First National Bank, Wayne, NE (Charter 3392)

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Real Photo Postcard of the First National Bank of Wayne, Nebraska, ca1900s. The location is the corner of Main and Second Street
Real Photo Postcard of the First National Bank of Wayne, Nebraska, ca1900s.  The location is the corner of Main and Second Street. Courtesy of Matt Hansen

First National Bank, Wayne, NE (Chartered 1885 - Closed (Merger) 2015)

Town History

Photo of the old First National Bank of Wayne, ca2012.
Photo of the old First National Bank of Wayne, ca2012.  Courtesy of Google Maps

Wayne is a city in Wayne County, Nebraska. It is the county seat of Wayne County and the home of Wayne State College. Wayne County, like the City of Wayne, was named for Revolutionary War General Anthony Wayne. Wayne was founded in 1881 when the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railroad was extended to that point.

In 1898 Wayne boasted two railroads. She had a rolling surface, broad streets abundantly shaded, four banks, water works costing $22,000, a volunteer fire department, two first clas hotels, three grain elevators, a fair ground, fourteen civic societies, an opera house with seating capacity of 800, six organized churches, two public schools, one normal school, three newspapers, flour mill, brick kiln, and an electric light plant under construction. The Wayne Republican, Wayne, NE, Wed., Sep. 14, 1898. In 1890 the population was 1,178, growing to 2,381 by 1930. The population of Wayne was 5,973 as of the 2020 Census.

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

Bank History

Back of RPPC with 1909 statement of condition for the First National Bank of Wayne, Nebraska. The bank had resources of $500,606.90. The directors were Frank E. Strahan, John T. Bressler, H.F. Wilson, Robt. E.K. Mellor, H.S. Ringland, and George Bogart.
Back of RPPC with 1909 statement of condition for the First National Bank of Wayne, Nebraska. The bank had resources of $500,606.90. The directors were Frank E. Strahan, John T. Bressler, H.F. Wilson, Robt. E.K. Mellor, H.S. Ringland, and George Bogart. Courtesy of Matt Hansen
  • Organized August 25, 1885
  • Chartered September 8, 1885
  • Succeeded Logan Valley Bank (Bressler & Patterson)
  • Bank was Open past 1935
  • For Bank History after 1935 see FDIC Bank History website
  • On December 5, 2012, changed to a state charter under the name First Nebraska Bank of Wayne
  • Merged into Elkhorn Valley Bank & Trust in Norfolk, NE, February 7, 2015
John T. Bressler, state senator, was born in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, January 14, 1849.  With his parents he moved to Blair County and lived there until the spring of 1870 when he left Pennsylvania and came to Wayne County, Nebraska to take a homestead where he lived for about 8 years.  In the fall of 1877, Mr. Bressler was elected Treasurer of Wayne County on the Republican ticket.  In 1879 in connection with David C. Patterson also from Huntingdon County, he started the Logan Valley Bank at La Porte, then the county seat of Wayne county.  When the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha railroad was built and the town of Wayne started, the bank was moved to Wayne and in 1885 was reorganized as the First National Bank of Wayne with Mr. Bressler as president and Mr. Patterson as cashier.  He was elected to the state senate in the fall of 1894.  He was engaged in farming, real estate, as well as banking and loan businesses.

In September 1885, The First National Bank of Wayne was organized with the following officers: John T. Bressler, president; D.C. Patterson, cashier; E.L. Jones, assistant cashier. The directors were John T. Bressler, D.C. Patterson, E.L. Jones, J.W. Jones, and Henry Ley.

In September 1900, the officers were: J.M. Strahan, president; F.E. Strahan, vice president; and H.F. Wilson, cashier. The directors were J.M. Strahan, F.E. Strahan, R.E.K. Mellor, George Bogart, rank Fuller, John T. Bressler, and H.F. Wilson.

In January 1929, the officers and directors were John T. Bressler, president; Frank E. Strahan, vice president, H.S. Ringland, cashier; L.B. McClure, assistant cashier; Wm. E. Von Seggern, B.F. Strahan, and A.R. Davis, directors.

On January 14, 1930, at the annual meeting of stockholders, John T. Bressler, Jr., was elected director and second vice president. He would become actively employed in the institution. Other directors remained the same as follows: John T. Bressler, Frank E. Strahan, H.S. Ringland, W.E. Von Seggern, and B.F. Strahan. The officers were John T. Bressler, president; Frank E. Strahan, first vice president; John T. Bressler, Jr., second vice president; H.S. Ringland, cashier; L.B. McClure, assistant cashier.

In August 1936, the officers were John T. Bressler, Jr., president; B.F. Strahan and C.M. Craven, vice presidents; L.B. McClure, cashier; Mable J. Hurstad and Burr R. Davis, assistant cashiers.

Official Bank Title(s)

1: The First National Bank of Wayne, NE

Bank Note Types Issued

1882 Brown Back $5 Proof, D-position, approved October 3, 1885.
1882 Brown Back $5 Proof, D-position, approved October 3, 1885. Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institution Archives
1902 Plain Back $20 bank note with pen signatures of H.S. Ringland, Cashier and John T. Bressler (Sr.), President.
1902 Plain Back $20 bank note with pen signatures of H.S. Ringland, Cashier and John T. Bressler (Sr.), President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com
1929 Type 1 $20 bank note with printed signatures of H.S. Ringland, Cashier and John T. Bressler (Sr.), President. This is a Replacement note.
1929 Type 1 $20 bank note with printed signatures of H.S. Ringland, Cashier and John T. Bressler (Sr.), President. This is a Replacement note. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com
1929 Type 2 $5 bank note with printed signatures of L.B. McClure, Cashier and John T. Bressler (Jr.), President.
1929 Type 2 $5 bank note with printed signatures of L.B. McClure, Cashier and John T. Bressler (Jr.), President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com
Postcard of the First National Bank postmarked December 1961
Postcard of the First National Bank postmarked December 1961.  Courtesy of Matt Hansen

A total of $359,380 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1885 and 1935. This consisted of a total of 48,067 notes (42,520 large size and 5,547 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 - 4151
1882 Brown Back 3x10-20 1 - 543
1902 Red Seal 3x10-20 1 - 620
1902 Date Back 4x5 1 - 1250
1902 DB/PB 4x5 1251 - 1450 Type uncertain
1902 Plain Back 4x5 1451 - 3120
1902 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 1000
1902 DB/PB 3x10-20 1001 - 1160 Type uncertain
1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 1161 - 2196
1929 Type 1 6x5 1 - 416
1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 266
1929 Type 1 6x20 1 - 82
1929 Type 2 5 1 - 548
1929 Type 2 10 1 - 331
1929 Type 2 20 1 - 84

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1885 - 1935):

Presidents:

Cashiers:

Other Known Bank Note Signers

  • No other known bank note signers for this bank

Bank Note History Links

Sources

  • Wayne, NE, 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
  • Souvenir of the Nebraska Legislature 1895-96.
  • Norfolk Journal, Norfolk, NE, Fri., Sep. 11, 1885.
  • The Wayne Republican, Wayne, NE, Wed., Sep. 14, 1898.
  • The Wayne Herald, Wayne, NE, Thu., Sep. 6, 1900.
  • The Wayne Herald, Wayne, NE, Thu., Jan. 10, 1929.
  • The Wayne Herald, Wayne, NE, Thu., Jan. 16, 1930.
  • The Wayne Herald, Wayne, NE, Thu., Aug. 27, 1936.