Citizens National Bank of Emporia, Kansas

Redevelopment of Citizens National Bank Building & New Mixed-Use Development Coming to Downtown Emporia, Kansas

Emporia, KS – Cory Haag, owner of Haag Development announced plans for the redevelopment of the 5-story former Citizens National Bank & Trust building at 527 Commercial in Downtown Emporia. The Citizens National Plaza & Lofts will include commercial suites located on the ground floor with loft style apartments on the upper floors. In addition to the redevelopment there will be a new 3-story mixed-use building built called Preston Plaza and Lofts on the Southeast corner of 6th Avenue and Merchant Street where the former bank drive-thru is located. The new Preston Plaza & Lofts will also include commercial suites located on the ground floor and loft style apartments on the upper floors.

Both developments are located in the heart of the City and will be adding to the extremely popular downtown that was voted “Best Main Street in the US” by USA Today in 2016. Over the last 10 years Emporia’s downtown has continued its rapid growth and revival making it one of Kansas’ most progressive Main Streets. Haag said, “Both developments will continue the development boom in the City which has occurred over the past 10 years, specifically in the downtown district”.

The proposed site is in the heart of downtown Emporia and considered to be one of the most historically significant properties in the City. It was the site of the first permanent building erected on the town site, the Emporia House, a Pioneer Hotel built in 1857. The Pioneer Hotel was the recruiting place for soldiers during the Civil War. In 1924 the current 5-story brick building was constructed to house The Citizens National Bank. The building was considered at the time as being one of the grandest bank buildings built in the Midwest. Haag said, “The redevelopment of the bank building will preserve one of the most historically significant buildings in Emporia. It has been a pillar of the community for close to 100 years.” The 5-story building was built of reinforced concrete that extends into the ground 20 feet below the basement level. The exterior of the building is faced with brown brick, cut stone, and trimmed in detail with terra cotta. Haag says the main emphasis will be preserving the historic integrity of the building and making it useful in today’s age for the next 50-100 years. The redevelopment will consist of two to three commercial suites on the ground floor and twenty loft-style apartments on the 2nd through 5th floors. The buildings hallways and corridors will remain intact to protect the historical integrity of the building. The ground floor of the building will be converted into two to three commercial suites with the former bank vaults being preserved. The new loft apartments will have all the modern amenities offered today along with some of the best views of Emporia. The lofts will have an assortment of studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments with spacious layouts. Construction will start the Summer of 2019 with a targeted completion of Summer 2020. The new Preston Plaza & Lofts building will be built adjacent to the The Citizens National Plaza & Lofts where the former bank drive thru

is currently located. The new mixed-use building will feature two to three commercial suites and twenty-two loft-style apartments. The loft apartments will consist of an assortment of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedrooms that will be spacious and finished with modern amenities todays renters desire. Haag says, “The exterior will be designed to complement the historic architecture that exists throughout downtown Emporia”. “The Preston building will have a very attractive exterior that will incorporate the current water fountain feature on 6th and Merchant”. Construction will start in early Spring of 2019 with a targeted completion of Spring of 2020.

In the past 15 years, the City’s leadership has made an emphasis on redeveloping downtown and preserving its historical qualities. The addition of Citizens National Plaza & Lofts and Preston Plaza & Lofts are consistent with the City’s Comprehensive Plan to add to an already thriving downtown. City Commissioner Danny Giefer said, “Both projects are going to do a great deal to enhance our City and help to bring even more energy and people to our downtown. The developer’s prior projects show a commitment to quality that align with the City’s vision and goals.”

Cory Haag, owner of Haag Development believes the new developments will further strengthen an already vibrant downtown. “Emporia has one of the most progressive Main Streets in the state. The downtown is the “heart” of the community and people take great pride in supporting and preserving it. Both developments will create a unique opportunity for people to live right in the middle of this vibrancy and also preserve one of the City’s most iconic buildings.” Haag has been active the past 10-years in the downtown development of the Granada Plaza & Lofts, Kellogg Plaza & Lofts, Chelsea Plaza & Lofts, Roosevelt Plaza & Lofts, and Legacy Lofts. Haag said, “The City has been active in promoting the growth of downtown Emporia, that support has allowed the City to prosper.”

The new commercial/retail spaces are expected to increase foot traffic along 6th and Commercial Street, which will in turn improve walkability and help to boost the local economy. “Having people working and living in downtown creates synergy and sustainability,” said Main Street Director, Casey Woods, who believes the addition of loft style apartments are important for the long-term growth of downtown. Woods said, “The new development is a short walk to the vibrant city offerings such as the Civic Auditorium, Farmers Market, Live in the Lot, Radius Brewery, Granada Theater, Arts Center, City Library, as well as popular shops and restaurants”. Woods also said, “Emporia has a downtown that is rich in history and cultural. Having a vibrant downtown lifestyle that provides convenient apartment living plus additional commercial/retail offerings is important to helping sustain a strong downtown. We are very excited about the developments and look forward to the positive impact it will have in our community”.

First permanent building in Emporia, the Emporia House Pioneer Hotel, was built.

1857

Emporia House transformed into the store House & Company, a men’s furnishings store.

1864

Opening of the newly constructed Citizens National Bank.

1924

Original First National constructed on site.

1872

Citizens National Bank raided by bandits.

1933

Citizens National Plaza & Lofts rennovations completed.

