By Mark Hotz, Bank Note Reporter March 15, 2010

Last month we finished up our tour of West Virginia coal country and its old small towns, many of which were just clinging to life. For this month and the next, we will journey farther north into Pennsylvania’s old coal country and look at some towns in the scenic Pocono Mountains area.

I had the chance last summer to overnight in Scranton, and while visiting area coin shops I took the opportunity to venture into some old towns in search of national bank buildings. Interstate 81 straddles the Pocono Mountains as it skirts the cities of Scranton and Wilkes-Barre in Pennsylvania’s Lackawanna and Luzerne counties. The city of Wilkes-Barre is bordered by I-81 on the east and the Susquehanna River on the west. On the opposite bank of the Susquehanna sit a series of old towns that at one time, together with Wilkes-Barre, formed the heart of eastern Pennsylvania’s coal country.

The first stop on this tour then is Edwardsville, Pa., in Luzerne County, easily accessible of U.S. Route 11 just two miles west of Wilkes-Barre. Although the area had been settled by Connecticut migrants as early as the 1760s, the community was not incorporated until 1884. It was named after Daniel Edwards, superintendent of the Kingston Coal Co. Kingston is a town just north of Edwardsville, and the new community served mostly as a residential borough for the many ethnic miners who worked the area’s mines.

Edwardsville was the home to two note-issuing national banks. The First National Bank of Edwardsville, charter 8633, was chartered in 1907 but was a short-lived operation, voluntarily liquidating just three years later. It was reorganized into the Peoples National Bank of Edwardsville, charter 9862, a few months later in 1910. Notes from the First National Bank are quite rare—just two are reported—not surprising given the mere $103,000 issued during the bank’s short life.

The Peoples National Bank was a much bigger concern. It survived well past the end of the national currency era, having issued nearly $2 million in large- and small-size notes in 25 years. The current National Bank Note census compiled by Don Kelly shows 10 large and 13 small reported; the large issue of this bank indicates to me that quite a few others are out there somewhere. I have included a photo of a large-size $20 note issued by this bank.

Edwardsville today has a population of roughly 5,000, consisting of a good amount of retirees and others who have lived in the area for their entire lives. Main Street winds through town with a smattering of small business and more than a few vacant lots. Edwardsville, like many of the old coal towns in the Pocono region, has fallen on hard times, and the state of many of the old homes is indicative of this.

There is a coin and stamp shop in Edwardsville, and when I arrived it was just closing up. The owner didn’t seem interested in staying open for even a few minutes longer, and he left me standing on the street as he locked up. A glance through the window revealed a dusty emporium with heaped with piles of bric-a-brac. I had parked in the empty lot next to the shop, and found that the old Peoples National Bank building was just down on the corner. I strolled down for a look.

The bank is a majestic old structure that occupies the long side of the corner of Main and Willow streets. It is constructed of beige-painted brick, with four huge oval-topped segmented windows along the side. Two faux Corinthian-style columns frame the entrance. The building, though in excellent structural condition, is unoccupied. It was a mute sentinel watching over the demise of its once proud home.

I headed out of Edwardsville and proceeded north on U.S. Route 11 on my way to another coin shop. Along the way, I found myself in Wyoming, Pa., another old town just six miles north of Edwardsville. Wyoming is named for the Wyoming Valley, of which the town, as well as the entire Wilkes-Barre area, is a part.

The area was the location of the infamous Battle of Wyoming, which took place in July 1778 when a force of British troops and Tory supporters, aided by 700 Indians, attacked the Wyoming settlers. Vastly outnumbered, the Wyoming settlers were largely massacred, with between 200-300 killed. A monument to this battle is located nearby. An 1809 poem “Gertrude of Wyoming” was widely circulated, and the state of Wyoming was in fact named for the Wyoming Valley of Pennsylvania.

The First National Bank of Wyoming opened at the beginning of 1907 and received charter 8517. This was a long-lived bank, which survived the end of the national currency era and served the community until it was absorbed during the bank mergers of the 1980s. Its national currency issue totaled $1.2 million consisting of all types of 1902 series notes, and 1929 small-size notes of Type 1 and Type 2 in denominations of $5 through $20. The current census shows seven large and 16 small—more probably exist but the interesting “two state” title makes notes from this bank popular with collectors nationwide. I have included photos of lovely $5 notes of large- and small-size issued by this bank.

The old First National Bank building was easy enough to spot as it sits on Main Street (U.S. 11) at the heart of the town. It is now serving as a branch of Luzerne Bank. I located an old photo postcard showing the First National Bank circa 1925, and the building is hardly changed at all today, with just minor cosmetic alterations. Compare the old photo to the shot I took last summer to see for yourself. Wyoming has a nice residential area, considerably more upscale than Edwardsville. The current population is around 3,500.

I continued down U.S. 11 and found the coin shop. The owner was away hunting and his daughter was running the place for the day. In addition, it was her birthday, and some locals had brought her a mess of scrumptious-looking cupcakes that were sitting on the counter. There was no paper money to look at, only a small batch of foreign notes. She couldn’t have been more friendly, foisting cupcakes on me (after she noticed me eyeing them greedily) and making several phone calls to her father (which kept breaking up due to poor reception) to get prices on the foreign notes. He didn’t want to sell any of them, but I did have a nice chat and more than a few delicious cupcakes. No loss after all.

Next month we will take a look at the three other towns I visited on this short sojourn. At the time of printing all of the snow that inundated the Baltimore area should have finally melted away and I should be enjoying the coming of spring. Hope you are, too.



Readers may address questions or comments about this article or National Bank Notes in general to Mark Hotz directly by e-mail at markbhotz@aol.com.



More Resources:

• Subscribe to our Coin Price Guide, buy Coin Books & Coin Folders and join the NumisMaster VIP Program

• 2010 U.S. Coin Digest, The Complete Guide to Current Market Values, 8th ed.

• State Quarters Deluxe Folder By Warmans

• Standard Guide to Small-Size U.S. Paper Money, 1928 to Date

• Strike It Rich with Pocket Change, 2nd Edition