Home National Bank, Arkansas City, KS (Charter 4487)

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The Post Office and Home National Bank of Arkansas City, Kansas, ca1910s. The bank is located on the corner of Summit Street and 5th Avenue. The Post Office is now a public library. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

Home National Bank, Arkansas City, KS (Chartered 1890 - Closed (Merger) 1999)

Town History

The Home National Bank of Arkansas City. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

Arkansas City (/ɑːrˈkænzəs/) is a city in Cowley County, Kansas, situated at the confluence of the Arkansas River and Walnut River in the southwestern part of the county. The name of this city is not pronounced like the nearby state of Arkansas, but rather as /ɑːrˈkænzəs/ (the final "s" is pronounced, and it rhymes with Kansas). The city is also known as "Ark City". As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 11,974. In 1890 the population was 8,347 declining to 6,140 in 1900 and rebounding to 13,946 by 1930.

At the turn of the century, Arkansas City was a rival to Wichita in size and enterprise, boasting several busy rail lines, an elegant opera house, numerous fine hotels, a manufacturing base and a bustling agricultural economy. A popular swimming hole called Paris Lake was located west of downtown; the lake—and the hot springs at Geuda as well—was mired with silt in a flood about 1919. Nearly 20 years later the WPA would build the Paris Park pool in the same spot.

Arkansas City had five National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and all five of those banks issued National Bank Notes.

Bank History

Interior of the Home National Bank of Arkansas City, Kansas, ca1910s. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com
An 1891 advertisement for the Home National Bank.[1]
Invitation for the public to visit the new Home National Bank Building on Thursday, June 14, 1917.

On Saturday, March 10, 1888, the Strong and Ross Banking Company announced their opening not later than Wednesday in their handsome new building at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Eighth Street. The building was of pressed brick trimmed with finely cut stone and was two-stories high and 25X80 feet. The front had a handsome double window, arched, containing French plate glass, the arch was 5 1/2 X 10 1/2 feet and each window was 6 1/2 X 6 feet. The entrance was at the corner of the building and was ornamented with a handsome, heavy door. The banking room was well-lighted and ventilated with furniture manufactured from quarter-sawed sycamore. Adjoining the banking room was the directors' room also furnished and papered in a like manner. The capital stock was $100,000 all paid-up. The directors were F.M. Strong, Howard Ross, and A.A. Newman of Arkansas City; J.R. Mulvane, C.C. Holliday, and J.W. Thurston of Topeka; and Barney Lantry of Strong City. The officers elected were F.M. Strong, president; A.A. Newman, vice president; Howard Ross, cashier; and Amos Steck, assistant cashier.[2]

In January 1890, the officers of the Strong & Ross Banking Company were F.M. Strong, president; A.A. Newman, vice president; and Howard Ross, cashier. The directors were F.M. Strong, A.A. Newman, and Howard Ross of Arkansas City; C.K. Holiday, director of the AT&SF RR, Topeka; Barney Lantry of B. Lantry & Son, Strong City; J.R. Mulvane, president, Bank of Topeka; J.W. Thurston, cashier, Bank of Topeka. The bank had capital of $100,000 and was located on Fifth Avenue and First Street, Arkansas City, Kansas.[3] In November 1890, the Strong & Ross Banking Company announced it would change to the Home National Bank with a capital stock of $250,000. This would give Arkansas City three national banks.[4] On December 18, 1890, Edward S. Lacey, Comptroller of the Currency, authorized the Home National Bank of Arkansas City to commence the business of banking.[5]

In January 1891, the officers of the Home National Bank were F.M. Strong, A.A. Newman, vice president; and Howard Ross, cashier. The directors were F.M. Strong, A.A. Newman, Howard Ross, C.H. Searing, G.S. Howard, J.A. Ranney, C.K. Holliday, Geo. P. Glazier, and B. Lantry. The bank had capital $250,000 and a $25,000 surplus.[6]

In January 1916, the Home National Bank planned to tear down its building for a new building to be erected there.[7] The business of the bank had outgrown the size of the building. An architect from Chicago was drawing the plans and specifications for the new $100,000 building to be erected where the old Home National bank and Lotus Theatre stood.[8]

On January 2, 1917, N.F. Boone, cashier of the Bank of Hardy, closed the affairs of the bank and the accounts were transferred to the Home National Bank. The cause for the liquidation was that the town was not large enough to support a bank and Mr. Boone chose to take part in more lucrative fields. The Home National had charge of all the accounts of the Hardy bank.[9] On Tuesday, January 9, 1917, the same set of officers was chosen to look after the bank's business for another year. They were A.H. Denton, president; Geo. D. Ormiston, vice president; R.A. Brown, cashier; W.H. Smith, assistant cashier. The bank had capital stock of $150,000 and deposits amounting to $1,350,000. The new building's interior work was progressing rapidly and the officers hoped to permanently locate there by the middle of April.[10] Godfrey Swenson was the Kansas City contractor putting up the Home National Bank building.[11] The public was invited to inspect the new Home National Bank building located at Summit Street and Fifth Avenue on Thursday, June 14, between the hours of 3 and 9 o'clock.[12]

On February 5, 1919, the stockholders of the Home National Bank held their annual meeting it having been postponed until Mr. Denton's return. All the directors and officers were re-elected. The directors were as follows: W.H. Burks, Geo. D. Ormiston, A.H. Moore, A.H. Denton, and R.A. Brown. The officers were as follows: A.H. Denton, president; Geo. D. Ormiston, vice president; R.A. Brown, vice president; W.H. Smith, cashier; Foss Farrar, E.C. Overhold, and W.F. Shea, assistant cashiers.[13]

