USA > Kansas > Nemaha County > History of Nemaha County, Kansas > Part 21
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The legislature convened on the first Monday in July. Its acts took effect as soon as they were passed, being now best known as the "Bogus Laws of Kansas." Among other things, provision was made
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HISTORY OF NEMAHA COUNTY
for the organization of nineteen counties in the Territory, including that of Nemaha, the boundaries of which were defined, as they have been given, and as they now exist.
Cyrus Dolman was appointed probate judge; James E. Thompson. sheriff, the latter being soon superseded by James E. Hill, and Edwin Van Endert, county treasurer. The first county commissioners were Jesse Adamson, of Nemaha township; David P. Magill, of Capioma township, and Peter Hamilton, of Red Vermillion township. Rich- mond was made the temporary county seat, remaining the official busi- ness center until 1858, when the county seat question was decided by the people.
COURT HOUSE, SENECA, KANS.
October 6, 1856, the pro-slavery men held an election, at which Cyrus Dolman was elected a member of the second Territorial legisla- ture, receiving twelve votes. At this time the counties of Doniphan. Brown, Nemaha, Marshall, Riley and Pottawatomie, constituted the council district, and those of Nemaha and Brown the representative district. October 5, 1857, the former of these elected Benjamin Harding,
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of Doniphan, and Andrew F. Mead, of Riley; the fourth representative district choosing E. N. Morrill, of Brown county. The members of the council held office for two years, the representatives for one session only. This, the third Territorial legislature, placed Nemaha county with Brown, Pottawatomie, Marshall and Washington in the fifth council district ; constituting Brown county the eighth, and Nemaha the tenth representative district. When it came to the election of State ·senators and representatives, the districts were again changed, Nemaha being at present associated with Marshall in the election of senator, and herself entitled to two representatives. In the official roster which follows, no further account is made of these changes, the list merely showing Nemaha's representation, whether solely her own or in con- junction with other counties. The first election for county officers was held November 8, 1859, the incumbents prior to that time holding their position by appointment. Samuel Lappin had been registrar of deeds ; R. N. Torry performed the duties of county clerk, clerk of the district court, and succeeded Edwin Van Endert as county treasurer. The pro- bate judges from 1855 had been, in the order named, Cyrus Dolman, Morton Cave and Haven Starr. J. C. Hebbard, and subsequently J. W. Fuller were county superintendents of public instruction, the former making the first annual report of school matters of the county to Samuel W. Greer, Territorial superintendent.
The election resulted as follows. County clerk, R. U. Torrey county treasurer, Charles F. Warren; registrar of deeds, Samuel Lap- pin ; sheriff, John S. Rogers; county superintendent, J. W. Fuller ; probate judge, Haven Starr.
The first court house stood on lot 4, block 74, on Main street. It was a small two story frame building, the lower room of which was used for general meeting purposes, and the upper part by the county officers. In December, 1860, it was burnt. A building for court pur- poses, but too small for county offices, was at once erected, on the corner of Main and Castle streets, in Seneca. and in this the first term of district court in Nemaha county was held November II, 1861, prior to this time Nemaha county having been associated with Brown county for judicial purposes. Albert H. Horton, of Atchison, was, at this time, district judge, having succeeded Judge Albert L. Lee, who had received a commission as major in the Seventh Kansas. The district clerk was I. C. Hebbard, to whom Homer L. Dean, the clerk of Brown county, had turned over the books and papers belonging to Nemaha county. The grand jury who served at this term of court consisted of John Downs, Thomas Carlin, Isaac H. Steer, Elias B. Church, James Larew, Salem B. Dodge, Samuel Dennis, T. A. Campfield, H. A. Goodman, Hezekiah Grimes, John Hodgins, William Histed, John Kilmer, Augus- tus Wolfley, H. D. Channell and James M. Randel. William Histed was the foreman. The most important case upon the docket was that of the State of Kansas vs. Josiah Blancett, wherein the defendant stood
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HISTORY OF NEMAHA COUNTY
charged with the murder of Thompson Wilson. The verdict was "Not guilty." The indictment failed to state that the murder was committed in Nemaha county. In 1855 three county commissioners were ap- pointed. From that time until the spring of 1860, the chairman of the township board was the supervisor of the county board. In 1860 three commissioners at large were chosen, a like number being elected each alternate year until 1878, when the system was changed, so that one was elected each year, to hold office three years. The population of the county at various times has been as follows: 1855, ninety-nine ; no return was made at this census of the number of voters. In 1857, 512, voters, 140; 1860, 2,436; 1870, 7,296; 1880, 12,463; 1881, 13,476; 1882, 15,073.