2020

Consolidation of Emporia National Bank and Citizens National Bank.

1920

National Bank

Former Citizens National Bank enters redevleopment to become commercial suites and apartments.

2018

Citizens National Bank moves into the building.

1899

TWO BANKS COMBINE

The consolidation of the Emporia National bank and the Citizen’s National bank, two of the oldest and strongest financial institutions in Emporia, was announced today by F. C. Newman, president of the Citizen’s National Bank, who will head the new institution. The consolidation will take place formally in 60 days, and the new bank will be located in the Citizen’s National Bank building.

All of the officers and directors of the new bank have not been elected. However, it was announced today that F. C. Newman will be president and L. J. Buck, president of the Emporia National bank, will be a vicepresident.

“Practically the whole organization of the Emporia National bank will be retained,” said C. H. Newman, vice-president of Citizen’s National Bank today.

The name of the new bank has not been chosen but will probably be called the Emporia Citizen’s National bank. With the bank consolidation will be the transfer of the Union building and Loan Association, which will be located in the Citizen’s building. L. Jay Buck will be the president of the loan association.

“We are looking forward to the erection of a new building,” Mr. Newman said today. “We will occupy the building used by Downs & Taylor, and make extensions which will take care of us temporarily.

The consolidation will make one of the strongest institutions in Kansas. The new bank will have a capital of $500,000. The combined deposits of the two banks are more than 3 million dollars and combined resources will be more than 4 million dollars.

The consolidation unties two of the strongest banking institutions in Emporia. The Citizens National bank was organized in 1886. William Jay was president and D. W. Eastman, cashier. The bank was located in the Kress Building and operated as a state bank. In 1891, F. C. Newman, G. W. Newman, and L. L. Halleck bought the controlling interest in the bank, and F. C. Newman was president and Mr. Halleck cashier. In 1899, the bank was nationalized and moved to its present location. The Citizens National has deposits slightly over 2 million dollars.

The Citizens Savings and Trust Company, organized last year, is capitalized at $100,000, has a surplus and undivided profits of $15,000 and its deposits total $883,000. The resources are more than 1 million dollars.

The Citizens Loan and Investment Company has capital stock of $100,000 and a surplus of $100,000.

The Emporia National Bank is capitalized at $200,000 and has a surplus of 100,000. Its deposits total $1,100,000.

The Union Building and Loan Association has

resources of $430,000.

The Emporia National Bank is the oldest bank in Emporia. It was first organized as a private bank in 1867 and was known as the Swallow, Heritage & Soden Banking Company. J. R. Swallow was president, W. T. Soden; vice-president and L. T. Heritage cashier. Its office was at 602 Commercial Street, in the old Emporia News building.

In 1872 the Emporia Bank and Savings Association was organized and took over the business of the private bank. The directors of the association were M. H. Bates, H. E. Norton, I. E. Perley, L. T. Heritage, A. A. Newman, and J. R. Swallow.

The late Senator P. B. Plumb was attorney for the bank and in 1872, he brought about the nationalization of the bank. It had a capital stock of $50,000 and the charter, which was issued by Jon Jay Knox, comptroller of currency, gave it the name of the Emporia National Bank.

In 1873, P. B. Plumb was elected president of the Emporia National Bank and Daniel Bitler and Lewis Lutz were added to the directorate. W. T. Soden was elected vice-president and L. T. Heritage, cashier. Under the direction of Senator Plumb, the bank grew rapidly. He was president of the Emporia National until he was elected to the United States Senate.

In 1874, Major Calvin Hood became identified with the institution. A. G. Ediniston and M. W. Phillips were elected directors. The following year Alfred Roberts was elected a director and Major Hood became vicepresident, assuming the active executive management. Major Hood was elected president of the bank in 1887, the capital stock was increased to $100,000. P. G. Hallberg and L. L. Halleck joined the directorate at that time.

In 1902, L. T. Heritage resigned as cashier of the institution. Thomas Snell, having acquired a controlling interest, was elected to the board of directors. J. F. Deland was chosen cashier, and L. W. Lewis became a director.

Howard Dunlap bought Snell’s interests in 1903 and assumed the management of the institution the following year. The Emporia National consolidated with the Emporia Savings Bank, Mr. Dunlap became president; W. T. Soden, vice-president, L. J. Buck, cashier, and H. E. Peach, assistant cashier. L. W. Lewis became vice-president upon the death of Mr. Soden, and W. C. Hughes succeeded Mr. Lewis when he later died.

Howard Dunlap died last month and L. Jay Buck was elected president of the bank. The bank’s deposits exceed 1 million dollars. It has a capital stock of $200,000 and a surplus of $100,000.

Bank Building Ready for Formal Opening Bank Building Is One of Best in Middle West

The Citizens National bank’s new building, which will be opened formally Saturday, is built for strength and service from the foundation, which extends into the ground 20 feet below the basement level, to the roof which cover the fifth story. The design of the building is attractive, and the building has natural light in the offices and work rooms making conditions as sanitary and comfortable as possible. The building is constructed of reinforced concrete, faced with brown brick. The trim is of terra cotta and cut stone, making a structure which should last 100 years.

