Farmers National Bank, Lititz, PA (Charter 5773)
Farmers National Bank, Lititz, PA (Chartered 1901 - Open past 1935)
Town History
Lititz is a borough in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, located 9 miles north of the city of Lancaster. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 9,370.
Lititz was founded by members of the Moravian Church in 1756 and was named after a castle in Bohemia near the village of Kunvald where the ancient Bohemian Brethren's Church had been founded in 1457. The roots of the Moravian Brethren's Church date back to the ancient Bohemian Brethren's Church. It was one of the four leading Moravian communities in the Northeastern United States (three others were Bethlehem, Emmaus and Nazareth, each in Pennsylvania).
For a century, only Moravians were permitted to live in Lititz. Until the middle of the 19th century, only members of the congregation could own houses; others were required to lease. The lease system was abolished in 1855, just five years before the beginning of the Civil War.
During a part of the American Revolution, the Brethren's House, built in 1759, was used as a hospital. A number of soldiers died and were buried here. Lititz is also home to Linden Hall School, the oldest all-girls boarding school in the United States. Located adjacent to the Moravian Church on 47 acres of land, Linden Hall School was founded by the Moravians in 1746, a decade before the borough was incorporated.
Lititz had three National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, The Lititz National Bank (Charter 2452), The Farmers National Bank (Charter 5773), and the Lititz Springs National Bank (Charter 9422). All three of those banks issued National Bank Notes.
Bank History
- Organized February 9, 1901
- Chartered April 10, 1901
- Bank was Open past 1935
- Merged with Farmers National Bank of Ephrata (Charter 4923) July 13, 1972, forming Farmers First National Bank of Lititz
In February 1901, it was announced that the new bank at Lititz would be named Farmers National Bank of Lititz and its capital stock was fixed at $60,000. A.F. Hostetter, esq., would be solicitor. The following gentlemen constituted the board of directors: Dr. P.J. Roebuck, William Evans, W.M. Amer, E.L. Garber, H.S. Meiskey, J. Frank Buch, Christian Bomberger, J.W.G. Hershey, of Lititz; Samuel Buch, of Kissel Hill; and Jefferson Usner, of Rothsville.
On Tuesday, February 26, 1901, the directors met and unanimously elected Mr. H. Howard Gingrich of Manheim, cashier. Mr. Gingrich was the head bookkeeper in Abram Kline's hardware store at Manheim, and for eight years had been a clerk in the Manheim National Bank. The president was Dr. P.J. Roebuck; vice president, E.L. Garber; and Secretary, J. Frank Buch.
On Tuesday, January 19, 1909, stockholders elected the following directors: P.J. Roebuck, E.L. Garber, B.H. Bomberger, H.S. Meiskey, William N. Amer, N.B. Leaman, S.W. Buch, J.G. Usner, Hiram Buckwalter, J. Frank Buch, and C.B. Risser. The directors organized by electing Dr. P.J. Roebuck, president; E.L. Garber, vice president; J. Frank Buch, secretary; H.H. Gingrich, cashier and Harry Gingrich and James Breitigan. clerks.
On December 26, 1911, Henry Howard Gingrich, one of the best known and most prominent residents of Lititz, died at his late home on Broad Street, Lititz. Mr. Gingrich had been ailing for a week and on Sunday he sustained a stroke of apoplexy which caused his death. He was born at Manheim on December 28, 1855, and was a son of Henry C. Gingrich, the cashier of the Manheim National Bank for almost 40 years. He received his education at Beck's Academy, Lititz, and was employed as a clerk in the Manheim National Bank until he became cashier of the Farmers National Bank, Lititz, a position he held for ten years until last March, when he was elected president to succeed Dr. P.J. Roebuck. He was also treasurer of the Consumers' Box Board and Paper Company of Lititz, treasurer of the Lancaster and Manheim Turnpike Company and a director of the Lititz YMCA. He was a member of the Moravian church.
On Tuesday, January 10, 1922, the stockholders elected the following directors: S.W. Buch, H.S. Meiskey, J. Frank Buch, E.L. Garber, N.B. Leaman, C.B. Risser, H.H. Reifsnyder, J.W.B. Hershey, Dr. D.S.R. Posey, Joseph B. Wissler, H.J. Pierson, G. Gabriel Diehm. The directors organized as follows: President, S.W. Buch; Cashier, J.H. Breitigan; Assistant Cashier, P.H. Bomberger; Teller, A.L. Douple; Clerk, T.T. Dussinger.
In January 1929, the directors were S.W. Buch, J. Frank Buch, G. Graybill Diehm, W.G. Fanhnestock, J.W.G. Hershey, Eli L. Garber, Allen B. Heagy, H.J. Pierson, S.R. Posey, MD, H.H. Reifsnyder, Christian B. Risser, C.M. Woolworth, and Joseph B. Wissler, Esq. The following were elected as officers: S.W. Buch, president; H.J. Pierson, vice president; J.H. Breitigan, cashier; Paul Bomberger, assistant cashier; Alfred Douple, teller; Miss Violet Helter, stenographer and bookkeeper; James Mummert, bookkeeper. The bank's capital was $60,000. In December, the Board of Directors announced an increase in its capital to $125,000 to be submitted to the stockholders for ratification at the regular annual meeting. The purpose was to qualify to serve in a Fiduciary capacity which under existing Banking Laws of Pennsylvania required a paid-in capital of $125,000.
