First National Bank, Salisbury, PA (Charter 6106)
First National Bank, Salisbury, PA (Chartered 1902 - Open past 1935)
Town History
Salisbury is a borough in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The population was 727 at the 2010 census. Salisbury was laid out by Joseph Markley in 1794, with Douglas Baker as the surveyor. Located on the Turkey Foot Road, residents organized as a borough in 1862. The town had a few different names prior to becoming Salisbury. These names included Brushtown and Salsburrich. The Dutch settlers decided on the name Salsburrich because of the salt deposits in the area. In 1862 the borough was incorporated under the name "Salisbury". Elk Lick Township was so named due to a lick which the elk and deer used to frequent and in 1812 the post office was named Elk Lick. The township was organized as a division of Bedford county about the year 1785. Settlements were made very early by immigrants of German and Irish birth. Elk Lick township contains rich deposits of coal, iron ore, and limestone.
Why two names for the same community? As the village seemed to have no official name when a post office was established in 1812, the office was named Elk Lick as that was the official name of the township. Peter Welfley was the first postmaster. By the time the village had grown to sufficient size to be incorporated as a borough, the name Salisbury had become fixed and it was incorporated under that name. The leaders of the incorporation applied to the Post Office Department to have the name changed, but this was refused because Pennsylvania already had a Salisbury Post Office in Lancaster County. In 1926, postmaster O.W. Petry and Hon. S.A. Kendall, the community's representative in Congress and a member of the Congressional Committee on Post Offices and Post Roads, brought the desired result. The name of the Salisbury P.O. in Lancaster County was changed and now the Elk Lick P.O. could be changed to Salisbury. While the image of forests primeval, babbling brooks, and visions of large game is appealing, it was noted that mail for Elk Lick often ended up in two other Pennsylvania towns, namely Elk Lake and Black Lick. Elk Lick post office became Salisbury post office on and after January 1, 1927.
In 1998, Salisbury was hit by two F3 tornadoes on May 31 and June 2. The May 31 tornado killed one person and injured 15 others and the June 2 tornado intensified into an F4 tornado when it struck Allegany County, Maryland.
Salisbury had one National Bank chartered during the Bank Note Era, and it issued National Bank Notes.
Bank History
- Organized December 28, 1901
- Chartered January 27, 1902
- Succeeded Valley Bank
- Bank was Open past 1935
Since its establishment in 1889, the Valley Bank of Salisbury was identified with the agricultural interests of the district. Opened as a side line to the general merchandising business of John L. Barchus, the room was just 9 1/2 X 21 feet and a rough counter served to separate the space reserved for customers from that of the banker. A bell stood on the counter so customers could announce their presence and receive attention from Mr. Barchus if he happened to be in the store adjoining and connected with the bank by a door.
On January 27, 1902, the Comptroller of the Currency authorized the First National Bank of Salisbury, Pennsylvania to begin business with $50,000 in capital. The bank opened its doors for business on April 17th with J.L. Barchus, president; Harvey H. Maust, vice president and Albert Reitz, cashier. The directors of the institution were L.L Beachy, A.F. Speicher, A.M. Lichty, F.A. Maust, A.E. Livengood, H.H. Maust and J.L. Barchus. The bank occupied one of the oldest building in Salisbury, a log structure from which the front was torn away when it was remodeled for its use as a bank.
Christian Shockey, a Revolutionary War soldier, erected the first store building in Salisbury. This building was used by the Barchus and Livengood store and the First National Bank of Salisbury, although remodeled several times since. Mr. Shockey erected it as a residence, store and tavern.
At the annual meeting of stockholders in January 1916, the old board of directors together with two additional ones, Howard Meager and Albert Reitz were elected. The board for 1916 was composed as follows: John L. Barchus, Harvey H. Maust, Albert M. Lichty, N.D. Hay, A. Ernest Livengood, Lloyd L. Beachy, Frank A. Maust, J. Howard Meager and Albert Reitz.
In November 1918, Robert H. Johnston, a conductor on the Pennsylvania and Maryland Street Railway, gave up that job to become cashier of the First National Bank taking the place of Albert Reitz who purchased a dairy establishment in McKeesport. Jacob H. Robertson succeeded Mr. Johnston as conductor on the trolley line. Mr. Johnston continued as the editor and proprietor of the Somerset County Star, a weekly paper published at Salisbury.