Upon entering the bank from the front door on Commercial Street, one is impressed by the beauty and spaciousness of the lobby. Its high ceiling of its pearl white, set off with the dull gold ornamental plaster designs, touched with blue. The side walls are of pearl grey with dull red panels. The floor and wainscoting are of rich grey marble. All fixtures in the lobby and the main banking room are of bronze and glass. Large electric fixtures, close to the ceiling are of dull gold with frosted white lights. The president’s office is a small but well lighted room on the north side of the lobby. Its walls and ceiling are of walnut panels and all hardware is concealed. A similar room used as a private office is south of the lobby. The desks of other bank offices are along the sides of the lobby, extending about onethird of the way back and are behind marble walls. Cages in which the tellers and clerks work border the lobby on both sides at the rear. Behind the cages are the steel fireproof filing cabinets and the latest kinds of banking equipment.

The bank’s safety deposit department occupies most of the basement. The safety deposit room is finished in light grey with walnut woodwork. The floor is terrazzo with marble and wainscoting is marble. Fixtures are of bronze and dull gold, the same as in the lobby on the first floor. North of the safety deposit room is a small office for employees. On the south side are six booths with small desks where persons may take their safety deposits boxes when they open them. When a person leaves one of the booths the door automatically locks and cannot be opened except by an attendant, so if a costumer should accidentally leave securities in the booths no one except a bank employee,

who would know who used the booth last, could enter, and the property would be recovered. Two smaller rooms fitted as offices, are in the basement.

The large airtight and watertight vault, which contains 2,000 lock boxes, is at the west end of the safety deposit department. Walls of the vault are of concrete and are 28 inches thick. Inside the concrete, steel bars are laced, forming a 6-inch network. The floor of the vault is 3 feet thick and is of concrete and steel. A narrow passageway runs around the vault, so the walls will not touch the outside walls, and it is impossible for robbers to break in through the walls from the outside. The vault door weighs 19,000 pounds and locks with (24) 3-inch steel bolts, worked by both combination and time locks. At the rear of the vault is a small compartment where trunk containing valuables and chests of silverware may be stored.

At the front end of the basement is a large room to be furnished with a big table and chairs. It is the community service room and may be used by committees and boards.

In the basement are four toilet rooms, all finished with marble, white woodwork and nickel and porcelain plumbing fixtures.

The heating and ventilating plant is in the rear of the basement. The heating plant consists of a large smokeless tube type boiler which furnishes steam heat throughout the building. An automatic device will regulate the temperature in the basement and the first and second floors. A large hot water heater supplies water to all parts of the building. A refrigerating machine controls the cold water, which is pumped to all parts of the building at even pressure. Compressed air is supplied to the doctors’ and dentists’ offices by a machine in the basement.

The city water pressure is not strong enough to lift water above the third floor of the bank, so a booster station was installed in the basement. It is run and automatically controlled electricity and supplies water to all faucets and fire valves in the building.

The front part of the second floor of the building is used by the bank’s board of directors. One large room, with windows on two sides, contains desks of the directors. Another large room is for the directors’

meetings and from it one may look through a window into the lobby of the bank below. The walls of both rooms are finished in grey, while the woodwork and fixtures are of walnut. A toilet room is also in the front part of the second floor.

The bank’s bookkeeping department occupies the rear of the second or mezzanine floor. The bookkeeping room is finished in a soft grey and has windows on three sides. The concrete floor is covered with a heavy soft linoleum. The telephone switchboard is in the bookkeeping room. A small elevator has been built to carry books from the bookkeeping room to the banking room on the first floor. Rooms on the third, fourth, and fifth floors have been rented for offices. All the rooms are finished with light walls and with either walnut or white woodwork, making attractive offices for doctors, dentists, realtors, and men in other lines of work. All the rooms have large outside windows, and nearly all of the offices have reception rooms.

The upper floors and the basement of the bank building are reached by an electric elevator and by stairways. The entrance to the elevator and the front stairway is on the first floor. Both stairways are of steel and concrete, the only wood being the hand rail. The windows of the bank building are of steel and glass.

Sanitary drinking fountains are one every floor of the building and supply ice cold water from the refrigerating plant in the basement.

All doors in the building are equipped with air door stops to prevent slamming and banging. The doors are large and heavy but swing easily. Hydrants with hose and nozzles furnish protection from fire.

A mail chute runs from the fifth floor to a letter box in the basement and mail is posted at certain intervals.

All plumbing and wiring in the bank is concealed but is so constructed that repairs may be made without tearing holes in the walls and floors.

The room on the northwest corner of the first floor will be a salesroom for the Emporia Floral company. A drug store will occupy a storeroom in the rear of the first floor and Whit Douglass has a cigar store in the elevator lobby.

