Red Lion First National Bank, Red Lion, PA (Charter 5184)

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Postcard of the Red Lion First National Bank as it looked ca.1900s.
Postcard of the Red Lion First National Bank as it looked ca.1900s. Courtesy of Mark Hotz

Red Lion First NB/First NB & TC, Red Lion, PA (Chartered 1899 - Open past 1935)

Town History

Construction of a new bank started in 1905 opening in January 1906. This photo shows a modern view of The Red Lion First National Bank, located on the Center Square, Main and Broadway Streets.
Construction of a new bank started in 1905 opening in January 1906. This photo shows a modern view of The Red Lion First National Bank, located on the Center Square, Main and Broadway Streets. Courtesy of Google Maps ca2020

Red Lion is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, settled in 1852 and incorporated on January 16, 1880. It was named after one of the first pubs in town, the Red Lion Tavern. Red Lion is located about 35 miles southeast of Harrisburg.

The town was a main stop along the old Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad, known locally as the "Ma & Pa" Railroad. That railroad ran from York County to Baltimore, Maryland.

Red Lion was once famous for the many brands of cigars made there. The town produced millions of cigars per month, about 10% of the cigars made in the United States. The town raises a cigar every New Year's Eve. It was also known nationwide for its furniture industry, with several large factories producing ornate, hand crafted furniture for over 100 years. The furniture industry has mostly shifted to kitchen cabinet production and retail store fixtures over the last 40 years.

The population was 6,373 at the 2010 census. In 1900 the population was 1,337 increasing quickly until 1930 when the population reached 4,757.

Red Lion had two National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and both of those banks issued National Bank Notes.

Bank History

After organizing in March 1899, The Red Lion First National Bank opened for business on Tuesday, April 11, in an old church building with a second hand counter, a rented safe, capital stock of $35,000 (not all paid in), and total resources of $22,483.19.

The directors elected by the stockholders in January 1904 were W.H. Taylor, C.S. LaMott, J.W. Zarfos, J.M. Hyson, W.H. Peters, B.S. Taylor, Daniel F. Brenneman, George W. McGuuigan, A.K. Frey, J.H. Lanius, Henry Blouse, S.S. Seachrist, H.E. Craley, G.B. Murphy, J.W. Shenberger. Officers were W.H. Taylor, president; C.S. LaMotte, vice president; J.A. Gillen, cashier; and G.E. Meyers, assistant cashier.

In March 1905, plans for a new structure of light buff brick with Indiana limestone trimmings were made. While the structure was being built, the bank was moved to the Allen building. The new building was on the site of the old one which was removed from its foundation and moved to the rear of the lot. The York Safe & Lock company was awarded the contract for the safe vault. The bank opened to the public on January 1, 1906. The bank room and directors' office was on the first floor while the two upper floors were occupied by Robert E. Glenn's real estate and insurance agency and T.E. Brooks, justice of the peace.

On August 5, 1930, the Comptroller of the Currency approved the consolidation of the Red Lion First National Bank and the Red Lion Trust Company, each with a capitalization of $125,000. The merged institution's title was the First National Bank and Trust Company of Red Lion with capital stock of $225,000. The new board was composed of Stephen S. Sechrist, T.E. Brooks, W.H. Snyder, Wallace M. Gemmill, Fred Wagman, Charles F. Roseman, Martin Neff, D.A. Warner, C.S. LaMotte, Dr. J.M. Hyson, Charles F. Zarfos, Harry W. McGuigan, Pius B. Tyson, Frank Hovis, A. Harry Uffelman, Lewis Russell, B.S. Taylor, Howard W. Sheeler, C.W. Gemmill, Paul S. Raub, David L. Workinger, Jacob Streavig, Emanuel Stiles, Peter McGuigan, George Fertner, D. Miller, William H. Taylor, W.H. Andrews, B.S. Sentz, C.O. Meads, D.F. Brenneman, David A. Heindel, F.H. Shenberger, L.E. Sentz, Emory P. Welty and Spurgeon Pomraning. The directors elected the following officers: C.S. LaMotte, president; Stephen S. Sechrist, Jacob Streavig, and Wallace M. Gemmill, vice presidents; J. Benton Warner, cashier; Earl Hartman and James G. Arnold, assistant cashiers; Willis W. Stauffer, trust officer; Curtis Paules and Paul Hess, tellers; Miss Merle Brown and Stewart Seitz, clerks.

The fixtures of the former Red Lion Trust Company were sold to the York Haven bank. The former trust company building on North Main Street was sold to Benjamin T. La Motte for use as a clothing store. The People's State bank of Red lion became the Red Lion Trust Company in 1925 after trust powers were granted.

