Lancaster County NB, Lancaster, PA (Charter 683)
Lancaster County NB, Lancaster, PA (Chartered 1865 - Closed (Merger) 1970)
Town History
Lancaster is a city in and the county seat of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and one of the oldest inland cities in the United States. With a population at the 2020 census of 58,039, it ranks 11th in population among Pennsylvania's municipalities. The Lancaster metropolitan area population is 552,984, making it the 104th-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. and second-largest in the South Central Pennsylvania area. In 1860, the population was 17,603 growing to 59,949 by 1930.
The city's primary industries include healthcare, tourism, public administration, manufacturing, and both professional and semi-professional services. Lancaster is a hub of Pennsylvania's Dutch Country.
Lancaster is located 59 miles southwest of Allentown and 61 miles west of Philadelphia. It is a transportation hub with many major roadways passing through or around the city, including US 30, US 222, PA 283, PA 72, and PA 272.
Lancaster was the capital of Pennsylvania from 1799 to 1812, with the state capital located at the Court House (built 1784 and demolished 1852 and now site of Soldiers & Sailors Monument at Penn Square). In 1812, the capital was moved to Harrisburg, where it has remained since. After the American Revolutionary War, Lancaster became an iron-foundry center. Two of the most common products needed by pioneers to settle the Frontier were manufactured in Lancaster: the Conestoga wagon and the Pennsylvania long rifle. The Conestoga wagon was named after the Conestoga River, which runs through the city. The innovative gunsmith William Henry lived in Lancaster and was a U.S. Congressman and leader during and after the American Revolution. The city of Lancaster was home to several important figures in American history. Wheatland, the estate of James Buchanan, the fifteenth President of the United States, is one of Lancaster's most popular attractions.
Lancaster had seven National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and all seven of those banks issued National Bank Notes.
Bank History
- Organized December 29, 1864
- Chartered January 5, 1865
- Succeeded Lancaster County Bank
- Bank was Open past 1935
- For Bank History after 1935 see FDIC Bank History website
- Merged into National Central Bank in Lancaster, PA, December 8, 1970
In May 1841, an Act to incorporate the Lancaster County Bank was enacted and Henry Bushong, Dr. John Witmer, Philip Reitzel, John Landis (Farmer), Jacob Kreider, Francis Kendig, Jr., George Withers, Jacob Shenk, Benjamin B. Herr, Isaac Pressler, J. Landis, J. Witmer, George Blattenberger, and James Smith (Druggist) were appointed Commissioners to effect the establishment of the bank with capital stock of $300,000, divided into 6,000 shares of $50 each to be managed by 14 directors.
On Monday, August 16, 1841, the directors of the Lancaster County Bank met and elected the following officers: President John Landes (Farmer), president; Robert D. Carson, cashier; Horace Rathvon, clerk. Thursday was selected as the discount day. The bank was on East King Street in Judge Champsey's large building. Notes of the bank were in circulation and were said to have been handsomely executed.
On Saturday, November 1, 1845, the following gentlemen were elected directors for the ensuing year: John Landes, John Gross, Christian Hiestand, John Lintner (miller), John Bushong, Benjamin Barr, Joseph Boyers, Frederick Keller, John Hostetter, John Forney, Emanuel Swope, James Smith, Timothy Rogers, and Samuel Ranck.
On Monday, November 18, 1861, the following gentlemen were elected directors: John Landes, James Smith, George G. Brush, Jacob Bachman, Henry Esbenshade, Abraham Howry, John Hess, Kinser D. Bender, Samuel Ranck, Christian B. Herr, Isaac Long, Dr. Isaac C. Weidler, and Abraham Bowman.
In January 1866, the annual elections for directors were held, resulting as follows: John Landes, George G. Brush, James Smith, John Hostetter, David Landis (miller), John Doner, Adam Lefever, Jacob Bachman, Abraham Buckwalter, Benjamin L. Landis, Henry Esbenshade, Isaac C. Weidler, and Abraham Bowman.
In June 1891, the directors were F.H. Breneman, David C. Kready, David Huber, John B. Warfel, John S. Mann, David Graybill, Christian, R. Landis, John B. Myers, Lewis Haldy, Jason K. Eaby, John L. Herr, Israel Rohrer, and John L. Metzger. The officers were F.H. Breneman, president; David C. Kready, vice president; and W.A. Haldy, cashier. The bank had capital of $300,000.
On Monday, January 19, 1925, the directors organized by electing Walter E. Zecher, president; David Ringwalt, vice president; Harry B. Herr, secretary; Jacob M. Trout, assistant secretary. Mr. Harold F. Diffenderffer was cashier and Walter R. Kendig was assistant cashier.[1]
In 1963, the Lancaster County National Bank operated 7 branches with its main office at 23 East King Street. The branches were North Branch at Prince and James Streets; Florin Office, 801 Main Street; Mount Joy Office, One West Main Street; Wheatland Office, 1847 Columbia Avenue; Quarryville Office, State and Church Streets; North Queen Street Office, 138 North Queen Street; and the Bridgeport Office, 1643 Lincoln Highway East.[2] In May 1963, the consolidation was announced of two of the county's oldest banks, the Lancaster County National and the Farmers Bank and Trust Company to create the Lancaster County Farmers National Bank with assets of some $93 million. Lancaster county had six branches and assets of $60 million while Farmers had three branches and $33 million in assets. In October the officers were announced as L.H. Herr, president of the Lancaster County Bank, would become board chairman and chairman of the executive committee. W.E. Alexander, Lancaster County board chairman and Gerald H. Effing, Farmers' board chairman, would be honorary chairmen of the board and members of the executive committee. The main office would be in the new building in the first block of E. King Street. The Farmers' main office nearby at King and Duke Streets would remain open as one of the branch offices of the consolidated bank.