New Building Is on Site of Historic Hotel

The site occupied by the new Citizens’ National Bank building is the most significant, historically, in Emporia. It was the site of the first permanent building erected on the townsite—the Emporia house, a pioneer hotel—built in 1857. The construction work on the Emporia house was done by John Hammond—father of William Hammond, now living in the Rinker neighborhood—who built the first three houses on the townsite. It was a substantial, weather-boarded building, 2 story; with office, dining room, parlor, kitchen, large dining room pantry, and helpers’ rooms upstairs. Along the trail north of the house which now is Sixth avenue came the covered wagons carrying pioneers from the east seeking new homes to the west and southwest of the Emporia settlement, and many of them stopped. Much of the early day history of Emporia is connected with this site. In a room in the emporia house the first issue of The Kanzas News—the first Lyon county newspaper—was printed, on June 6, 1857. On this corner, in a room in the Emporia house, on June 7, 1857, was held the first religious service on the townsite, conducted by Rev. Mr. Moyer, a Methodist Episcopal minister. There too the First Congregational church was organized, in 1858, by Rev. G. C. Morse, father of Park Morse, and there its services were held for several months. And touching even closer the heart of the entire little pioneer town, in the office of the hotel was established a recruiting place for soldiers of the Civil War. The corner also was the center for the social life of the early day Emporian’s. In the Emporia house the dances and young people’s socials were held. Addison G. Proctor, the brilliant young lawyer from the east who presented Emporia at the Republican convention who nominated Abraham Lincoln, gave a party there in July 1858,

celebrating his twenty-first birthday. Frequently brides and grooms from other pioneer settlements—as far away as Council Grove, which was a long way in those days—came to Emporia on their wedding journeys and stopped at the Emporia house. It the grandest hotel west of Lawrence and Kansas City.

Water for the building was supplied from cisterns, in which rain water was stored. The town company in the beginning hired men to dig for water on a lot back of the site, but after going down 180 feet without success, the well was abandoned. The cisterns also supplied the water for the bucket brigade which saved the building from fire on two occasions. When water in the cisterns ran low, a supply was hauled from the rivers.

Mr. and Mrs. N. S. Storrs, father and mother of Mrs. G. W. Newman, owned the Emporia house, and were in charge of the hotel most of the time as long as the building was used as a hotel. About 1864 or 1865, the first floor was made over into a store building, and the second story was occupied by the Storrs family. The first firm which occupied the store was House & Company, a men’s furnishing store, a branch established by a firm in Lawrence or Kansas City. When the Emporia house first was built on the Citizens corner it was surrounded by bare prairie, before long, however, a street of about two blocks extended north and south, with stores and offices, and an occasional dwelling, along its length. Among the firms in business at the time of the Emporia house, as recalled by early day settlers, were: Fick & Eskridge, general merchandise, on the present site of the Commercial National bank; Horace Bundrem, saddle and harness shop, on the east side of the street between Fifth and Sixth; the Rancroft brothers, who were in the real estate business; Edward Bortan, also in the real estate

business; and Mr. Proctor and Lemuel T. Heritage, who ran a drug store near Fifth and Commercial. Diagonally across the corner, where the Kress building now stands, was the old Emporia News building. The corner has been a bank site since 1872. The frame building was moved to another location, and in that year the 2-story brick building which was torn down to make room for the present 5-story structure, was built on the site by the Holderman brother and became the old First National Bank. Clinton Keeler, contractor, father of Frank Keeler, put up the building. It was built wholly of brick kiln north of town where the Sowerby dairy now is. A man named Pollard ran the kiln.

“Can you put up a building of brick that will not settle or crack in this climate?” Daniel Holderman asked Mr. Keeler, when plans for the construction of the building were being made.

“Yes, if you will build as I want you to build,” the contractor replied. Mr. Holderman told him to go ahead, and so well was the building constructed, its walls were as solid when it was torn down 50 years later, as they were the year they were put there. The Citizens National bank moved into the building in 1899, later purchasing it from Holderman estate. After the Emporia National and Citizens National consolidated, in 1920, the working space was enlarged to take in room in the south of the original building formally occupied by the Downs and Taylor shop. About a year ago the bank moved into temporary quarters one door south, which it occupied while the old building was being razed and the present building erected.

Two bronze tablets—one placed there by the D. A. R. and the Settlers association—are on the north wall of the new building to mark the location of the town’s first building.

SELL THE CITIZENS

Control of Emporia Bank to Limbocker and Kemper

New President M. A. Limbocker, Burlington Banker, Plans No Changes in Officers or Directors.

Papers signed at midnight Wednesday marked the passing of control of the Citizen’s National Bank, Emporia’s largest financial institution, out of the Newman family into new hands.

The bank’s largest stockholder is now William T. Kemper, of Kansas City, and its new president will be M. A. Limbocker of Burlington, also a large stockholder. The remainder of the stock is divided into relatively small holdings owned largely by Emporia and Lyon county. Under the new arrangement neither the Kemper interests, Mr. Limbocker or the Emporia minority stockholders would have absolute control unless at least two of these groups vote their stock together.

At a directors’ meeting held this morning at the bank, the directors accepted the resignation of F. C. Newman as president and elected M. A. Limbocker to succeed him. Mr. Newman was chosen as chairman of the board of directors. Mr. Limbocker said this morning that he contemplated no changes either in the bank or in its board of directors.

The sale of a controlling interest in the bank is in accordance with the wishes of F. C. Newman, who this summer called the board of the directors to his home and, explaining that ill-health would prevent his taking an active part in the affairs of the bank, asked them to find a buyer for his interests and those of his relatives. Those directors since that time have had five offers to purchase the controlling interest and have accepted that of Mr. Limbocker and Mr. Kemper as being the most satisfactory for the bank and the community. There are, in all, 2,000 shares of stock in the Citizens bank and the new management paid at the rate of approximately $280 per share for the block which represents a controlling interest.

TO MOVE TO EMPORIA

The bank’s new president is empathic in his assurances that the Citizens bank will be an Emporia-controlled institution, as he plans to move soon from Burlington to Emporia. He will assume his new duties next Monday morning, although Mrs. Limbocker and their daughter Nadine, who is a senior in Burlington high school, will not move to Emporia until school closes next spring.

