Lebanon National Bank, Lebanon, PA (Charter 680)

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The Lebanon National Bank, northeast corner of Ninth and Cumberland Streets, Lebanon, Pennsylvania, ca1930s.
The Lebanon National Bank, northeast corner of Ninth and Cumberland Streets, Lebanon, Pennsylvania, ca1930s. Courtesy of Adam Stroup

Lebanon National Bank, Lebanon, PA (Chartered 1864 - Closed (Merger) 1998)

Town History

The Lebanon National Bank, northeast corner of Ninth and Cumberland Streets, Lebanon, Pennsylvania, ca2021.
The Lebanon National Bank, northeast corner of Ninth and Cumberland Streets, Lebanon, Pennsylvania, ca2021. Courtesy of Google Maps

Lebanon is a city in and the county seat of Lebanon County, Pennsylvania. Lebanon is located in the central part of the Lebanon Valley, 26 miles east of Harrisburg and 29 miles west of Reading. Lebanon was founded by George Steitz in 1740 and was originally named Steitztown. The Quittapahilla Creek drains the city westward into the Susquehanna River via the Swatara Creek.

Lebanon was settled by European colonists in 1720, many with the family names of "Steitz" and "Light", along a creek that was then named "Steitz Creek". The Light patriarchs built a fort to protect against Indians and named it "Light's Fort". The town was laid out in 1753, incorporated as a borough on February 20, 1821, and became a city on November 25, 1885. It adopted the commission form of government, consisting of four councilmen and a mayor.

Lebanon bologna was first made here, since before the 1780s. San Giorgio pasta has been manufactured in Lebanon since 1914, and was acquired by nearby Hershey Foods Corporation in 1966. Lebanon was formerly home to a major steel mill operated by Bethlehem Steel.

During the National Bank Note Era (1863-1935), the population was 4,449 in 1860, steadily increasing to 25,561 in 1930. The population was 25,477 at the 2010 census, a 4.2% increase from the 2000 count of 24,461.

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

Bank History

The Lebanon National Bank under construction in 1925. The photo is dated 12/31/25 in the lower right corner. Sign for John H. Wickersham, Construction, Lancaster and The Griswold Company.
The Lebanon National Bank under construction in 1925. The photo is dated 12/31/25 in the lower right corner. Sign for John H. Wickersham, Construction, Lancaster and The Griswold Company.
Interior view of the Lebanon National Bank upon opening in June, 1926.
Interior view of the Lebanon National Bank upon opening in June, 1926.
The Lebanon Bank, Haxby PA-231, Obsolete $20 bank note designed by Draper, Underwood, Bald & Spencer, dated Sept. 2, 1857. The note is pen signed by Edward A. Uhler, Cashier and Jno. W. Gloninger, President.
The Lebanon Bank, Haxby PA-231, Obsolete $20 bank note designed by Draper, Underwood, Bald & Spencer, dated Sept. 2, 1857. The note is pen signed by Edward A. Uhler, Cashier and Jno. W. Gloninger, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com
  • Organized December 17, 1864
  • Chartered December 31, 1864
  • Succeeded Lebanon Bank
  • Bank was Open past 1935
  • For Bank History after 1935 see FDIC Bank History website
  • Merged into Lebanon Valley Farmers Bank in Lebanon, PA, March 28, 1998

In April 1827, the Lebanon bank bill had passed both houses of the Legislature and only awaited the sanction of the Governor to become a law. But the bank would not be approved until the Act of Assembly passed on April 1, 1837. Commissioners would meet at the house of Peter Lineweaver in the borough of Lebanon on Saturday, May 21, 1837, for the purpose of making such regulations as may be deemed necessary to carry said act into effect.

On Monday, November 20, 1854, the following gentlemen were elected directors of the Lebanon Bank for the ensuing year: Jno. W. Gloninger, William Lehman, George F. Miller, Jacob Readel, John Heilman, H.S., Henry Schneck, Bernhard Rauch, John B. Hiester, John Loudermilch, Charles Greenawalt, John H. Kluge, Joseph Karch, Joseph Bowman.