As originally divided the county had, for municipal purposes, nine townships: Rock Creek, Nemaha, Clear Creek, Richmond, Capioma, Valley, Home, Granada and Red Vermillion. These have, at various times, been sub-divided, forming Washington, Gilman, Illinois, Harri- son, Neuchatel, Reilly and Wetmore. In July, 1882, the commissioners further changed the local geography, by the creation of Mitchell town- ship, from Home, Richmond and Valley ; and of Adams township, from Valley and Capioma, the two dividing Valley equally between them and blotting it from the map.
The official roster of the county since its organization is as follows :
Council- 1855, John W. Foreman; 1857, Benjamin Harding, Andrew J. Mead; 1859, Luther R. Palmer.
State Senators -- 1860, Samuel Lappin; 1862, Byron Sherry ; 1864, Samuel Spear ; 1866, George Graham ; 1868, Albert G. Spear ; 1870, Joseph Cracraft; 1872, E. N. Morrill: 1874, J. M. Miller ; 1876, E. N. Morrill, (for four years) ; 1880, I. F. Collins; 1884, W. W. Smith; 1888, R. M. Emery ; 1892, Hiram F. Robbins; 1896, A. L. Coleman ; 1900, J. K. Codding; 1904. George P. Hayden; 1908, Oscar Fagerberg; 1912, James M. Meek.
Territorial Representatives 1855, R. L. Kirk. John H. Stringfellow ; 1856, Cyrus Dolman ; 1857, E. N. Morrill ; 1858, George Graham; 1859, Morton Cave; 1860, Charles C. Coffinbury.
State Representatives-1860, David C. Auld. D. E. Bal- lard; 1861, Harrison Foster, F. P. Baker; 1862, John S. Hidden ; 1863, Richard Bradley, J. S. Hidden; 1864, J. D. Sammons, C. C. Coffin- bury; 1865, James K. Gross, George Graham; 1866, T. B. Collins, Jos- eph Hanemum ; 1867, Philip Rockefeller, John Hodgins; 1868, Samuel Lappin, Daniel Helpshrey; 1869, L. Hensel, William Morris; 1870, Richard Johnson, A. Simons; 1871, Ira F. Collins, H. C. DeForest; 1872. Cyrus L. Schofield, H. C. DeForrest; 1873, J. E. Taylor, C. S. Cummings ; 1874, G. W. Brown, S. P. Conrad; 1875, D. R. Magill, S. P. Conrad; 1876, I. F. Collins, L. C. Preston (for two years) ; 1878, E. G. Stitt, M. L. Wilson : 1880, N. F. Benson, A. W. Cracraft; 1882, Wright
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HISTORY OF NEMAHA COUNTY
Hicks, R. C. Bassett; 1884, J. E. Corwin, C. S. Cummings; 1886, G. W. Conrad, A. L. Coleman : 1888, W. J. Bailey, D. M. Yonkman ; 1890, R. D. McCliman, Ezra Carey ; 1892, R. D. McCliman ; 1894, G. W. John- son ; 1896, G. W. Johnson; 1898, George P. Hayden; 1900, George P. Hayden ; 1902, George P. Hayden; 1904, S. R. Myers; 1906, S. R. My- ers; 1908, James M. Meek; 1910, James M. Meek; 1912, R. W. Moor- head ; 1914. R. W. Moorhead.