Mr. Limbocker was born on a farm near Manhattan, and after attending the Kansas State Agricultural college

and the University of the Kansas, began the practice of law in Kansas City. In 1902, he first entered the banking business in Pomona, leaving there in 1910 to go to Burlington with the People’s National bank He was elected its president succeeding T. W. Foster in 1915, and since he assumed control has seen its deposits rise from $370,000 to $1,300,000.

Mr. Limbocker is empathic in denying the report that he would sell his interest in the People’s National bank of Burlington, of which he also is president --- saying that he intends to remain at its head and actively direct both banks.

W. T. Kemper, the Citizens bank’s largest stockholder, is an important figure in Kansas City financial circles. His oldest son, C. T. Kemper, is president of the Commerce Trust company. Another son, R. C. Kemper, is president of the City bank. A third son, W. T. Kemper Jr., heads a bank in Independence. Mo. Officers and directors of the Citizens bank feel that the new connection with the Kemper interests brings with it additional strength, which, while not needed, will make the bank more independent of local conditions.

An attempt made by a group of Emporians to buy the controlling interest in the bank was brought to a halt early this week when the bank’s directors informed them that negotiations with Mr. Limbocker and Mr. Kemper had practically been completed.

Almost 50 years of Lyon county’s growth and progress is intermingled with the history of the Citizen’s National bank. Fifty years has seen Emporia grow from a raw, pioneer village to a prosperous town and the bank has developed step by step as the town and the county developed.

The Citizen’s National bank was organized in January 1886, as the Citizen’s Bank of Emporia. William Jay was president. D. W. Eastman was the cashier T. J. Acheson was vice president. The first statement issued by the bank in March, 1886, gave the bank resources as $94,535. The statement issued October 4, 1929 at $3,345,736.27. The Citizen’s bank was first located diagonally across the street on the lot now occupied by the Mutual Building and Loan association. Previous to the organization of the Citizen’s bank, a private bank was conducted for several months in the same location, and the Citizen’s bank took over the business of the firm.

H. W. Fisher, who died suddenly only a few days ago, began working in the bank as a bookkeeper immediately after its organization. The first directors of the institution were: William Jay D. W. Eastman, T. J. Acheson, E. W. Cunningham, T F. Byrnes, J. S. Kenyon, Lewis Haver, W. J. Jones and R. J. Edwards. T. F. Byrnes is the only

SELL THE CITIZENS

Control of Emporia Bank to Limbocker and Kemper

one of the original directors now connected with the organization.

The bank was moved from the northeast corner to the southwest corner of Sixth and Commercial in the summer of 1899, after the failure of the old First National bank in November of 1898, which had occupied the site since 1872. The Building belonged to the Holderman estate, but was purchased later by the Citizen’s bank officials. In 1900, the bank was nationalized and its name was changed from the Citizen’s bank of Emporia to the Citizen’s National bank.

NEWMAN SUCCEEDS JAY

F. C. Newman was elected president of the bank after the death of William Jay. John Bond of Americus, who had been made a director the previous year, resigned in 1892 and L. L. Halleck was elected a director and became cashier in place of D. W. Eastman, who also resigned. In 1893 the board of directors was composed of F. C. Newman, R. J. Edwards, D. A. Stahl, J. S. Kenyon, W. J. Jones, T. J. Acheson, F. W. Cunningham, and L. L. Halleck. Major Calvin Hood was made a director of the bank in 1904, and continued in the directorate until his death. Col. J. M. Steele also became a cashier in 1904.

L. L. Halleck was made vice president and H. W. Fisher became assistant cashier.

Mr. Fisher became cashier of the bank in 1913 and in 1921 was made vice president and I. F. Acheson was made cashier. Mr. Acheson began working at the bank in 1908, becoming assistant cashier in 1918. C. H. Newman became assistant cashier in 1910. Soon after the death of Howard Dunlap, in January 1920, the Emporia National and the Citizen’s National banks consolidated, retaining the name of the Citizen’s bank and F. C. Newman as president, L. J. Buck, who had been associated with Mr. Dunlap in the banking business for 31 years, an H. E. Peach, who was assistant/cashier of the Emporia National bank, became vice presidents of the Citizen’s National bank. The present officers of the organization are: F. C. Newman, president; E. H. Rees, vice president; A. S. Langley, vice president; W. R. Coulson, cashier; E. K. Lord, assistant cashier; and R. H. Jaquith, assistant cashier. Directors of the bank when the October 1929 statement was made were: L. T. Bahg, L J. Buck, T. F. Byrnes, J. C. Dumm, H. W. Fisher, A. H. Gufler, H. P. Hood, W. C. Hughes, T. Jensen, J. E. Martin, J. J. Morris, F. C. Newman, J. V. Paxton, E. H. Rees, C. A. Stannard, R. F. Teichgraber, F. P. Warren, and Charles G. West.

The corner on which Citizen’s bank is located was the

site of the first building erected on the townsite – the Emporia House – built in 1857. Much of early day history in emporia is connected with this site. In a room in the Emporia House the first issue of the Kansas News – the first Lyon county newspaper – was printed on 1857. The paper was printed on Saturday. The next day, the first religious service conducted in Emporia was held by Rev. Mr. Moyes, a Methodist Episcopal minister. There too the First Congregational church was organized Rev G C. Morse, father of Park L. Morse. During the Civil war, the hotel was used as a recruiting place for soldiers.

