Penbrook National Bank, Penbrook, PA (Charter 9344)

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The old Penbrook Trust Company, corner of Banks and Walnut Streets, ca2023. Courtesy of Google Maps

Penbrook National Bank, Penbrook, PA (Chartered 1909 - Liquidated 1920)

Town History

Penbrook is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, founded in 1861 and incorporated July 10, 1894. Penbrook was once named East Harrisburg and still maintains a Harrisburg postal ZIP code. The population was 3,268 at the 2020 census. In 1920 the population was 2,072, growing to 3,567 by 1930.

Reservoir Park, with 85 acres is adjacent to the southwest border of the borough, with Levitt Performing Arts Pavilion and the National Civil War Museum.

Penbrook had two National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, the Penbrook National Bank (Charter 9344) and The National Bank of Penbrook (Charter 12197), and both of those banks issued National Bank Notes.

Bank History

A 1913 advertisement for the Penbrook National Bank.[1]
  • Organized January 28, 1909
  • Chartered February 15, 1909
  • Opened for business February 20, 1909
  • Liquidated July 12, 1920
  • Absorbed by Penbrook Trust Company

On September 16, 1908, the First National Bank of Penbrook [sic] was organized with W.H. Wolfe of Penbrook as president, and John A. Ebersole as vice president. The directors were: W.H. Wolfe, John A. Ebersole, J.C. Spangler and F.C. Buck of Penbrook; O.E. Good, Lawrence A. Hetrick, Frank Eshenour, Edward Crum, Darius Horstick, John W. Swartz, Irvin Hain and J.B. Swartz of Susquehanna Township; Charles S. Boll and Charles A. Disbrow of Harrisburg; and W.F. Hill of Huntingdon, and Congressman John G. McHenry of Benton. The bank hopes to be ready for business by the opening of the new year. A committee was named to procure and fit up a building.[2] In August 1908, the application to organize the First National Bank of Penbrook was approved. The capital was $25,000 and W.F. Hill, Huntingdon; John A. Ebersole, W.H. Wolf, O.E. Good, and I.B. Swartz were applicants.[3]

On Monday, February 15, 1909, a charter was issued to the Penbrook National Bank, capital $25,000.[4] On Saturday, February 20, 1909, the Penbrook National Bank opened on the Square for business with a capital stock of $25,000 and surplus paid in of $2,500. The officers were W.H. Wolf, president; John A. Ebersole, vice president; and W.R. Faust, cashier.[5][6]

On Tuesday, January 11, 1910, the stockholders elected the following directors: John H. Allwine, Solomon C. Buck, Charles S. Boll, Amos C. Buck, Edward M. Crum, Charles A. Disbrow, John A. Ebersole, F.J. Eshenour, John A. Fackler, Oscar E. Good, L.A. Hetrick, W.F. Hill, I.D. Horstick, Hon. John G. McHenry, H.S. Plank, J.C. Spangler, I.B. Swartz, and W.H. Wolf.[7]

In January 1912, at the annual election of officers, the following were elected: W.H. Wolf, president; John A. Ebersole, Sr., vice president; W.R. Faust, cashier; and W.H. Spangler, clerk.[8]

In January 1918, the stockholders elected the following directors: John H. Allwine, Amos C. Buck, Solomon C. Buck, Edward M. Crum, John A. Ebersole, John Adam Fackler, Oscar E. Good, Isaac D. Horstick, Harry S. Plank, Isaac B. Swartz. The directors organized by elected the following officers: H.S. Plank, president; J.A. Ebersole, vice president; W.R. Faust, cashier; I.B. Swartz, solicitor; J.F. Seibert, teller; and Miss Ruth Nisley, clerk.[9]

In January 1919, the directors were J.H. Allwine, A.C. Beck, E.M. Crum, J.A. Ebersole, O.E. Good, I.D. Horstick, H.S. Plank, I.B. Swartz, William Look, and Washington Shaffer. The directors re-elected H.S. Plank, president; John A. Ebersole, vice president; and I.L. Unger, cashier.[10]

On Tuesday, January 13, 1920, the stockholders re-elected all the old directors. The board consisted of J.H. Allwine, A.C. Buck, E.M. Crum, J.A. Ebersole, O.E. Good, I.D. Horstick, William Look, H.S. Plank, I.B. Swartz, and Washington Shaffer. The dividend was changed from 7 to 8% annually and an additional $5,000 was added to the surplus, making the new total $25,000. Immediately after the meeting, the board reorganized and elected the following officers: H.S. Plank, president; J.A. Ebersole, first vice president; O.E. Good, second vice president; I.L. Unger, cashier; and R.H. Gish, assistant cashier.[11] 

