however, only a few months, when it was removed into the brick building at No. 21 South Second Street, where it remained until 1817, when it purchased from the Philadelphia Bank the brick building which that company had used as a branch, situated at the southwest corner of Market Square and Blackberry Alley, in which it continued until the summer of 1854, when the building was torn down to give place to the elegant 3-story structure, the bank in the mean time carrying on its business in the house adjoining No. 14 South Market Square.

John Forster was elected cashier on April 19, 1815.

On Wednesday, June 19, 1816, at an election held by the directors, Thomas Elder, Esq., was chosen president to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of the late William Wallace, Esq. Mr. Wallace was elected the first president of the Harrisburg Bank and was also Chief Burgess of Harrisburg at the time of his death on May 28, 1816.

On November 25, 1833, Henry Walters, Esq., was elected cashier succeeding Hon. John Forster who resigned. Removal of a long serving clerk rumored to be because of his favoring the removal of a few obnoxious men of the old board, supported by a few other citizens, was affected after the directors re-elected themselves. Gen. Forster, the cashier and Messrs. Alward and Whiteside, the two principal clerks, resigned. Thomas Elder was unanimously re-elected president; Mr. Henry Walters, cashier and Mr. James W. Weir, clerk. Gen. Forster would become the cashier of the Exchange Bank of Pittsburgh until June 1839.

In 1835, the Legislative session of 1834-5 passed an act, #128, to re-charter the Harrisburg Bank.

Thomas Elder, Esq., died on April 20, 1853 in Harrisburg, aged nearly 90 years. In 1789, he commenced the study of law under Gen. John Hanna of Harrisburg and was admitted to the Bar of Dauphin County, which at the time comprised Dauphin and Lebanon Counties, in August 1791. In August 1812, he was elected the first president of the Harrisburg Bridge Company and was unanimously re-elected annually until he resigned June 11, 1846. He was elected president of the Harrisburg Bank on June 19, 1816 and was unanimously re-elected until his death. In 1820 he was appointed Attorney General by Gov. Hiester, holding the office during his administration. Mr Elder lived to see the wilderness, where the track of the Indian was its only path, become cultivated fields, blossoming as the rose with the crops of the husbandman and dotted over with the habitations of civilization laid out into roads, fields, farms, townships, villages, and boroughs. He had seen turnpikes, canals, and railroads appear with the hum and bustle of business where once the hunter only trod in quest of game. He knew the ground on which Harrisburg was built when it was mere farm land with one or two houses only upon it, situated near the old Ferry established by John Harris at the lower end of the borough. His memory retained many of the incidents of the Revolutionary and Indian Wars and of border troubles that the present generation can only learn, and very imperfectly from history.

In May 1853, J.M. Haldeman, Esq., was unanimously elected president in place of Thomas Elder, deceased. Haldeman owned extensive tracts of real estate including Clark's Ferry Tavern Stand; four farms on Haldeman's, formerly Baskin's, Duncan's and Big Island, Dauphin County, found near the mouth of the Juniata River; coal lands in Lykens Valley; and three limestone farms adjoining Hognestown, Cumberland County.

On Wednesday, January 7, 1857, Mr. Wm. M. Kerr was unanimously elected president to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of J.M. Haldeman. Jacob S. Haldeman, Esq., was at the same time elected a director in the room of his father.

In January 1865, J.S. Haldeman, son of the late J.M. Haldeman, was elected unanimously president of the Harrisburg National Bank in place of Wm. M. Kerr, Esq., deceased.

In January 1880, stockholders elected the following directors: Charles L. Bailey, John J. Clyde, Wm. R. Gorgas, Jacob Haehnlen, Henry A. Kelker, George W. Reily, Daniel Shellenberger, John B. Simon and Jeremiah Uhler.

In January 1890, the following were elected directors: Edward Bailey, Wm. F. Bay, L.D. Gilbert, W.R. Gorgas, H.A. Kelker, A.S. McCreath, G.W. Reily, J.B. Rutherford, and J. Uhler. 