On January 11, 1876, the following were elected directors: Jacob Roedel, Christian Henry, William Shirk, Joseph Bowman, Samuel Light, Michael Kreider, Samuel Bleistine, John Becker, Samuel Heilman, Joseph G. Heilman, and Grant Weidman. In January 1877, the same directors were elected except Michael Kreider replaced the late William Shirk.

In September 1878, after Mr. Jacob Roedel retired as president, Christian Henry was elected the fifth president of the Lebanon National Bank.

In December 1895, Thomas L. Baker was elected president in place of the late Major Grant Weidman, and Howard C. Shirk was elected vice president.

On Tuesday, January 13, 1925, stockholders re-elected the old board of directors as follows: Frank S. Becker, Thos. L. Becker, Chas. V. Henry, Wm. H. Hunsicker, Chas. M. Coover, John M. Louser, Wm. H. Haak, F.B. Witmer, Frank W. Kreider, and R. Ray Miller. In August 1925, J.H. Wickersham unloaded a car-load of tools and other equipment, preparatory to starting work on the new Lebanon National Bank building being erected at Ninth and Cumberland Streets. By the end of October, the structural steel had arrived. Girders, 48-feet in length were among those that were received. In December, Emmanuel Oaks representative of the York Save and Lock Company, York, Pa., was in Lebanon arranging for the transportation of the 67,500 lb. vault which would be installed in the new Lebanon national Bank. Several years earlier, Mr. Oaks was in Lebanon arranging for a similar safe to be installed in the Farmer's Trust Company bank. Harvey Steckbeck, local dairyman, was engaged to transport the safe.

In January 1926, the bank was celebrating its 95th year of continuous service to the community.  The new building was under construction and the bank's office was temporarily on North Ninth Street.  The officers and directors were:  Frank S. Becker, president; Charles V. Henry, vice president; Thomas L. Becker, vice president; Harry C. Uhler, cashier; Lloyd A. Sattazahn, assistant cashier; Wm. H. Hunsicker, Charles M. Coover, John H. Louser, Wm. M. Haak, F.B. Witmer, Frank W. Kreider, and R. Ray Miller, directors.  In April 1926, although not finished, the bank's new home was opened to the public. While the fine new white building was going up around the old structure, the bank continued to do business without any interruption, a special entrance having been fitted up at a window on the Ninth Street side. That entrance was closed and for the first time patrons could enter through the main entrance on Cumberland Street. The bank's formal opening would come on June 12, 1926.

On July 27, 1956, the consolidation of the Lebanon National Bank, Palmyra Bank and Trust Co., and the Annville National Bank was announced. If approved by shareholders and the comptroller of the currency, the new banking institution would have assets in excess of $25 million and a new name: Lebanon Valley National Bank. The charter of the Lebanon National Bank, 680, Lebanon County's oldest at the time would be used. The consolidation would give the proposed Lebanon Valley National Bank five offices in Lebanon County: Palmyra, Annville, Cleona, Schaefferstown, and Lebanon. The Lebanon Valley National Bank would persist until its merger with Lebanon Valley Farmers Bank in 1998 when the latter's name was adopted.

On March 27, 1998, Lebanon, once the birthplace of many distinguished banking institutions, lost its last locally owned bank with the merger between Lebanon Valley National Bank and Farmers Trust Bank. The merger brought together two of the city's oldest banking institutions under Fulton Financial Corporation of Lancaster, the fifth largest bank holding company in the state. Lebanon Valley National Bank, the county's first bank, incorporated in 1831. Farmers Trust Bank originally opened on Ninth Street in 1892 and was granted a national charter in 1894 and soon after moved to its headquarters at 817 Cumberland, which was built around 1900 and originally occupied by Manny Mann Clothing. In 1905 the Farmers National Bank was absorbed by Farmers Savings and Trust Company and Farmers Trust was acquired in 1984 by Fulton Financial Corp. 