Concept of the branch bank building and a photo of the building ca2020 at 2055 South Queen Street, York, Pennsylvania. Modern view Courtesy of Google Maps
Concept of the branch bank building and a photo of the building ca2020 at 2055 South Queen Street, York, Pennsylvania. Modern view Courtesy of Google Maps

The bank started construction of its new $100,000 branch bank building at 2055 S Queen street. The Sun Dial restaurant formerly occupied this site which lies just south of the Sand Bank hill and fronts on the York-Dallastown and the York-Yoe highways and was acquired in 1955. The exterior was principally of glass surrounded by a lacy masonry screen with entrance ways of glass and aluminum. Interior facilities planned included two vaults, one for safe deposit boxes only; private offices and an additional office for the use of the York township tax collector and similar public services. Buchart Associates of York estimated the completion date as Nov. 1, 1960.

On Tuesday, November 19, 1963, shareholders of the Delta National Bank of Delta and the First National Bank and Trust Company of Red Lion approved the merger subject to approval by the Comptroller of the Currency. Wilson A. Heaps was president of the Delta bank and Paul S. Raub was president of the Red Lion bank. The First National Bank and Trust Company of Red Lion also had branches at Stewartstown and 2055 S. Queen Street, York.

York county's newest banking institution, the Southern Pennsylvania National Bank, established through the merger of the First National Bank and Trust Company of Red Lion and Industrial National Bank, West York opened for business on Monday, January 15, 1968. Fred L. Orner who served as president of Industrial National was named president while Paul S. Raub was elected chairman of the new board. The main office was at 2055 South Queen Street, York.

Official Bank Title(s)

1: The Red Lion First National Bank, Red Lion, PA

2: First National Bank and Trust Company of (8/5/1930), Red Lion, PA

Bank Note Types Issued

Series of 1882 Brown Back $5 bank note with penned signatures of J.A. Gillen, Cashier and W.H. Taylor, President.
Series of 1882 Brown Back $5 bank note with penned signatures of J.A. Gillen, Cashier and W.H. Taylor, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com
Series of 1882 Date Back $10 bank note with pen signatures of G.E. Meyer, Cashier and C.S. La Motte, President.
Series of 1882 Date Back $10 bank note with pen signatures of G.E. Meyer, Cashier and C.S. La Motte, President. Courtesy of Lyn Knight Auctions, www.lynknight.com
1929 Type 1 $10 bank note with printed signatures of J.B. Warner, Cashier and C.S. La Motte. This note shows the second title of the bank.
1929 Type 1 $10 bank note with printed signatures of J.B. Warner, Cashier and C.S. La Motte. This note shows the second title of the bank. Courtesy of Lyn Knight Auctions, www.lynknight.com

A total of $1,978,110 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1899 and 1935. This consisted of a total of 257,296 notes (178,996 large size and 78,300 small size notes).

This bank issued the following Types and Denominations of bank notes:

Series/Type Sheet/Denoms Serial#s Sheet Comments
1: 1882 Brown Back 4x5 1 - 3475
1: 1882 Brown Back 3x10-20 1 - 2885
1: 1882 Date Back 4x5 1 - 4350
1: 1882 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 3020
1: 1882 Value Back 4x5 4351 - 6051
1: 1882 Value Back 3x10-20 3021 - 4008
1: 1902 Plain Back 4x5 1 - 20270
1: 1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 1 - 8060
1: 1929 Type 1 6x5 1 - 1544
1: 1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 778
1: 1929 Type 1 6x20 1 - 262
2: 1929 Type 1 6x5 1 - 3406
2: 1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 2334
2: 1929 Type 1 6x20 1 - 634
2: 1929 Type 2 5 1 - 15218
2: 1929 Type 2 10 1 - 7097
2: 1929 Type 2 20 1 - 2237

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1899 - 1936):

Presidents:

Cashiers:

Other Bank Note Signers

  • There are currently no known Vice President or Assistant Cashier bank note signers for this bank.

Wiki Links

Sources

  • Red Lion, 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://bbdata.banknotehistory.com
  • The York Dispatch, York, PA, Sat., Apr. 8, 1899
  • The Gazette, York, PA, Sat., Jan. 16, 1904.
  • The Gazette, York, PA, Wed., Dec. 27, 1905.
  • Altoona Tribune, Altoona, PA, Wed., Aug. 6, 1930.
  • Altoona Tribune, Altoona, PA, Fri., Aug. 8, 1930.
  • The York Dispatch, York, PA, Tue., Sep. 16, 1930.
  • The York Dispatch, York, PA, Sat., June 11, 1955.
  • The Gazette and Daily, York, PA, Sat., Nov. 19, 1955.
  • The Gazette and Daily, York, PA, Thu., June 16, 1960.
  • The York Dispatch, York, PA, Wed., Nov. 20, 1963.
  • York Daily record, York, PA, Mon., Jan. 18, 1965.
  • The York Dispatch, York, PA, Thu., Jan. 19, 1968.
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