Mr. and Mrs. N. S. Storrs, father and mother of Mrs. G. W. Newman, owned the Emporia House, and were in charge of the house most of the time it was used as a hotel. About 1864 or 1865, the building was made over into a store building and the second story was occupied by the Storrs family.

CENTER OF SOCIAL LIFE

The Citizen’s bank corner was the center for social life of early Emporians. Dances and young people’s socials were held in the Emporia House and the building was known as the grandest hotel west of Lawrence and Kansas City. When the hotel was first built on the corner it was surrounded by bare prairie land, but before long a street about two blocks long extended north and south, with stores and offices and the occasional dwelling. Among the business firms were Fick and Eskridge, general merchandise; Horace Bundrem’s saddle and harness shop; Bancroft Brother’s real estate office, diagonally across the street; The Emporia News office, and a drug store run by a Mr. Proctor and Lemuel T. Heritage. The corner has been a bank site since 1872. The frame building was moved to another location and a 2-story brick building became the home of the old First National bank. Clinton Keeler, contractor, father of Frank Keeler, put up the building. It was built wholly of brick made in Emporia, at the old brick kiln north of town, where the Sowerby dairy now is. A man named Pollard ran the kiln. The Citizen’s National bank moved into the building in 1899. Five years ago, it was razed to make room for the new 5-story building that now occupies the site. The new building is one of the finest in Emporia and contains besides rooms the rooms occupied by the bank and the building and loan association, almost 40 offices and store rooms.

THE BANDIT RAID

Four Masked Men Rob Citizens Bank of $16,970 in Daring Robbery This Morning

TWO MEN CAPTURED

One is Wounded, Probably Fatally, by Chief of Police Roy Clay, Who Waited in Bank Alley

CITIZENS CATCH THE OTHER

Two of Four Men Who Enter Bank and Another Who Waited in Car Escape—Vigilantes in Pursuit

Bandit Car is Followed East Toward Lebo—Is Believed to Have Gone North Toward Reading

Through the big bronze doors came a dozen costumers and four shabbily dressed men, with dirty handkerchiefs knotted behind their heads, on more pressing business. M. A. Limbocker the Citizens’ president had just come through the door leading from the row of cages on the bank’s north side, was about to take his regular seat behind the marble railing where he greets Citizens’ costumers. Several feet behind him was John Langley, the Citizens’ vice president.

HANDKERCHIEFS OVER FACES

One of the four shabbily dressed strangers stepped quickly behind the marble railing, confronted President Limbocker with a brace of high caliber revolvers, and shouted “Stick ‘em up, you sons of b-----s, it’s a hold up!” President Limbocker “stuck ‘em up”. Behind him Vice President Langley quickly flipped on one of the bank’s numerous alarm buttons and he also “stuck ‘em up”

As the big alarm bell on the bank’s Sixth avenue wall rang out, occupants of the office buildings in the second floor of Emporia State bank building looked from their windows of the Citizen’s saw the extended palms of Citizens employees and grabbed for their rifles.

Part of the Bandits following their leader, brushed past Limbocker and Langley through the door leading to the cages, began hastily scooping cash and bills amounting to $16,970.29, which the bank had in readiness for Santa Fe pay day, from the drawers into

sacks, and stuffing it into their pockets. One bandit from the lobby, climbed over the cage occupied by Assistant Cashier Earl Lord and forced Lord back into the narrow corridor behind the cages. Because Lord, whose hearing was bad, did not catch the “hands up” command, the bandit fired at him. The revolver bullet, glancing off the side of an adding machine, grazed Lord’s right hip, scarcely breaking the skin, grazed the sleeve of Miss Edna Krueger, a clerk, knocked plaster from the bank’s wall and rolled to the floor. At the sound, Mrs. Warden McCurdy, a costumer in the lobby, fainted. Ordering all employees to the back of the bank, including Miss Alberta Armstead, elevator girl for Citizens office buildings, the bandits ransacked drawers and cages, leaving behind several thousand dollars in their haste. They made no attempt to reach the vault.

ALARM MAKES THEM NERVOUS

Made increasingly nervous by the jangling alarm bell, the bandits then hurried to the bank’s lobby, cut through the side door passing Billy Soden, proprietor of the Citizens cigar stand, who was lying on his stomach behind his counter, after having first telephoned in a police call. The bandits ran up two flights of stairs to the third floor of the Citizens office building. In the corridor, they encountered John E. Morgan, Emporia dentist, who had heard the alarm and was coming out to see the excitement. The leading bandit knocked him down, braising the right side of his head, and the others jumped over him as they ran to the west end of the corridor, firing as they ran, and then, turning left, came to the door leading to the fire escape. Seldom used, the door stuck so the bandits crashed through the wire-meshed glass of its top panel, climbed through the hole and ran down the fire escape. Three of them reached the alley behind the bank, but the fourth, frightened by the shots of the vigilantes, who by this time came down the alley, jumped to the low roof of the adjoining building.

