Kansas Valley National Bank/First NB, Topeka, KS (Charter 1660)
Kansas Valley National Bank/First NB, Topeka, KS (Chartered 1866 - Receivership 1873)
Town History
Topeka is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, in northeastern Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 126,587. In 1910 the population was 43,684, growing to 64,120 by 1930.
The city, laid out in 1854, was one of the Free-State towns founded by Eastern antislavery men immediately after the passage of the Kansas–Nebraska Bill. In 1857, Topeka was chartered as a city.
The name "Topeka" is a Kansa-Osage word that means "place where we dig potatoes", or "a good place to dig potatoes". As a placename, Topeka was first recorded in 1826 as the Kansa name for what is now called the Kansas River. Topeka's founders chose the name in 1855 because it "was novel, of Indian origin, and euphonious of sound". Mixed-heritage Kansa Native American Joseph James, called Jojim, is credited with suggesting Topeka's name.
In the 1840s, wagon trains made their way west from Independence, Missouri, on a journey of 2,000 miles, following what came to be known as the Oregon Trail. About 60 miles west of Kansas City, Missouri, three half-Kansas Indian sisters married to the French-Canadian Pappan brothers established a ferry service allowing travelers to cross the Kansas River at what is now Topeka. During the 1840s and into the 1850s, travelers could reliably find a way across the river, but little else was in the area.
In the early 1850s, traffic along the Oregon Trail was supplemented by trade on a new military road stretching from Fort Leavenworth through Topeka to the newly established Fort Riley. In 1854, after completion of the first cabin, nine men established the Topeka Town Association. The group included Cyrus K. Holliday, an "idea man", who became mayor of Topeka and founder of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad. Soon, steamboats were regularly docking at the Topeka landing, depositing meat, lumber, and flour and returning eastward with potatoes, corn, and wheat. By the late 1860s, Topeka had become a commercial hub that offered many Victorian era comforts.
Topeka had 11 National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and all 11 of those banks issued National Bank Notes.
Bank History
- Organized July 30, 1866
- Chartered August 23, 1866
- 2: Receivership December 16, 1873
- Notation on Organization Report:
- Note: Special: "This Bank stipulates to waive all right to circulation under the law limiting the amount of National Currency to $300,000,000 and until Congress provides for its increase."
On Thursday, August 23, 1866, the Kansas Valley National Bank was authorized by the comptroller of the currency to begin the business of banking, no circulation. It was expected to begin operation within the month. Col. D.M. Adams late Paymaster of U.S. Volunteers from Waubaunsee County was president and Geo. D. Farr of Leavenworth, cashier.[3] In September Col. Dan. Adams had a hole dug under the floor of the room the bank would occupy in the Ritchie Block. The hole was about 10 feet deep and across the top a board was thrown. In the afternoon of the 19th, Col. Adams was standing on the board when it broke, precipitating his fall into the hole landing on some stone in the bottom. He was taken out and was very seriously injured He was conveyed at once to Dr. Greene and Sheldon's office and properly cared for. He had severe spasms and suffered excruciating pain. In about two hours he was able to be carried on a cot to the residence of Chester Thomas. He was expected to recover, but would be confined to the house for some time.[4] In November 1866, the officers were Daniel M. Adams, president; James M. Spencer, vice president; and George D. Farr, cashier. The directors were Daniel M. Adams, Samuel J. Crawford, Chester Thomas, James M. Spencer, Thomas J. Anderson, John Ritchie, and George D. Farr.[5]
On Monday, April 6, 1868, the quarterly report of the condition of the Kansas Valley National Bank showed total resources of $186,447.21. The bank had capital stock paid in $50,000, surplus $940.63, profit $4,865.03, circulation $45,000, individual deposits $85,553.90.[6] In December, Geo D. Farr was in the general insurance and real estate business with Geo. W. Nelles at the corner of Delaware and Main Streets, Leavenworth, Kansas. Mr. Farr was formerly assistant cashier of the First National Bank of Leavenworth[7]
Passed at the Third Session of the Forty-second Congress. Chap. CCCXV. An act authorizing the Kansas Valley National Bank of Topeka, in the State of Kansas, to change its name to the First National Bank of Topeka. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled. That the Kansas Valley National Bank of Topeka, Kansas, the State of Kansas is hereby authorized to change its name to the First National Bank whenever the stock holders representing three fourths of the capital of said bank, at a meeting called for that purpose, determine to make such change, the president and cashier shall execute a certificate, under the corporate seal of the bank, specifying such determination, and shall cause the same to be recorded in the office of the comptroller of the currency, and there upon such change of name shall be effected, and the operations of discount and deposit of said shall be carried on under the name of the First National Back of Topeka. Approved, March 3, 1873.[8]
On January 6, 1872, at the annual meeting, the following board of directors was elected: Daniel M. Adams, Joel Huntoon, David W. Houston, Isaac T. Goodnow, and Thomas J. Anderson. The board subsequently elected Daniel M. Adams, president; Joel Huntoon, vice president; and Charles N. Rix, cashier. A semi-annual dividend of 15%, free of government tax, was declared out of the earnings of the past six months payable to stockholders on demand.[9] In December 1872, J. King Winchip who had served an apprenticeship in the Kansas Valley National Bank accepted a call as cashier of the First National Bank of Manhattan.[10]
In August 1875, Mr. Henry B. Cullum, the receiver of the First National Bank of Topeka, accompanied his invalid wife, Ellen, to Colorado for an absence of a fortnight or more. Mrs. Cullum, nee Otterstatter, would pass the remainder of the summer in the "Switzerland of America" in the health-giving atmosphere there.[11] Mr. Cullum had been cashier of the Exchange Bank of Titusville, Pennsylvania, and was associated at different times with the old savings bank and the George W. Anderson bank.