In April 1919, Albert Reitz returned to Elk Lick and resumed his duties as cashier of the bank. The winter spent in McKeesport where he owned and operated a dairy had completely restored his health. The officers were J.L. Barcus, president; H.H. Maust, vice president; Albert Reitz, cashier; and Robert H. Johnston, Assistant Cashier. Directors were John L. Barchus, Harvey H. Maust, Albert M. Lichty, A. Ernest Livengood, Lloyd L. Beachy, Frank A. Maust, J. Howard Meager, Albert Reitz, Richard Newman, and H.H. Statler. The bank advertised assets of over $600,000.
After an illness of several months, Alber Reitz died at the Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh on Feb. 14, 1921. His wife, Emma Randolph from Grundy Center, Iowa, was left with five children ranging from 2 years to 15 in age.
In January 1925, directors were re-elected from last year and included J.L. Barchus, A.E. Livengood, H.H. Maust, H.H. Statler, L.L. Beachy, Richard Newman, E.E. Haselbarth, and P.S. Davis. The directors elected the same officers, J.L. Barcus, president; H.H. Maust, vice president; Robert H. Johnston, Assistant Cashier; and Mrs. Ada Lichty, bookkeeper.
In January 1927, the directors elected J.L. Barchus and H.H. Maust as president and vice president, respectively, while Robert H. Johnston was elected cashier and Mrs. Albert Fay Lichty, assistant cashier.
In 1930 the officers were J.L. Barchus, president; A.E. Livengood, vice president; Robert H. Johnston, cashier; A.G. Lichty, assistant cashier. The directors were Mssrs. Barchus and Livengood, E.E. Haselbarth, Richard Newman, H.H. Maust, H.H. Statler, P.S. Davis, and L.L. Beachy.
As of December 31, 1938, the Bank reported total assets of $444,512.72 with capital stock of $50,000, a surplus of $50,000 and deposits of $339,825.18. A notice was sent by Robert H. Johnston, cashier, to stockholders of a meeting on May 26, 1939, for the purpose of voting on the proposal to place the bank in voluntary liquidation. The bank consolidated with the Citizens National Bank of Meyersdale in 1938.
John L. Barchus died of a heart attack on Tuesday, October 3, 1939. He was born in Salisbury on October 10, 1865, a son of Daniel and Barbara (Livengood) Barchus. In his early years he became a partner in the Salisbury general store and in 1889 founded the community's first bank, naming it the Valley Bank of Salisbury. That bank operated out of a portion of the storeroom until it relocated to its own structure. Shortly after the consolidation with the Citizens National, he sold his interest in the store and retired due to failing health.
Official Bank Title(s)
1: The First National Bank of Salisbury, PA
Bank Note Types Issued
A total of $1,044,440 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1902 and 1935. This consisted of a total of 83,860 notes (71,008 large size and 12,852 small size notes).
This bank issued the following Types and Denominations of bank notes:
Series/Type Sheet/Denoms Serial#s Sheet Comments 1902 Red Seal 3x10-20 1 - 3650 1902 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 4500 1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 4501 - 7988 Plate dated 1901 1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 1 - 6114 Plate dated 1921 1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 1352 1929 Type 1 6x20 1 - 410 1929 Type 2 10 1 - 1908 1929 Type 2 20 1 - 372
Bank Presidents and Cashiers
Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1902 - 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
- Pennsylvania Bank Note History
- General information on Salisbury (Wikipedia)
- General information on Somerset County (Wikipedia)
- General information on Pennsylvania (Wikipedia)
Sources
- Salisbury, PA, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salisbury,_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
- Lykens Register, Lykens, PA, Fri., Jan. 31, 1902.
- The Republic, Meyersdale, PA, Thu., Apr. 24, 1902.
- The Republic, Meyersdale, PA, Thu., June 11, 1914.
- The Republic, Meyersdale, PA, Thu., Nov. 19, 1914.
- The Republic, Meyersdale, PA, Thu., Jan. 27, 1916.
- The Republic, Meyersdale, PA, Thu., Nov. 14, 1918.
- The Republic, Meyersdale, PA, Thu., Apr. 17, 1919.
- The Republic, Meyersdale, PA, Thu., Oct. 9, 1919.
- The Republic, Meyersdale, PA, Thu., Feb. 17, 1921.
- The Republic, Meyersdale, PA, Thu., Jan. 22, 1925.
- The Republic, Meyersdale, PA, Thu., Dec. 16, 1926.
- The Republic, Meyersdale, PA, Thu., Feb. 3, 1927.
- The Daily American, Somerset, PA, Tue., July 1, 1930.