In January 1893, a charter for a new financial institution, the Harrisburg Trust Company, was envisioned.  Among the capitalists interested were Major L.S. Bent, president of the Pennsylvania Steel Company; E.C. Felton, general manager of the Pennsylvania Steel Co.; W.J. Snavely, cashier of the Steelton National Bank; George W. Cumbler, president of the Middletown, Highspire and Steelton Street Railway Company; J.E. Rutherford, vice president of the Steelton National Bank; Col. James Young, president of the American Tube and Iron Company; A.S. Matheson, general manager of the same company, and other prominent Middletown people; John Q. Denny, president of the East Harrisburg Street Railway Company; G.M. McCauley, treasurer of the Central Iron Works; Wm. F. Bay, president of the Monaghan-Bay Shoe Company; Theodore N. Ely, general superintendent of motive power of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company; John C. Kunkel, A.A. Pancake, George Pancake, J. Montgomery Forster, Arch G. Knisely, H.B. Mitchell, A.S. McCreath, Edward Bailey, president, and W.L. Gorgas, cashier of the Harrisburg National Bank, with all the directors of that institution. Among the stockholders were also many prominent businessmen and firms of Harrisburg. The capital stock was $300,000 of par value of $100 per share. Over $250,000 had already been subscribed, and tne remainder was not seeking takers.  The property adjoining the Harrisburg National Bank had been purchased, and such alterations and improvements were being made to provide adequate room for the two banking establishments. The Harrisburg National Bank, organized in 1814, was the oldest banking institution in central Pennsylvania. It had capital of $300,000, with a surplus of $185,000, and an additional $10,000 had neen placed into the surplus yesterday. President Bailey and those interested with him in the new financial venture thought there was plenty of room in Harrisburg for such an institution.  The West Harrisburg Trust Company which would share handsome quarters with the Merchants' National Bank, at Third and Broad Streets, was also coming on.

On July 11, 1935, attempting to unload a 16-ton safe door, built for the Harrisburg National Bank and Harrisburg Trust Company, a contractor's workman sought to raise it from a railroad flat car, but the hoisting jacks broke through the car floor instead of raising the door. Ultimately the door was transferred to a special motor truck, but not until railroad ties were piled between the track and the car floor to provide adequate support. At the bank the workmen got another temporary handicap for as the safe door was rolled to the back of the heavy truck, the front end nosed up into the air. By September 1935, it was expected the front and other exterior features of the remodeled Harrisburg National Bank and Trust Building in Market Square would be completed before the end of the month. A delay occurred due to architectural errors in the frontal measurements. Meanwhile the reconstruction of the interior proceeded rapidly.

On Monday, June 13, 1960, merger of the Harrisburg National Bank and the Shiremanstown State Bank was ratified by shareholders of both banks and was subject to the approval of regulatory agencies. With the merger, Shiremanstown would become the fifth branch office of the Harrisburg National Bank and Trust Company, which had main offices on Market Square, Harrisburg. The other branch offices were in Mechanicsburg, Penbrook, Steelton and Highspire. Terms of the merger called for an exchange of one share of Harrisburg National Bank stock for one share of Shiremanstown State Bank stock after a premerger cash dividend of $3 to the Shiremanstown State Bank stockholders. George R. Bailey, president of the Harrisburg National Bank, and M.S. Etter, president of the Shiremanstown State Bank, who would become chairman of the Shiremanstown advisory board, announced at the stockholders' meeting that the merged bank would have assets in excess of $45,000,000, and in conjunction with the affiliated Harrisburg Trust Company, over $85,000,000. Stockholders’ investments would be more than $3,500,000. Milton M. Dougherty Jr., assistant cashier, would be named manager and George R. Waggoner, assistant manager.