CHIEF CLAY WAITING

Meanwhile the other three, who had reached the alley turned south for a few feet, and then ran down the passageway which leads between Dumm Furniture store and the Newman store’s warehouse to Merchant street. Just as they entered the passageway, Police Chief Roy Clay’s revolver barked and inflicted the first casualty of the holdup, as its bullet struck the spine of the bandit who was carrying the gunny sack of currency. The man dropped, but a companion jerked the sack from his hands. A second bandit, knocked down by Clay’s shots, jumped up and ran on with the other remaining bandit down the passageway to their blue Buick sedan with a Greenwood county license No. 32-1299, which was parked on Merchant near Dumm’s furniture store.

THROUGH CHASE STUDIO

The other bandit, who did not climb down into the alley, ran across the roof of the Lesh Shoe store building and into the rear window of the George Chase studio and apartment, which is on the second floor. He forced Chase to guide him through the apartment and studio to the stairway, leading down to Commercial street.

The bandit walked leisurely down the stairway, meeting Mrs. Leon Jackson, to whom he said “Lady, they didn’t get me.” He walked down the stairs, south on Commercial and Fifth and turned west. Later an armed man, whom T. F. Marbut had followed from West Fifth avenue into the Second ward, was arrested and identified as the man who escaped through the studio.

MANY SEE CAR DRIVE

Several saw the other three bandits drive away from the parking place on Merchant. Among them were Ross Latimer, John Hilton, and O. H. Weddle. The bandits entered their car leisurely, first taking a rifle from the car, possibly fearing attack. They backed the car south into Merchant, then headed north across Sixth avenue. By that time L. J. Buck,

THE BANDIT RAID

Four Masked Men Rob Citizens Bank of $16,970 in Daring Robbery This Morning

armed with a .44 revolver, came running west on Sixth avenue. He spotted the car as it crossed Sixth. He was able to get to the north side of Sixth avenue as the car passed and standing back of a parked car, he fired at the robbers and emptied his revolver. His bullets went through the back of the car breaking the glass.

The car sped north to Eighth and turned east. At the intersection of Eighth and Commercial the car nearly ran down Mrs. Havener Parish and her two children. While crossing Commercial, they almost hit a car driven by F. L. Robinson. Robinson thought they looked like bandits and stopped and telephoned the police, not knowing of the holdup.

VIGILANTES ACT QUICK

Fred Day of Lyon County State Bank said that the vigilantes were on the job about two minutes after the robbery. In the posse were Russell Williamson, of the Citizens bank; Lloyd and Girard Price, of the Lyon county bank, and Max Harris, of the Commercial National. Mr. Day said at one time the vigilantes were not more than a block behind the bandit car, but filling station attendants on East Sixth avenue reported that the bandit car was outdistancing the pursuers. From Lebo, the vigilantes telephoned that the bandits had not been seen more than 4 ½ miles east of Emporia.

Before noon today W. W. Finney reported that a telephone call from Reading was to the effect that the car has gone through Reading. It was a Buick sedan, and was identified by the shattered rear window. The car’s license number was taken by several persons, including Ross Latimer as he stood in front of the Maytag agency on Merchant street and by Mr. Weddle from the Kansas Electric Power company. The tag number was 32-1299 issued in 1932.

Joe Ralston, county attorney at Burlington, arrived in Emporia shortly before noon and is assisting in the investigation of the two captured bandits.

Finger prints of the wounded man at the hospital were taken late this morning by

Policeman Ben Taggart. Craig was to be printed and further this afternoon. He seemed “doped” this morning. He denies any implication in the holdup even though confronted by at least 10 persons who positively identified him as a member of the bandit crew.

CRAIG TO CITY JAIL

Sam Craig the captured bandit was transferred from the county jail to the new city jail at 2:30 o’clock this afternoon, so that he could be in solitary confinement. He first was searched thoroughly and then his clothing was exchanged. He is tall and slender and has a rather sallow completion. This morning his face was flushed. The police this afternoon learned that the license number on the bandit car, a 1932 tag, is one issued to a Madison man for a Buick coupe. It was said that the owner had exchanged the old tags for 1933 tags in a Eureka garage Tuesday night and that the bandits apparently stole the old tags. The burglar alarm rang in the police station between 9:05 and 9:10 o’clock this morning to break the news to the police that the bank was being robbed. At the time, Officers Ben Taggart and Tom Fleming were in the office. Chief of Police Roy Clay was on Commercial street in front of the McCarthy Hardware company store, and Charles O’Brien was not far from the bank. Tom Fleming went to the J. A. McClure insurance office across the street from the bank and was ready to pop off any bandits who might come out the front door. Taggart went to the rear of the bank and got in on the shooting on Merchant street, along with L. J. Buck, James Hollardsworth and others. Clay took his post in the rear door of the Lesh shoe store and O’Brien said he was in front of the bank ready to shoot it out, but the bandits didn’t come out the front way. The officers had no time to meet and organize their defense and each was pretty much “on his own.”

Chief Clay was regretting today that he had only one pistol with him. “If I had had two guns, I could have got all three of the

bandits in the alley,” he said.

SEES BANDITS BEFORE ROBBERY

Walter Jones saw the bandits on their way to the bank. Jones said he saw four men on Sixth avenue walking east along the bank building. Apparently they were coming from their parked car. They walked with one hand concealed under their undercoats.

