Citizens National Bank, Greencastle, PA (Charter 5857)
Citizens National Bank, Greencastle, PA (Chartered 1901 - Closed (Merger) 1988)
Town History
Greencastle is a borough in Franklin County in south-central Pennsylvania. The population was 3,996 at the 2010 census. Greencastle lies within the Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania.
Greencastle was founded in 1783 by John Allison from the Barkdoll House. The town was named after Greencastle, County Donegal, Ireland. By 1790 there were about 60 houses in Greencastle, homes to approximately 400 people. The town of Greencastle had grown by the mid-nineteenth century to 1,125 residents.
In 1845, following the succession crisis in the Latter Day Saint movement, Sidney Rigdon (one of the three main contenders along with James Strang and Brigham Young for leadership of the Latter Day Saints following the death of Joseph Smith) took his followers to Pennsylvania and formed a Rigdonite Mormon settlement at Greencastle. This settlement had approximately 200 followers. They founded the New Jerusalem settlement between Greencastle and Mercersburg, published the Conochoheague Herald newspaper in Greencastle, and made plans for the construction of a temple. The Rigdonite Mormon settlement at Greencastle only lasted a few years; some former Rigdon followers went to Utah to join Brigham Young, while William Bickerton, who had opposed Rigdon's move to Greencastle, would eventually reorganize the remaining Pennsylvania branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in Pittsburgh as The Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite).
Greencastle had two National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and both of those banks issued National Bank Notes.
Bank History
- Organized April 19, 1901
- Chartered June 11, 1901
- Opened for business July 1, 1901
- Bank was Open past 1935
- For Bank History after 1935 see FDIC Bank History website
- Merged into Citizens NB & Trust Co., Waynesboro, PA June 2, 1988 and changed name to Citizens Bank of Southern Pennsylvania
All of the stock available for the New Citizens National Bank of Greencastle was bought and preliminary arrangements to organize a national bank were taken by April 18, 1901. A building formerly occupied by the Cumberland Valley depot was purchased by the bank for $2000. Officers were elected on April 26, 1901 and included A.G. McLanahan, Esq., president; S.H. Eby, former teller of the old national bank, cashier; and Chalmers P. Omwake, teller. Mr. Omwake was a brother of W.T. Omwake, Esq., president, and of A.B. Omwake, teller, both of the Peoples National Bank of Waynesboro. His brother James E. Omwake was a vice president of the Citizens National Bank.
In June 1921, The Citizens National bought the fixtures and bank vault from the Waynesboro Trust Company. A contract was awarded to Cump of Chambersburg for extensive remodeling of the banking house on North Carlisle Street. The plans included an addition to the banking room, remodeling of the interior, installation of new, more modern furnishings and the erection of a larger burglar-proof vault.
On October 30, 1928, Emmett Sheely, Sunday school leader and former cashier of the citizens National Bank was sentenced to 15 months in the Franklin County prison by federal judge Albert W. Johnson. Sheely pleaded guilty the week before to an indictment charging him with misappropriating more than $70,000 of the bank's funds. A dozen leading citizens of Greencastle appeared in court as character witnesses for Sheely. The Rev. H.B. Burkholder, Sheely's pastor said the defendant was an upright citizen and that the people of Greencastle asked the court's mercy. Assistant US Attorney A.A. Vosburg told the court that Sheely's offense was a serious one and demanded a prison sentence. George F. Smith, National Bank examiner, and I. Jones Parker, department of justice agent, testified that Sheely had been taking funds from the bank for years and that he had covered up the crimes by the theft of bonds and securities from the deposit boxes in the bank, attaching them to his notes as collateral. Directors of the bank never saw the notes because Sheely was secretary of the board.
Mrs. Helen P. Diehl resigned her position as cashier of the Bank of Marion, a state bank, and accepted a position in the Citizens National Bank of Greencastle on June 1, 1922. Her husband, Jacob Diehl was a cashier with the Bank of Marion. She would work in Greencastle as an assistant cashier under Cashier Emmert Sheely until he was removed in 1926 and then under George W. Harsh for 30 more years. In 1957 she tendered her resignation as assistant cashier. She was the guest of honor at a banquet held at the Shangri La attended by the directors and employees of the bank. Mrs. Diehl was presented a gold watch set in diamonds as a token of appreciation for her long and faithful service. She retired effective May 1, 1957 and continued to reside in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, until her death in 1989 at the age of 101.
Official Bank Title(s)
1: The Citizens National Bank of Greencastle, PA
Bank Note Types Issued
A total of $368,820 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1901 and 1988. This consisted of a total of 34,253 notes (18,964 large size and 15,289 small size notes).
This bank issued the following Types and Denominations of bank notes:
Series/Type Sheet/Denoms Serial#s Sheet Comments 1882 Brown Back 3x10-20 1 - 820 1882 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 1260 1882 Value Back 3x10-20 1261 - 1809 1902 Plain Back 4x10 1 - 2112 1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 1932 1929 Type 2 10 1 - 3697
Bank Presidents and Cashiers
Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1901 - 1988):
Presidents:
Cashiers:
Other Bank Note Signers
- James Edward Omwake, Vice President, 1929...1935, Signature
- There are currently no known Assistant Cashier bank note signers for this bank.
Wiki Links
- Pennsylvania Bank Note History
- General information on Greencastle (Wikipedia)
- General information on Franklin County (Wikipedia)
- General information on Pennsylvania (Wikipedia)
Sources
- Greencastle, PA, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greencastle,_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://bbdata.banknotehistory.com
- Harrisburg Telegraph, Harrisburg, PA, Thu., Apr. 18, 1901.
- People's Register, Chambersburg, PA, Fri., Apr. 26, 1901.
- People's Register, Chambersburg, PA, Thu., June 9, 1921.
- People's Register, Chambersburg, PA, Thu., July 28, 1921.
- Peoples Register, Chambersburg, PA, Thu., June 1, 1922.
- Shamokin News-Dispatch, Shamokin, PA, Tue., Oct. 30, 1928
- Public Opinion, Chambersburg, PA, Wed., June 28, 1989.