Sheriffs- -1855, James E. Thompson, superseded by James E. Hill; 1857, John S. Rogers ; 1859, John S. Rogers ; 1861, John S. Rogers; 1863, William Boulton ; 1865, William Boulton ; 1867, Abram Kyger; 1869, Abram Kyger: 1871, David R. Magill; 1873. David R. Magill; 1875, Richard Johnson ; 1877, James Martin ; 1879, D. R. Vorhes ; 1881, D. R. Vorhes ; 1883, Nathan B. Lohmuller ; 1885, Nathan B. Lohmuller ; 1887, William Dennis; 1889, William Dennis ; 1891, George A. Lyman ; 1893, George A. Lyman ; 1895, A. J. Murray ; 1897, A. J. Murray ; 1899, H. G. Campbell; 1902, H. G. Campbell; 1904, William Dennis ; 1906, William Dennis; 1908, C. B. Andrews; 1910, C. B. Andrews; 1912, J. G. Battin ; 1914, J. G. Battin.
County Clerks -- 1855. R. U. Torrey; 1857, R. U. Torrey; 1859, R. U. Torrey; 1860, Byron Sherry (to fill vacancy) ; 1861, William F. Wells; 1863, J. W. Fuller ; 1865, J. W. Fuller ; 1867, J. W. Fuller ; 1869, J. W. Fuller; 1871, Joshua Mitchell; 1873, Joshua Mit- chell ; 1875, Walter J. Ingram ; 1877. Joshua Mitchell; 1879, Joshua Mit- chell; 1881, Joshua Mitchell: 1883, Richard S. Robbins; 1885, Richard S. Robbins ; 1887, W. E. Young ; 1889, W. E. Young ; 1891, Charles W. Hunt ; 1893, Charles W. Hunt ; 1895, Frank M. Hartman ; 1897. Frank M. Hartman; 1899, A. G. Sanborn, (to fill vacancy) ; 1899, A. G. San- born; 1902, B. F. Eaton; 1904, B. F. Eaton; 1906, E. S. Kandel; 1908, E. S. Randel ; 1910, J. L. Sourk ; 1912, J. L. Sourk ; 1914, W. L. Kauff- man.
Registrars of Deeds -- 1855 to 1859, Samuel Lappin; 1859, Samuel Lappin; 1861, J. H. Peckham; 1863, William Smith ; 1865, William F. Wells; 1867, Abijah Wells; 1869, Peter McQuaid; 1871, J. H. H. Ford; 1873. J. H. H. Ford; 1875, J. H. H. Ford; 1877, J. H. H. Ford : 1879, Roy A. Thompson ; 1881, Roy A. Thompson ; 1883, Roy A. Thompson ; 1885, W. F. Drees ; 1887, J. H. Walters ; 1889, J. H. Wal- ters: 1891, Albert C. Eigerman ; 1893, Van B. Fisher; 1895, Van B. Fisher; 1897, William Callahan; 1899, William Callahan; 1902, R. T. Bruner : 1904, R. T. Bruner ; 1906, John M. Taylor ; 1908, John M. Tay- lor ; 1910, F. B. Crandall : 1912. F. B. Crandall : 1914. George C. Britt.
County Treasurers- -1855, Edwin Van Endert; 1857, R. U. Torrey (acting) ; 1859, Charles F. Warren; 1861, Charles G. Scraf- ford : 1863, J. H. Peckham; 1865, J. H. Peckham; 1867, J. C. Hebbard ; 1869, J. C. Hebbard; 1871, O. C. Bruner; 1875, Edward Butt; 1877, Edward Butt: 1879, T. W. Johnson; 1881, T. W. Johnson; 1883, Robert E. Nelson ; 1885. A. C. Moorhead : 1887, A. C. Moorhead ; 1889, Edward
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HISTORY OF NEMAHA COUNTY
Butt; 1891, Edward Butt ; 1893, Charles E. Isaacson : 1895, Charles E. Isaacson ; 1897, R. D. McCliman ; 1899, R. D. McCliman ; 1902, W. R. Grahamı; 1904, W. R. Graham; 1906, W. G. Rucker, 1908, W. G. Rucker; 1910, R. T. Bruner ; 1912, R. T. Bruner : 1914, H. P. Zahm.