On January 14, 1930, at the annual stockholders meeting, the following directors were re-elected: S. W. Buch, J. Frank Buch, G. Graybill Diehm, Wayne G. Fahnestock, Ell L. Garber, Allen B. Heagey, Henry J. Pierson, Dr. S.R. Posey, H. H. Reifsnyder. Christian B. Risser, C. M. Woolworth and Joseph B. Wissler. Robert J. Black, of the U.S. Envelope Co., was elected to fill the vacancy caused by the death of J. W. G. Hershey. The officers were elected at an organization meeting on Monday morning. Mr. S.W. Buch, who was a charter member of the bank and board of directors and was elected president in 1912 to succeed H.H. Gingrich, deceased, wishing to be relieved of the duties, was succeeded by Henry J. Pierson. Mr. Buch was elected to a newly created office, that of chairman of the board of directors; Mr. Pierson was elected to the board in 1919 and was elected Vice President to succeed H.S. Meiskey, deceased. C.B. Risser was elected vice President; he was a member of the board of directors since 1903. Jas. H. Breitigan was elected Cashier; Paul Bomberger, Assistant Cashier; Alfred Douple, teller; Violet Helter, bookkeeper, and James Mummert, bookkeeper. At the annual stockholders meeting on January 14th of the 600 shares outstanding 546 voted to increase the capital stock from $60,000 to $125,000. This would enable the bank to serve as executor and trustee under wills; guardian of minors, trustee under voluntary trusts and do practically everything any trust company could do except there was a restriction against investing in stocks. This enlarged service of the Farmers National Bank would meet a demand supplied for some time by Columbia banks, those at Elizabethtown, Ephrata, Manheim, and Mount Joy. Stockholders also approved the reduction of par value from $100 to $10 a share. The market value was $350 so a $10 share was worth $35 and according to law, the old stockholders could buy all the new stock, but the majority of stockholders relinquished 50% of their rights to allow outsiders an opportunity to invest in the bank.
In January 1972, the directors of the Farmers National Bank of Ephrata and the Farmers National Bank of Lititz announced an agreement in principle to a consolidation of the two banks. Jack S. Watson, president of the Farmers National Bank of Lititz said Ephrata shareholders would receive four shares for each share held. On July 13, 1972, the merger of Farmers First National Bank of Lititz and Farmers National Bank of Ephrata became effective.
In July 1974, two Lancaster County banks became the latest in the state to trade in their national charters for state charters. The switchovers with approval of the State Banking Department were made by Farmers First Bank of Lititz and Fulton Bank of Lancaster, both previously had the designation "National" in their names.
Official Bank Title(s)
1: The Farmers National Bank of Lititz, PA
Bank Note Types Issued
A total of $1,493,530 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1901 and 1935. This consisted of a total of 181,877 notes (133,428 large size and 48,449 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 4x5 1 - 1500 1882 Brown Back 3x10-20 1 - 4380 1882 Date Back 4x5 1 - 5000 1882 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 3620 1882 Value Back 4x5 5001 - 8735 1882 Value Back 3x10-20 3621 - 5549 1902 Plain Back 4x5 1 - 8400 1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 1 - 4793 1929 Type 1 6x5 1 - 3256 1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 1906 1929 Type 1 6x20 1 - 478 1929 Type 2 5 1 - 8656 1929 Type 2 10 1 - 4701 1929 Type 2 20 1 - 1252
Bank Presidents and Cashiers
Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1901 - 1936):
Presidents:
- Dr. Peter J. Roebuck, 1901-1911
- Henry Howard Gingrich, 1911-1911
- Samuel W. Buch, 1912-1929
- Henry Jonathan Pierson, 1930-1935
Cashiers:
Other Bank Note Signers
- There are currently no known Vice President or Assistant Cashier bank note signers for this bank.
Wiki Links
- Pennsylvania Bank Note History
- General information on Lititz (Wikipedia)
- General information on Lancaster County (Wikipedia)
- General information on Pennsylvania (Wikipedia)
Sources
- Lititz, PA, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lititz,_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
- Bankers' Magazine, Vol. 108, Jan. 1924-June 1924, p. 514.
- The Inquirer, Lancaster, PA, Sat., Feb. 9, 1901.
- Lancaster New Era, Lancaster, PA, Wed., Feb. 27, 1901.
- The Lancaster Examiner, Lancaster, PA, Sat., Mar. 2, 1901.
- The Lancaster Examiner, Lancaster, PA, Sat., Jan. 23, 1909.
- The Lititz Express, Lititz, PA, Fri., Jan. 29, 1909.
- The Lancaster Examiner, Lancaster, PA, Wed., Dec. 27, 1911.
- Lancaster New Era, Lancaster, PA, Tue., Jan. 10, 1922.
- The Lititz Express, Lititz, PA, Fri., Jan. 20, 1922.
- The Lititz Express, Lititz, PA, Thu., Jan. 17, 1929.
- The Lititz Express, Lititz, PA, Thu., Dec. 12, 1929.
- The Lititz Express, Lititz, PA, Thu., Jan. 23, 1930.
- Lancaster New Era, Lancaster, PA, Thu., Jan. 13, 1972.
- The Ephrata Review, Thu., Dec. 28, 1972.
- The York Dispatch, York, PA, Tue., July 9, 1974.