On September 29, 1961, stockholders approved the merger of the Harrisburg National Bank and the Harrisburg Trust Company, forming the Harrisburg National Bank and Trust Company. The two institutions operated under separate boards of directors and separate shareholders, but with joint management in one main office which would remain at South Market Square. George R. Baily would remain president of the consolidated bank.

Logo for the Commonwealth National Bank, the result of the consolidation of The Conestoga National, First National Bank of York, and Harrisburg National Bank & Trust Company.
Logo for the Commonwealth National Bank, the result of the consolidation of the Conestoga National, First National Bank of York, and Harrisburg National Bank & Trust Company.

On January 1, 1970, the Commonwealth National Bank opened for business. It was the result of the consolidation of the Harrisburg National Bank and Trust Co., First National Bank of York, and the Conestoga National Bank of Lancaster. Total assets of the combined banks would be more than $360 million and there would be 28 offices serving south-central Pennsylvania in Dauphin, Lancaster, York, Cumberland and Perry Counties. Harrisburg National was founded in 1814, First National in 1864 and Conestoga in 1889. A new corporate symbol, a modern triangle-shaped design, representing the three banks' achievements of the past and their progress in the future. The new corporate symbol spelled out the name "Commonwealth National Bank," next to a contemporary version of the tricornered hat popular in Colonial Times.

On Monday, December 30, 1985, shareholders of Commonwealth National Financial Corp. voted to approve the proposed merger with Mellon Bank Corp. The Federal Reserve Board and the state Department of Banking had already approved the merger which under Pennsylvania bank laws could not be completed before March 4, 1986. Commonwealth National Financial Corp. was a one-bank holding company whose subsidiary was the Harrisburg-based Commonwealth National Bank. Mellon Bank Corp. had subsidiary banks in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, State College and Oil City in Pennsylvania and in Wilmington, Delaware. In January 1986, Commonwealth National reported net income for the year of $5.85 million, up from 1984's $4.21 million. Results were boosted by the sale of the bank's New Bloomfield branch for a non-recurring $1.62 million gain. Assets at the end of the year were $1.41 billion, total loans were $752.47 million and deposits were $1.08 billion. After Mellon's recent acquisitions including Girard Bank with 4.8 billion in assets, it was the nation's 11th largest bank with $33.4 billion in assets.

Official Bank Title(s)

1: The Harrisburg National Bank, Harrisburg, PA

Bank Note Types Issued

Original Series $5 bank note with pen signatures of J.W. Weir, Cashier and J.S. Haldeman, President.
Original Series $5 bank note with pen signatures of J.W. Weir, Cashier and J.S. Haldeman, President. Courtesy of Lyn Knight Auctions, www.lynknight.com
1882 Brown Back $5 bank note with pen signatures of J. Uhler, Cashier and G.W. Reily, (Sr.), President.
1882 Brown Back $5 bank note with pen signatures of J. Uhler, Cashier and G.W. Reily, (Sr.), President. Courtesy of Lyn Knight Auctions, www.lynknight.com
1882 Brown Back $10 bank note with pen signatures of William L. Gorgas, Cashier and Edw. Bailey, President.
1882 Brown Back $10 bank note with pen signatures of William L. Gorgas, Cashier and Edw. Bailey, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com
1902 Red Seal $5 bank note with pen signature of William L. Gorgas, Cashier and stamped signature of E. Bailey, President.
1902 Red Seal $5 bank note with pen signature of William L. Gorgas, Cashier and stamped signature of E. Bailey, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com
1902 Plain Back $5 bank note with stamped signatures of H.A. Rutherford, Cashier and G.W. Reily, (Jr.), President.
1902 Plain Back $5 bank note with stamped signatures of H.A. Rutherford, Cashier and G.W. Reily, (Jr.), President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com
1929 Type 1 $5 uncut sheet of two with SN 1 and printed signatures of H.A. Rutherford, Cashier and G.W. Reily, (Jr.), President. The notes are are from a replacement sheet.
1929 Type 1 $5 uncut sheet of two with SN 1 and printed signatures of H.A. Rutherford, Cashier and G.W. Reily, (Jr.), President. The notes are are from a replacement sheet. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

A total of $7,291,600 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1864 and 1935. This consisted of a total of 794,991 notes (669,236 large size and 125,755 small size notes).