Probate Judges -- 1855, Cyrus Dolman; 1857. Morton Cave; 1859, Havens Starr; 1860, Thomas S. Wright; 1862, James R. Gross ; 1863, James P. Taylor (to fill vacancy); 1864, H. H. Lanham: 1866, H. H. Lanham; 1868, H. H. Lanham ; 1870, H. H. Lanham ; 1872, Will- iam Histed: 1874, H. H. Lanham; 1876, H. H. Lanham; 1878, George Graham; 1880, William Histed: 1882, J. F. Thompson ; 1884, J. A. Amos; 1886, J. A. Amos: 1888, Elwin Campfield; 1888, Elwin Camp- field (to fill vacancy) ; 1890, Elwin Campfield; 1892. J. E. Corwin; 1894, J. E. Corwin : 1896, R. W. Moorhead; 1898. R. W. Moorhead : 1900, WV. W. Simon; 1902, W. W. Simon: 1904. W. W. Simon; 1906, John T. Campbell; 1908, John T. Campbell; 1910, John T. Campbell ; 1912, J. E. Taylor : 1914, William H. Higgins.
Superintendents of Public Instruction --- 1857.J. C. Hebbard ; 1859, J. W. Fuller; 1860, F. P. Baker; 1861, Daniel Foster (to fill vacancy) ; 1862, J. C. Hebbard (to fill vacancy) ; 1862, Thomas B. Shepard; 1864. L. C. Preston ; 1865, Thomas D. Shepard (to fill vacancy) ; 1866, Thomas D. Shepard; 1868, J. S. Stamm; 1870, P. K. Shoemaker: 1872. Josiah D. Sammons; 1874, Abijah Wells; 1876, Abijah Wells; 1878, Abijah Wells; 1880, J. A. Amos ; 1882, J. A. Amos ; 1884, E. H. Chapman ; 1886, E. H. Chapman ; 1888, J. J. McCray ; 1890, J. J. McCray ; 1892, Milton Todd; 1894, C. A. Strong; 1896, Milton Todd; 1898, J. G. Schofield; 1900, J. G. Schofield ; 1902, W. T. Ander- son ; 1904, W. T. Anderson ; 1906, Milton Poland; 1908, Milton Poland ; 1910, WV. R. Anthony ; 1912. W. R. Anthony ; 1914, W. R. Anthony.
Clerks of the District Court -- 1859, R. U. Torrey; 1861, J. C. Hebbard; 1862, O. C. Bruner; 1864. William Histed; 1866 Abijah Wells; 1867, D. B. Mckay (to fill vacancy) ; 1868, J. H. Will- iams; 1870, George Gould; 1872, George R. Benedict; 1874, George R. Benedict : 1876, George R. Benedict ; 1878, George R. Benedict : 1880, George R. Benedict ; 1882. James H. Gleason ; 1884, James H. Gleason ; 1886, James H. Gleason; 1888, James H. Gleason; 1890, H. B. Crary ; 1892, H. B. Crary: 1894, D. M. Linn; 1896, D. M. Linn; 1898, J. D. Magill; 1900, Blanche Magill : 1902, Blanche Magill; 1904, Lulu Ervin ; 1906, Lulu Ervin; 1908, Lulu Ervin; 1910, Lulu Ervin ; 1912, J. L. Neighbor ; 1914, Mabel Worley.