First National Bank of Lebanon opened in 1864 at Eighth and Cumberland while North Side Bank and Trust Company, organized by a group of local businessmen and farmers in 1915, opened its doors at Seventh and Lehman Streets.  First National and North Side merged in the 1950s under the First National banner.  In July 1972, First National was acquired by the larger Dauphin Deposit Bank and Trust, headquartered in Harrisburg.  Dauphin Deposit merged with The First National Bank of Maryland, headquartered in Baltimore, on November 13, 1998.

Built as the Lebanon Dime Savings Bank in 1880 by philanthropist Robert H. Coleman at Eighth and Cumberland Streets, it was renamed Lebanon Trust and Safety Deposit Bank in 1885 and then became Peoples National Bank in 1894.  Peoples National was then acquired by Meridian Bankcorp of Reading in December 1992.  Four years later, Corestates Financial Corp. of Philadelphia acquired Meridian and then early in 1998, Corestates was merged into First Union Corp. of Charlotte, North Carolina, in a $16.1 billion consolidation.

Official Bank Title(s)

1: The Lebanon National Bank, Lebanon, PA

2: Lebanon National Bank (1/16/1930), Lebanon, PA

Bank Note Types Issued

Series of 1875 $10 bank note with pen signatures of C.H. Uhler, Assistant Cashier and C. Henry, President.
Series of 1875 $10 bank note with pen signatures of C.H. Uhler, Assistant Cashier and C. Henry, President. Courtesy of Lyn Knight Auctions, www.lynknight.com
1929 Type 1 $10 bank note with printed signatures of Harry C. Uhler, Cashier and Frank S. Becker, President.
1929 Type 1 $10 bank note with printed signatures of Harry C. Uhler, Cashier and Frank S. Becker, President. Courtesy of Lyn Knight Auctions, www.lynknight.com

A total of $2,545,140 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1864 and 1998. This consisted of a total of 208,602 notes (183,026 large size and 25,576 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 4x5 1 - 5250
1: Original Series 3x10-20 1 - 4790
1: Series 1875 4x5 1 - 465
1: Series 1875 3x10-20 1 - 4564
1: 1882 Brown Back 3x10-20 1 - 3165
1: 1882 Brown Back 50-100 1 - 945
1: 1902 Red Seal 3x10-20 1 - 3400
1: 1902 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 8600
1: 1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 8601 - 23650
1: 1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 1226
1: 1929 Type 1 6x20 1 - 418
2: 1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 1914
2: 1929 Type 1 6x20 1 - 440
2: 1929 Type 2 10 1 - 1248
2: 1929 Type 2 20 1 - 340

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1864 - 1998):

Presidents:

Cashiers:

Other Bank Note Signers

Wiki Links

Sources

  • Lebanon, PA, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebanon,_Pennsylvania
  • 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 Wyoming Herald, Fri., Apr. 13, 1827.
  • The Susquehanna Democrat, Wilkes-Barre, PA, Fri., May 27, 1831.
  • Lebanon Courier and Semi-Weekly Report, Fri., Nov. 24, 1854.
  • The Daily News, Lebanon, PA, Wed., Jan. 12, 1876.
  • The Daily News, Lebanon, PA, Wed., Jan. 10, 1877.
  • Lebanon Daily News, Lebanon, PA, Mon., June 18, 1894.
  • The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, PA, Sun., Dec. 15, 1895.
  • The Daily News, Lebanon, PA, Tue., Jan. 13, 1925.
  • The Daily News, Lebanon, PA, Wed., Aug. 26, 1925.
  • Lebanon Daily News, Lebanon, PA, Wed., Oct. 28, 1925.
  • Lebanon Semi-Weekly News, Lebanon, PA, Tue., Dec. 17, 1925.
  • The Daily News, Lebanon, PA, Mon., Jan. 18, 1926.
  • The Daily News, Lebanon, PA, Thu., Apr. 1, 1926.
  • Lebanon Semi-Weekly News, Lebanon, PA, Mon. June 14, 1926.
  • The Daily News, Lebanon, PA, Thu., Nov. 1, 1956.
  • The Daily News, Lebanon, PA, Fri., Mar. 27, 1998.
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