In January 1970, the Lancaster County Farmers National Bank, Reading Trust Co., and National Bank and Trust Co. of Harrisburg, announced that they were contesting a Justice Department antitrust suit intended to block their proposed consolidation into one bank. Lester H. Herr, chairman of the board of the Lancaster County Farmers National, said the boards of directors of the three banks had met separately and decided to file a joint reply contesting the suit. The banks agreed to consolidate into one bank, to be known as the National Central Bank, September 3, 1968. The Comptroller of the Currency granted approval for the consolidation on November 14, 1969. On December 11, 1969, the Justice Department filed a civil suit, alleging violation of Section Seven of the Clayton Act. The action automatically stopped the consolidation pending final disposition of the suit in the courts. In his letter announcing his decision to approve the consolidation, William B. Camp, comptroller of the currency, stated that “economic and population expansion in southeastern Pennsylvania created a need for regional banking. This consolidation appears to be one important method of achieving an acceptable and reasonable solution to this need.” The consolidation, Herr said, would make it possible for the banks to compete more effectively for individual and corporate customers in the area. We would do this because we would be able to offer new, improved, and enlarged services at a greater number of locations. Also, because we would have the pooled resources to introduce the sophisticated equipment, professional knowledge and administrative talent a bank must have today if it is to keep abreast of change. The proposed consolidated bank would serve the four-county area of Lancaster, Berks, Dauphin and York Counties.
On Monday, December 7, 1970, The National Central Bank opened for business with some $500 million in assets. The new bank was created by the merger of the National Bank & Trust Co. of Central Pennsylvania, the Lancaster County Farmers National Bank and the Reading Trust Co. National Central, with headquarters in Lancaster, had 36 offices in Berks, Dauphin, Lancaster and York Counties. John C. Tuten, former president of National Bank & Trust was chairman of the board and chief executive officer. Other National Central officers were former Reading trust president Wilson D. McElhinny, president, and former Lancaster board chairman Lester H. Herr, chairman of the executive committee.
Official Bank Title(s)
1: The Lancaster County National Bank, Lancaster, PA
Bank Note Types Issued
A total of $2,514,640 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1865 and 1970. This consisted of a total of 187,023 notes (168,984 large size and 18,039 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 - 7375 Original Series 3x10-20 1 - 5150 Original Series 50-100 1 - 651 Series 1875 4x5 1 - 4235 Series 1875 3x10-20 1 - 4442 Series 1875 50-100 1 - 879 1882 Brown Back 4x5 1 - 2000 1882 Brown Back 3x10-20 1 - 4073 1882 Brown Back 50-100 1 - 770 1902 Red Seal 3x10-20 1 - 1580 1902 Red Seal 50-100 1 - 400 1902 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 5600 1902 Date Back 50-100 1 - 500 457,484 Not issued 1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 5601 - 11791 1929 Type 1 6x5 1 - 420 1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 622 1929 Type 1 6x20 1 - 620 1929 Type 1 6x50 1 - 420 1929 Type 1 6x100 1 - 212 1929 Type 2 5 1 - 2592 1929 Type 2 10 1 - 1320 1929 Type 2 20 1 - 363
Bank Presidents and Cashiers
Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1865 - 1970):
Presidents:
- John Landes, 1865-1866
- Christian B. Herr, 1867-1889
- Franklin Henry Breneman, 1890-1905
- Benjamin E. Mann, 1906-1921
- Walter Edwin Zecher, 1922-1930
- Robert Cummings Zecher, 1932-1935
Cashiers:
- William L. Peiper, 1865-1881
- Franklin Henry Breneman, 1882-1889
- Walter Atlee Haldy, 1890-1901
- Gustavus Adolphus Sauber, 1902-1913
- Walter Edwin Zecher, 1914-1921
- Harold F. Diffenderffer, 1922-1935
Other Bank Note Signers
- There are currently no known Vice President or Assistant Cashier bank note signers for this bank.
Wiki Links
- Pennsylvania Bank Note History
- General information on Lancaster (Wikipedia)
- General information on Lancaster County (Wikipedia)
- General information on Pennsylvania (Wikipedia)
Sources
- Lancaster, 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 Lancaster Examiner, Lancaster, PA, Wed., May 19, 1841.
- The Lancaster Examiner, Lancaster, PA, Wed., Aug. 25, 1841.
- The Lancaster Examiner, Lancaster, PA, Wed., Nov. 5, 1845.
- Lancaster Intelligencer, Lancaster, PA, Tue., Nov. 19, 1861.
- The Daily Evening Express, Lancaster, PA, Wed., Jan. 10, 1866.
- The Semi-Weekly New Era, Lancaster, PA, Sat., June 6, 1891.
- Lancaster New Era, Lancaster PA, Tue., May 28, 1963.
- The Oil City Derrick, Oil City, PA, Wed., May 29, 1963.
- Lancaster New Era, Lancaster PA, Wed., Oct. 30, 1963.
- Lancaster New Era, Lancaster, PA, Tue., Jan. 6, 1970.
- The Progress, Clearfield, PA, Thu., Dec. 10, 1970.