In July 1920, Forrest Livingston of the Home National Bank became the owner of a new Studebaker special six touring car, receiving it from the Hill-Howard motor company in trade for an Elgin Six.[14] 

In 1927, the three banks of Arkansas City were naturally of importance in its development. Ralph A. Brown was president of the Home National Bank in its handsome white stone building.  Foss Farrar, his chief assistant in the financial work, came into banking in a straight line from his father who started the Home National in the early days with the Newmans who laid out the town.  The Newmans had one of the largest department stores of the section. A.L. Newman managed the store along with his sister-in-law, Mrs. Earl Newman. The Union State Bank was run by Grover and Galen Dunn, two brothers strong in the finances of Arkansas City. And the Security State Bank was under the direction of W.C. Robinson, Jr., and Harold Cooper.  The city boasted two flour mills, the New Era Milling Company and the Arkansas City Milling Company.  John E. McAmes was president of the Kanotex Oil refinery, the local oil and gasoline company. The community also had the Roxana refinery. W.R. Ranney had the big wholesale headquarters for the Ranney-Davis Mercantile Company in Arkansas City with eight branch stores in Kansas and Oklahoma. Albert H. Denton had one of the finest homes in the town. He was a wealthy financier who once almost became the federal comptroller of the currency.  He was in Iowa acting as receiver for several national banks.[15]

On Monday, January 7, 1929, Harry Prince Farrar, aged 74, of Arkansas City, died at his home. He was the last survivor of the men who organized the townsite of Arkansas City. He was the town's first banker and amassed a fortune in real estate. He was survived by his widow, a son, Foss Farrar, vice president of the Home National Bank and two daughters, Mrs. Lester Mitchell and Miss Pearl Farrar, several grandchildren, his brother, F.W. Farrar of Pawhuska, Oklahoma, George B. of Kingfisher and a sister, Mrs. A.M. Heald, of Manchester, Maine.[16]

On Friday, April 2, 1937, notices were sent to stockholders of the Home National and the Security National banks notifying them of a meeting April 10th to ratify a contract for merger of the two banks. Boards of both banks had approved the merger. James G. Hall, president of the Security bank would become president of the Home National of which Foss Farrar was then president.[17]

On February 26, 1938, James G. Hall, vice president of the Home National Bank of Arkansas City, was elected vice president of the National Bank of Topeka and would begin his duties on April 1st.[18]

Official Bank Title

1: The Home National Bank of Arkansas City, KS

Bank Note Types Issued

1902 Plain Back $20 bank note with pen signatures of Foss Farrar, Assistant Cashier and Albert H. Denton, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com
1902 Plain Back $10 bank note with pen signatures of Forrest Livingston, Assistant Cashier and R.A. Brown, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com
1929 Type 2 $10 bank note with printed signatures of W.F. Shea, Cashier and Foss Farrar, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

A total of $886,380 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1890 and 1935. This consisted of a total of 53,463 notes (41,080 large size and 12,383 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 50-100 1 - 1614
1882 Date Back 50-100 1 - 154
1902 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 2200
1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 2201 - 9386
1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 1336
1929 Type 1 6x20 1 - 382
1929 Type 2 10 1 - 1562
1929 Type 2 20 1 - 513

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1890 - 1935):

Presidents:

Cashiers:

Other Known Bank Note Signers

  • Forrest Livingston, Assistant Cashier ~1925

Bank Note History Links

Sources

  • Arkansas City, KS, 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
  1. ↑ Arkansas City Daily Traveler, Arkansas City, KS, Fri., Jan. 9, 1891.
  2. ↑ Arkansas City Daily Traveler, Arkansas City, KS, Sat., Mar. 10, 1888.
  3. ↑ The Evening Dispatch, Arkansas City, KS, Fri., Jan. 3, 1890.
  4. ↑ Arkansas Valley Democrat, Arkansas City, KS, Fri., Nov. 28, 1890.
  5. ↑ Arkansas Valley Democrat, Arkansas City, KS, Fri., Dec. 26, 1890.
  6. ↑ Arkansas City Daily Traveler, Arkansas City, KS, Fri., Jan. 9, 1891.
  7. ↑ The Arkansas City Daily News, Arkansas City, KS, Sat., Jan. 1, 1916.
  8. ↑ Arkansas City Traveler, Arkansas City, KS, Tue., Jan. 11, 1916.
  9. ↑ The Arkansas City Daily News, Arkansas City, KS, Tue., Jan. 2, 1917.
  10. ↑ Arkansas City Daily Traveler, Arkansas City, KS, Wed., Jan. 10, 1917.
  11. ↑ Arkansas City Traveler, Arkansas City, KS, Mon., Apr. 30, 1917.
  12. ↑ The Arkansas City Daily News, Arkansas City, KS, Tue., June 12, 1917.
  13. ↑ The Arkansas City Daily News, Arkansas City, KS, Thu., Feb. 6, 1919.
  14. ↑ Arkansas City Daily Traveler, Arkansas City, KS, Sat., July 17, 1920.
  15. ↑ The Wichita Eagle, Wichita, KS, Sun., Nov. 20, 1927.
  16. ↑ The Osage Journal and The Osage County News, Pawhuska, OK, Fri., Jan. 11, 1929.
  17. ↑ The Morning Chronicle, Manhattan, KS, Fri., Apr. 2, 1937.
  18. ↑ The Emporia Gazette, Emporia, KS, Sat., Feb. 26, 1938.
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