County Commissioners-1855, Jesse Adamson. David P. Magill, Peter Hamilton ; 1857, George Graham, A. A. Wood. John Low- ery, William R. Wells, Thomas S. Wright, Peter Hamilton ; 1859. George Graham, G. H. Baker, Morton Cave, Charles C. Coffinbury, Thomas S. Wright. Peter Hamilton: 1860, (spring election), John Ellis, Charles C. Coffinbury, Garnett Randel ; 1860 (regular election), John Ellis, David M. Locknane, Moses Shepard: 1861. John T. Good-
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pasture, Nicholas Hocker and Samuel Bradshaw (M. H. Terrell suc- cessfully contested Hocker's seat, the only contested election in the country) ; 1863, Edward McCaffrey, Jacob Nicholson, Moses Shepard ; 1865, L. P. Hasen, George D. Searles, Albert Bonjour; 1867, E. F. Bouton, John M. Ford, H. M. Metcalf; 1869, Archibald Moorhead, George D. Searles, Henry O. Stauffer; 1871, Archibald Moorhead, George D. Searles, Henry O. Stauffer ; 1873, George H. Adams, C. W. Conrad, Patrick Reilly ; 1875, George H. Adams, Patrick Reilly, Aaron H. Burnett; 1877, George H. Adams, Aaron H. Burnett, T. M. Dur- land; 1878, G. H. Adams; 1879, T. M. Durland; 1880, A. H. Burnett; 1881, George H. Adams; 1882, T. M. Durland; 1883, D. B. McKay ; 1884, A. C. Moorhead; 1885, J. M. Randel, Richard Johnson; 1886, S. R. Myers, Charles B. Thummel; 1888, J. M. Randel; 1889, Charles B. Thummel; 1890, G. W. Myrick; 1891, James M. Meek, James Fisher (to fill vacancy) ; 1892, Conrad Droge; 1893, G. W. Myrick; 1894, J. T. Sanders; 1895, Conrad Droge; 1896, H. J. Hazell; 1897, J. T. Sanders; 1898, C. H. Stallbaumer; 1899, D. D. Wickins; 1900, W. G. Rucker; 1901, C. H. Stallbaumer; 1902, D. D. Wickins; 1904, W. G. Rucker, Michael Rogers ; 1906, D. D. Wickins; 1908, Albert Swartz, T. M. Dur- land (unexpired term, August Kramer, Anton Wempe (unexpired term) ; 1910, W. E. Ruse; 1912, Fred Dabner, August Kramer ; 1914, W. E. Ruse.
County Surveyors --- 1881, Mortimer Mathews; 1883, Morti- mer Mathews; 1885, Mortimer Mathews; 1887, E. R. Hopkins; 1888, Mortimer Mathews, (to fill vacancy) ; 1889, Mortimer Mathews; 1891, E. H. Gilbert; 1893, Mortimer Mathews; 1895, Mortimer Mathews; 1897, Mortimer Mathews; 1899, Mortimer Mathews; 1902, Mortimer Mathews; 1904, Mortimer Mathews; 1906, Mortimer Mathews; 1908, Mortimer Mathews; 1910, Mortimer Mathews; 1912, Mortimer Mathews; 1914, E. J. Berg, (refused to serve; M. Mathews was ap- pointed by governor).
Coroners- -1881, Dr. S. S. Kaysbier; 1883, Dr. C. B. Sanford ; 1885, Dr. C. B. Sanford; 1887, S. S. Kaysbier ; 1889, Dr. S. S. Kaysbier ; 1891, Dr. Luther A. Corwin; 1893, Dr. G. H. Anderson; 1895, Dr. Sam- uel Murdock, Jr .; 1897, Dr. Samuel Murdock, Jr .; 1899, Dr. B. F. Her- ring ; 1902, Dr. C. M. Fisher ; 1904, Dr. C. M. Fisher ; 1906, Dr. U. G. Iles ; 1908, Dr. U. G. Iles; 1910, Dr. C. R. Townsend; 1912, Dr. C. R. Townsend; 1914, Dr. Guy A. Graham.
County Attorneys-1882, R. M. Emery; 1884, R. M. Em- ery; 1886, J. W. Cunnick; 1888, J. W. Cunnick; 1890, J. E. Taylor ; 1892, Frank Wells; 1894, Frank Wells; 1896, S. K. Woodworth; 1898, S. P. Nold; 1900, Ira K. Wells; 1902, S. P. Nold; 1904, C. H. Herold; 1906, R. M. Emery, Jr .; 1908, C. H. Herold; 1910, C. H. Herold; 1912, C. H. Herold; 1914, Horace M. Baldwin.