On Friday, June 13, 1879, Major Daniel M. Adams died at his residence in North Topeka. Deceased was born in New Hampshire, January 22, 1833, and consequently was in the 47th year of his age. In the spring of 1857 he came to Kansas, settling in Wabaunsee County. During the days of the Free State territorial legislature at Lawrence he held for two successive terms the position of engrossing clerk, and was afterwards sent to the legislature as the member from Wabaunsee. During the war he was commissioned as paymaster of volunteers by President Lincoln, with the rank of Major. He was afterwards promoted to the rank of Colonel, and later as paymaster in the regular army, all of which positions he filled with distinction. He moved to Topeka in the fall of 1867. He was the founder of the Kansas Valley National Bank, subsequently the First National, and afterwards established the Adams Bank of North Topeka, later known far and wide as the Citizens Bank. He erected several handsome buildings on the south side when he resided there, and during his residence in North Topeka a large, three-story building known as the Adams' Block, was a monument of his industry and untiring energy. He also was the originator of the Kansas Pacific eating house and passenger depot known as the Palace Hotel, one of the largest and finest railroad eating houses west of St. Louis. In the fall of 1863, he was chosen to represent the people of his district in the legislature, and was an active, untiring member.[12]
On Friday, June 11, 1915, Dr. Samuel Phillips, the veteran Leavenworth physician, received word of the death of George Farr, a pioneer resident of Leavenworth. Mr. Farr died at Washington, D.C. He came to Leavenworth in the early 1860's and became assistant cashier of the First National Bank when it was organized in 1864. Lucien Bird was president at that time. Mr. Greenup Bird of Liberty, Missouri, was cashier, and Mr. Farr, assistant cashier. He also was secretary of the old Kansas Insurance Company and was clerk of the board of education. Mr. Farr was 74 years old at the time of his death. He left Leavenworth and went to Michigan but died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Eugenia Reec, a relative of Dr. Phillips.[13]
Official Bank Titles
1: The Kansas Valley National Bank of Topeka, KS
2: The First National Bank of Topeka, KS (5/15/1873)
Bank Note Types Issued
A total of $108,800 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1866 and 1873. This consisted of a total of 23,704 notes (23,704 large size and No small size notes).
This bank issued the following Types and Denominations of bank notes:
Series/Type Sheet/Denoms Serial#s Sheet Comments 1: Original Series 3x1-2 1 - 3000 1: Original Series 4x5 1 - 1750 1: Original Series 3x10-20 1 - 1078 2: Original Series 3x10-20 1 - 98
Bank Presidents and Cashiers
Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1866 - 1873):
Presidents:
Cashiers:
Other Known Bank Note Signers
- No other known bank note signers for this bank
Bank Note History Links
Sources
- Topeka, 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
- ↑ Kansas State Record, Topeka, KS, Wed., Mar. 4, 1868.
- ↑ The Topeka Weekly Times, Topeka, KS, Thu., Jan. 11, 1872.
- ↑ Atchison Champion, Atchison, KS, Mon., Aug. 27, 1866.
- ↑ The Leavenworth Bulletin, Leavenworth, KS, Thu., Sep. 20, 1866.
- ↑ Topeka Weekly Leader, Topeka, KS, Thu., Nov. 8, 1866.
- ↑ Kansas State Record, Topeka, KS, Wed., Apr. 8, 1868.
- ↑ The Leavenworth Times, Leavenworth, KS, Wed., Dec. 2, 1868.
- ↑ Jackson Citizen Patriot, Jackson, MI, Sat., July 26, 1873.
- ↑ Kansas State Record, Topeka, KS, Wed., Jan. 17, 1872.
- ↑ Manhattan Republic, Manhattan, KS, Fri., Dec. 27, 1872.
- ↑ The Daily Commonwealth, Topeka, KS, Wed., Aug. 4, 1875.
- ↑ The Topeka Weekly Times, Topeka, KS, Fri., June 20, 1879.
- ↑ The Leavenworth Times, Leavenworth, KS, Sat., June 12, 1915.