On Friday, April 23, 1920, the stockholders of the newly organized Penbrook Trust Company met in Penbrook and elected a board of 25 directors. The directors were John H. Allwine, Amos C. Buck, Joseph L. Booser, Christian C. Cassel, Edward M. Crum, John Adam Fackler, Christian H. Lyder, Oscar E. Good, I.D. Horstick, Harry O. Walmer, Dr. E.K. Lawson, Edwin H. Fisher, William J. Stoner, William Look, John A. Ebersole, Joseph E. Shenk, H.S. Plank, Irvin F. Runkle, Oscar B. Leese, Harry M. Julliard, I.B. Swartz, Irwin D. Lingle, A. Lester, McElhenny, Washington Shaffer, and Harvey Lose.[12]

In May 1920, the Penbrook Trust Company, formerly the Penbrook National Bank, elected the following officers: Oscar E. Good, president; J.A. Ebersole, vice president; and Leroy Unger, treasurer.[13]

In February 1925, the Penbrook Trust Company recently completed extensive improvements to its bank building, and erected in front of the building a large chime clock of the newest type. The clock was of copper construction with four dials each about three feet square and illuminated at night. The correct time was maintained by a master clock, all of which was electrically controlled. Various musical combinations were arranged for each quarter hour. At quarter past the hour, four strokes are sounded Westminster Peal; at half past the hour, eight strokes-Cathedral; at three-quarters past the hour, twelve strokes-Reveille; at the full sixteen strokes--Westminster Chimes, followed by the striking of the hour. The clock made an unusually fine appearance and was placed so that it could be seen for a number of blocks in three directions. The bank also completed the installation of an approved burglar alarm system.[14]

On July 1, 1948, Millard B. Simmons, executive vice president announced the Penbrook Trust company's corporate name was changed to the Penbrook Banking Company. The company would continue to conduct all business except it would not operate a trust department. Directors in addition to Simmons were A.E. Aungst, cashier-secretary; C.E. Cassel, vice president; O.E. Good, president; R.D. Hospers, H.S. Koons, I.D. Lingle, Charles F. Look, A.S. Thomson, Paul L. Walmer, and Miles B. Zimmerman.[15] The Penbrook Banking Company became a branch of the Dauphin Deposit Trust Company in 1956.[16]

Official Bank Title

1: The Penbrook National Bank, Penbrook, PA

Bank Note Types Issued

1902 Date Back $10 bank note with pen signatures of W.R. Faust, Cashier and W.H. Wolf, President. Courtesy of Lyn Knight Auctions, www.lynknight.com

A total of $217,400 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1909 and 1920. This consisted of a total of 21,740 notes (21,740 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
1902 Date Back 4x10 1 - 3725
1902 Plain Back 4x10 3726 - 5435

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1909 - 1920):

Presidents:

Cashiers:

Other Known Bank Note Signers

Bank Note History Links

Sources

  • Penbrook, 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
  1. ↑ Harrisburg Telegraph, Harrisburg, PA, Sat., July 12, 1913.
  2. ↑ Harrisburg Telegraph, Harrisburg, PA, Sat., Sep. 19, 1908.
  3. ↑ The Pittsburgh Post, Pittsburgh, PA, Tue., Aug. 25, 1908.
  4. ↑ The Wall Street Journal, New York, NY, Tue., Feb. 16, 1909.
  5. ↑ Harrisburg Telegraph, Harrisburg, PA, Wed., Feb. 17, 1909.
  6. ↑ The Courier, Harrisburg, PA, Sun., Feb. 14, 1909.
  7. ↑ Harrisburg Daily Independent, Harrisburg, PA, Wed., Jan. 12, 1910.
  8. ↑ Harrisburg Telegraph, Harrisburg, PA, Thu., Jan. 11, 1912.
  9. ↑ Harrisburg Telegraph, Harrisburg, PA, Thu., Jan. 10, 1918.
  10. ↑ Harrisburg Telegraph, Harrisburg, PA, Wed., Jan. 15, 1919.
  11. ↑ Harrisburg Telegraph, Harrisburg, PA, Wed., Jan. 14, 1920.
  12. ↑ The Evening News, Harrisburg, PA, Sat., Apr. 24, 1920.
  13. ↑ The Evening News, Harrisburg, PA, Sat., May 8, 1920.
  14. ↑ The Evening News, Harrisburg, PA, Sat., Feb. 21, 1925.
  15. ↑ The Evening News, Harrisburg, PA, Thu., July 1, 1948.
  16. ↑ The Sentinel, Carlisle, PA, Thu., June 14, 1956.
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