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

Series/Type Sheet/Denoms Serial#s Sheet Comments
Original Series 4x5 1 - 7650
Original Series 3x10-20 1 - 4500
Original Series 50-100 1 - 300
Original Series 50-100 501 - 1215
Series 1875 4x5 1 - 4225
Series 1875 3x10-20 1 - 4299
Series 1875 50-100 1 - 1008
1882 Brown Back 4x5 1 - 11836
1882 Brown Back 3x10-20 1 - 14494
1882 Brown Back 50-100 1 - 3697
1902 Red Seal 4x5 1 - 12500
1902 Red Seal 3x10-20 1 - 7600
1902 Date Back 4x5 1 - 20750
1902 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 18400
1902 Plain Back 4x5 20751 - 55460
1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 18401 - 41885
1929 Type 1 6x5 1 - 9932
1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 4776
1929 Type 1 6x20 1 - 1084
1929 Type 2 5 1 - 18252
1929 Type 2 10 1 - 9960
1929 Type 2 20 1 - 2791

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1864 - 1935):

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

  • Harrisburg, 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
  • Lancaster Intelligencer, Lancaster, PA, Sat., Mar. 26, 1814.
  • The Franklin Repository, Chambersburg, PA, Tue., July 9, 1816.
  • The Franklin Repository, Chambersburg, PA, Tue., June 18, 1816.
  • The Adams Sentinel, Gettysburg, PA, Mon., Dec. 2, 1833.
  • York Gazette, York, PA, Tue., Dec. 3, 1833.
  • Carlisle Weekly Herald, Carlisle, PA, Wed., Apr. 22, 1835.
  • State Capitol Gazette, Harrisburg, PA Tue., June 25, 1839.
  • Franklin Repository and Chambersburg Whig, Chambersburg, PA, Thu., May 19, 1853.
  • Pittsburgh Daily Post, Pittsburgh, PA, Mon., May 9, 1853.
  • The Lancaster Examiner, Lancaster, PA, Wed., July 15, 1857.
  • The Pittsburgh Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA, Mon., Jan., 12, 1857.
  • The Franklin Repository, Chambersburg, PA, Wed., Jan. 4, 1865.
  • Harrisburg Daily Independent, Harrisburg, PA, Wed., Jan. 14, 1880.
  • Harrisburg Telegraph, Harrisburg, PA, Wed., Jan. 15, 1890.
  • Harrisburg Telegraph, Harrisburg, PA, Sat., Sep. 19, 1891.
  • Harrisburg Telegraph, Harrisburg, PA, Thu., Jan. 5, 1893.
  • Harrisburg Telegraph, Harrisburg, PA, Tue., Jan., 10, 1893.
  • The Evening News, Harrisburg, PA, Fri., July 12, 1935.
  • Harrisburg Telegraph, Harrisburg, PA, Thu., Sep. 19, 1935.
  • Harrisburg Telegraph, Harrisburg, PA, Tue., Dec. 12, 1941.
  • The Sentinel, Carlisle, PA, Thu., June 16, 1960.
  • New Castle News, New Castle, PA, Fri., Sep. 29, 1961.
  • The York Dispatch, York, PA, Tue., Dec. 30, 1969.
  • The Sentinel, Carlisle, PA, Thu., Jan. 1, 1970.
  • Intelligencer Journal, Lancaster, PA, Tue., Dec. 31, 1985.
  • Lancaster New Era, Lancaster, PA, Fri., Jan. 17, 1986.
  • Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA, Tue., Mar. 11, 1986.
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