Union National Bank, Rockwood, PA (Charter 14067)

The old First National Bank of Rockwood, Pennsylvania. Readers of The Republic identified the two men in front of the building as H.F. Berkebile and C.A. Miller, who was president of the Rockwood borough council. The photo was taken by D.S. Vere, an early Rockwood photographer. This building was occupied by the Union National upon its opening in 1934.

Union National Bank (No Issue), Rockwood, PA (Chartered 1934 - Open past 1935)

Town History

The old First National Bank building and Post Office of Rockwood, Pennsylvania, ca2023. Courtesy of Google Maps

Rockwood is a borough in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, and located due north of Pennsylvania's highest peak, Mount Davis, which significantly constricts land travel routing south of the municipality. The population was 850 at the 2020 census. In 1900 the population was 685 peaking in 1940 at 1,375.

Rockwood was initially known as Shaff's Bridge and then Mineral Point. Philip Wolfersberger built a house in what is now Rockwood in 1856, and he laid out the town in 1857 with Martin Meyers serving as the primary surveyor. John Poister built a hotel in 1860, 1868 saw the development of a post office, Henry Werner built a tannery in 1869, and a railroad depot was built in 1871. Philip Stauffer Wolfersberger, a son of the above Philip Wolfersberger, was a ticket agent of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O) and was instrumental in getting the current name of Rockwood to take hold. It was because of the rocks and woods that surrounded the town that it was named Rockwood. The B&O Railroad passes through Rockwood as it bends northerly in a long bow about the roots of Mount Davis, and it is now owned and operated by CSX, with daily Amtrak express trains between Pittsburgh and Cumberland, MD passing through the town and the nearby Cumberland Narrows.

Rockwood had three National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and two of those banks issued National Bank Notes.

Bank History

Lucille Yutzy, assistant cashier and E. Charles Kaufman, vice president, Union National Bank of Rockwood dressed in clothes worn 100 years ago. From the Rockwood Centennial Observance in 1957.

Organized January 9, 1934
Chartered March 15, 1934
Non-issuing, succeeded 5340 The First National Bank of Rockwood, and 9769 The Farmers and Merchants National Bank of Rockwood, Rockwood, PA
Bank was Open past 1935

In March 1934, the Union National Bank of Rockwood which was the reorganization of the First National and Farmers and Merchants National Banks, planned to open in the building occupied by the First National. The directors of the new bank were B.F. Hanna, D.F. Shultz, H.W. Musser, A.C. Meyers, M.W. Romesburg, and Luther Leaphart. The officers were B.F. Hanna, president; D.F. Shultz, vice president; W.M.G. Day, cashier; and J.R. Shanks, assistant cashier.

In January 1935, stockholders elected the following directors: B.F. Hanna, D.F. Shultz, A.C. Meyers, M.W. Romesburg, L.E. Leaphart, and H.W. Musser. The officers elected were B.F. Hanna, president; David F. Shultz, vice president; W.M.G. Day, cashier; and Catherine E. Ohler, assistant cashier.

In January 1946, all incumbent directors and officers were re-elected at the annual reorganization meeting. Officers were B.F. Hanna, president; H.W. Musser, vice president; A.C. Meyers, second vice president; W.M.G. Day, cashier; Catherine E. Ohler, assistant cashier; and Mrs. Lucille Yutzy, bookkeeper. The directors were B.F. Hanna, A.C. Meyers, H.W. Musser, L.E. Leaphart, and M.W. Romesburg.

In January 1956, Colonel W. John Stiteler, Jr., announced he would seek the Republican nomination for a seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. As a farmer, he was a member of the Milford Grange, a director of the Somerset County Wool Growers' Association, and a director of Scotch Highland Cattle Association of America. Col. Stiteler was a director of the Barclay-Westmoreland Trust Company of Greensburg, Chairman of the Board of Old Republic Insurance Co. of the same city, and president of the Union National Bank of Rockwood. He was also chairman of Apache Guns, Inc. of Oklahoma City and Chairman of Stiteler and Fears oil interests of Oklahoma.

In January 1957, Col. W. John Stiteler, Jr., was re-elected president of the Union National Bank. The other officers were Charles E. Kaufman, vice president; Miss Catherine E. Ohler, cashier; and Mrs. Lucille Yutzy, assistant cashier.

In January 1965, the stockholders elected the following directors: E.R. Earnest, William R. Sutton, George F. Speicher, Jr., H.R. Huston, MD, J.H. Israel, M.A. Saylor, Robert S. Snyder, Frank J. Fiori, and A.J. Gelorme. The officers were William R. Sutton, chairman of the board; E.R. Earnest, president; George F. Speicher, Jr., vice president; Catherine E. Ohler, cashier; and Lucille M. Yutzy, assistant cashier. The bank had total resources of $3,063,229.91.

In November 1965, the state cleared the merger of Keystone Bank, Freeport, and Union National Bank of Rockwood into a $17 million financial institution. The approval was announced by the Banking Department which said the transaction still had to be approved by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Keystone Bank was the surviving institution and would move its main office from Freeport to Lower Burrell. Keystone had resources of $14 million while Union Nation's resources totaled $2.9 million.

In January 1967, Catherine E. Ohler was an assistant vice president of the Keystone Bank and would retire soon thereafter.

Official Bank Title(s)

1: The Union National Bank of Rockwood, PA

Bank Note Types Issued

No National Bank Notes were issued by this bank.

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1934 - 1935):

Presidents:

Bernard Fear Hanna, 1934-1935

Cashiers:

Wakeman Milton G. Day, 1934-1935

Other Bank Note Signers

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

Wiki Links

Sources

Rockwood, 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 Daily Courier, Connellsville, PA, Sat., Mar. 10, 1934.
The Daily American, Somerset, PA, Thu., Jan. 10, 1935.
The Republic, Myersdale, PA, Thu., Jan. 13, 1946.
The Daily American, Somerset, PA, Wed., Jan. 11, 1956.
The Republic, Myersdale, PA, Thu., Jan. 10, 1957.
The Republic, Myersdale, PA, Thu., July 18, 1957.
The Daily American, Somerset, PA, Wed., Jan. 13, 1965.
Simpson's Leader-Times, Kittanning, PA, Fri., Nov. 26, 1965.
Simpson's Leader-Times, Kittanning, PA, Wed., Jan. 11, 1967.