County Assessors-1910, John E. King; 1912, C. Gudenkauf. Office abolished by legislature.
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CHAPTER XXVI.
BANKS AND BANKING.
FIRST BANK IN THE COUNTY-THE SABETHA STATE BANK-WETMORE STATE BANK-FIRST NATIONAL BANK IN THE COUNTY-BANKING INTERESTS DEVELOP-BANKS ORGANIZED-CHANGES AND CONSOLI- DATIONS-FARMERS BANK OF MORRILL ORGANIZED-PRESENT BANKS -THE NATIONAL BANK OF SENECA-FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF SEN- ECA-CITIZENS BANK OF SENECA-THE NATIONAL BANK OF SABETHA -THE CITIZENS STATE BANK, SABETHA-OTHER NEMAHA BANKS.
By Roy Hesseltine.
The first banks in Nemaha county were established in the early seventies. These were the Bank of Nemaha County in Seneca, a cor- poration, and a private company bank in Sabetha, called the Sabetha Exchange Bank, operated by Milo E. Mather. We know little of the early history of the Seneca bank, but the tide of immigration, exhorbi- tant rates of interest, together with the financial aid of the Lemon et al. (St. Joseph, Mo.) interests in the partnership caused the profits of the Sabetha bank to become greater than its manager, Mather, could endure. His ventures did not yield the profits his bank was earning, and he soon found he had overreached in his visions. The result was nearest a bank failure ever known in the county, but in which all loss was finally averted. When he failed individually, his banking partners contested the claims. They were quite numerous and amounted to many thou- sands of dollars, and were largely the accounts of farmers, who pooled their claims and selected and carried to court the claims of Joseph Fox and Jonathan Hesseltine as test cases, which cases were won, and all claims were settled by the St. Joseph partners.
The Sabetha bank was succeeded by the Sabetha State Bank, with Edwin Knowles as its manager, and about the same time a second bank · was started in Seneca, with Willis Brown as its head. Knowles and Brown were interested in both banks. Both banks were well managed and successful. About this time the brick bank building was erected on the corner of Main and Washington streets, in which the National Bank of Sabetha is still domiciled, and Knowles erected what was looked upon as a mansion, which still stands in its original form in Block 20, opposite the Baptist church in Sabetha.
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HISTORY OF NEMAHA COUNTY
Also about this time the Wetmore State Bank was established in Wetmore by Snodgrass, De Forest, Hough et al., which bank still exists under its original name.
Then came a German in the person of A. Obendorff, Jr., who, in a new departure organized the first national bank in the county, at Cen- tralia, which still exists, and Obendorff is still one of its principal owners, although removed from Centralia many years past. Obendorff, like Mather, became a purchaser of lands, and was active in their devel- opment, but his training and thrift rolled up profits instead of loss, and the magnificently planted and improved farm lying a few miles north of Centralia today marks some of the energies of this sturdy German, Obendorff. The writer formed his acquaintance about 1884 while at- tending the first bankers' convention ever held in Kansas City, and in conversation with him, he remarked: "Right here in Kansas City is the best opportunity in the world to enter the banking business at this time." He then proceeded to picture the future of Kansas City.
The immense immigration and settlement of the vast open prairies of the county in the early eighties also brought fast developments in the banking interests of the county.
With Obendorff, of Centralia, the prime mover, the names of George W. Williams, Leopold Cohen, Samuel Lappin, Charles G. Scraf- ford. Edward Butt, Simon Conwell. L. B. Keith, John A. Gilchrist, John Root, Abijah Wells, Ed Taylor, John E. Smith, A. J. Felt, J. P. Taylor, West E. Wilkinson, George E. Black and many others were affiliated with the then and now First National Bank, and the then Seneca State Bank, now the National Bank of Seneca. Edwin Knowles removed from Sabetha to Seneca, and became actively identified with the First National Bank, where he remained until he became cashier of the Cap- itol National Bank of Topeka. He has died within the year. Charles E. Clarkson, of Galesburg, Ill., succeeded him in Sabetha, and Jackson Cotton, from Salem, Ohio, became president of the bank, which changes crystalized the demand for a second bank in Sabetha, which brought forward the names of John T. Brady, T. K. Masheter, A. C. Moorhead. L. A. Perley, John Lanning, Jonathan Hesseltine, H. C. Haines, John L. Mowder, George R. T. Roberts, E. B. McKim, John A. Fulton et al., in the organization of the Citizens Bank, which was located in a frame building where the Newman grocery store now stands, and of which Brady was president and Moorhead, cashier, and in 1883, Roy Hessel- tine became its assistant cashier.
It was about this time that national banks had commenced attract- ing attention. First nationals had been established in Centralia and Seneca, over in Brown county, M. S. Smalley, Charles P. Waste, Eli Davis, J. M. Boomer, Charles Knabb et al. had organized a new first national in Hiawatha, as competitors to the private bank of Barnett, Morrill & Co. The two active competitor banks in Sabetha entered into a contest for the name, first national, in which the newly acquired
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HISTORY OF NEMAHA COUNTY
cashier from Galesburg proved himself the winner, and the then new Citizens Bank accepted the name, Citizens National Bank. George A. Guild became assistant cashier of the First National in 1883. It was also about this time that C. C. K. Scoville emerged from his large loan and law practice and entered the banking field with a third bank in Seneca, which is the present Citizens State Bank of Seneca, and the Wikoff Brothers established their bank at Oneida, while the Morrisons and others established the Citizens State Bank at Centralia.
In 1884, a wedding, in which members of the contending bank fac- tions in Sabetha were parties, together with the failing health of A. C. Moorhead, brought about a consolidation of the First National and Citizens National Banks. Within a short space of time, John T. Brady and George A. Guild succeeded Jackson Cotton and Charles E. Clarkson as president and cashier.
Roy Hesseltine organized the Farmers Bank of Morrill. and became its cashier. A new era of prosperity then came, the Rock Island railway built its Horton-Fairbury line, the Fairview State Bank, with Fred E. Graham as its cashier, the State Bank of Bern, with Charles H. Herold, cashier, were established. Banks were organized in every town of im- portance in the county, and Sabetha's one bank was groaning under its load of carrying and caring for all the new business coming in. Fred E. Graham was recalled from Fairview and made assistant cashier. All of this brought about the organization, in 1886, of the Citizens State Bank, by Jackson Cotton and Roy Hesseltine. Mr. Cotton remained its president until his death, and Roy Hesseltine, its cashier and presi- dent until his recent removal to Oregon because of poor health. It was this strong combination and these men, who, by fair dealings, economy and strict attention to the businness, made the remarkable record of placing this bank, a close corporation, and made a foremost bank of the county, a distinction seldom attained by a bank outside of the county seat towns, and which distinction this bank enjoyed some twenty years.
The present banks of the county, as well as their officers, are fa- miliar to all, and are easily accessible through the numerous directories. The laws governing banks have undergone radical changes during this short space of time. The Kansas banking laws have emerged from nothing to the best and most effective in the United States. The na- tional laws and the new Federal Reserve system have wrought changes almost beyond comprehension, but in keeping with Amercian progress. The writer well remembers when published statement dates were fixed .by law, and the process of "stuffing" for these semi-annual statements would put our public school methods of "stuffing" for examinations in the shade, and it was frequently the bank with officials who could bor- row the largest amounts from their city correspondents. or otherwise, and place to their credit with their banks, who could make the best public showing, or, rather the one who could put up the best bluff and most successfully fool the confiding public.
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HISTORY OF NEMAHA COUNTY
The first examination of the writer's bank by a regular State ex- aminer, consisted in looking over the daily statement a few minutes, the smoking of a cigar, a short discussion of the political situation, a survey as to the chances of re-election of the governor to whom he owed his appointment, and the presenting of his receipt for the legally pre- scribed fees for the examination.
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