In one of the posses which gave chase to the bandits were H. W. Glass, Ernest Ireland and J. A. Lawrence. They were in Glass’ car. They chased the bandits to the Lebo crossing, where the bandits turned north on a side road. The pursuers, who had been in sight of the bandits at various times, lost track of them there. The Glass car picked up Chester Morris, of the Citizens bank, in Lebo.

SHERIFF TO WICHITA

Sheriff Joe T. Dailey and undersheriff R. M. Anderson drove to Wichita this afternoon to investigate the record of the man who said he was Sam Craig. In a telephone conversation with Wichita police this morning, County Attorney C. V. Beck was told that a man by the name of Sam Craig had been living at 710 ½ East Douglas in Wichita. This tallied with the address Craig gave officers upon his arrest. Wichita police are checking persons known to be associates of Craig, in an attempt to identify other members of the bandit quintet.

Bob Rees, an employee of the Dumm furniture company, positively identified Craig as one of the four men he saw go into the bank at the time of the robbery. Rees, in a statement before Beck this afternoon, said he had walked behind the quartet from Merchant to Commercial streets about 9 o’clock. The men walked in double file. Rees said, and Craig was at the left in the front. Rees became suspicious when he saw a large revolver in the back pocket of a tall member of the party. The tall man wore a tan suit and walked in the rear. He walked with a shuffle. Rees testified, as if he might be slightly lame. The men walked slowly ahead of Rees the entire length of the block.

ONE OF THE BANDITS MAY NOT LIVE

Is Shot by Chief of Police Roy Clay as Man Leaves Bank with Sack of Money

BULLET IN HIS SPINE Under Heavy Guard in Newman Memorial Hospital—Does Not Talk Second Man Is Trailed by T. F. Marbut and Later Captured by posse—is Identified by Several of Victims

One of the five bandits who robbed the Citizens National bank was shot soon after he left the bank building and another man, who was captured by citizens and a Santa Fe officer in the Second ward, was identified as one of the bandits. Both men were heavily armed. The wounded man could not talk. His condition is critical. The other man, who said his name was Sam Craig and his address was in Wichita, denied any knowledge of the robbery, although a dozen persons identified him as one of the bandits. The man said he came into Emporia on a freight train this morning and was walking east, trying to get out of town when he was arrested. From the courthouse, where he was questioned by County Attorney Clarence V. Beck, the man was taken to the bank where he was identified.

PART OF THE LOOT FOUND

Part of the loot was recovered from the clothing of the wounded bandit now in Newman Memorial County hospital. He carried $570.50 in loose bills and half dollars in the outside pocket of his overcoat, money he evidently had scraped up from the bank counters. The recovered money was in $1, $5, $10 and $20 bills except for the nine 50-cent pieces. Chief of Police Roy Clay turned the money over to bank officials late this morning.

CLAY IS WAITING FOR THEM

The wounded bandit captured was shot twice by Chief of Police Roy Clay, who has heard the alarm and stationed himself at the rear door of the Lesh Shoe Store, just south of the bank building. The three robbers alighting from the fire escape at the rear of the bank, walked south down the alley to the west passageway. They filed past Cay’s hiding place and were easy marks for his revolver.

The man Clay wounded was leading the trio and carrying a money sack. Clay’s bullets dropped him shortly after he entered the passageway, running west. A second bandit was shot twice by Clay, once being knocked to the ground. He got to his feet and managed to reach the car. The third bandit, wearing a light coat, appeared in Clay’s range after the officer had emptied his gun. The man grabbed the money sack from the hand of his wounded mate and walked west to the car. The barred door at the rear of the shoe was locked, preventing Clay from giving chase after he had re-loaded his gun.

The wounded man surrendered his two revolvers to Clay after he saw escape was impossible. He carried a large .45 Colts and a small German-make automatic. The Colts has one bullet in the magazine and the automatic was fully loaded. An ambulance rushed the man to Newman Memorial County hospital, where he was found to be shot twice. One bullet splintered his left arm between the elbow and shoulder and the other entered his back just below the right shoulder blade. He seemed partially paralyzed from the wound in his body, the bullet having gone into the spinal region. He probably is fatally injured.

REFUSES TO TALK

The man refused to talk—or could not. He would only moan when Clay attempted to question him. His clothes, too, failed to establish his identity. He wore a light brown suit, bearing no label; a light brown hat, bought from the C. E. Thompson Clothing Company, Great Bend; a heavy brown corduroy, fur lined coat, in which the loose money was found, and black shoes. His tie had been bought at Louisville, KY., and he carried a pencil bearing the label of a Fort Scott business firm. His underclothing was not laundry-marked. His arm bled profusely, and his suit coat was saturated with blood when he reached the hospital. He had a $1 bill in a billfold found in his trousers and 62 cents in a side pocket. The stolen money was in the outside pocket of his sheep-lined overcoat.

The man appears to be about 30 years old and evidently is of foreign extraction. He has

black hair and a dark skin. He is about 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs about 145 pounds. He wore dark glasses.

WOMAN GIVES THE ALARM

One of the men was captured at Market street and Kansas avenue about an hour after the robbery by T. F. Marbut, Santa Fe officer Eli Raymond, Mit Wilhite, and Hal Green of Wichita, a salesman who was in Emporia on business. Marbut followed the man into the Second Ward and then returned to town for the others.

Mrs. Bailey and Mr. Marbut both were responsible for the capture of the man, who gave his name as Sam Craig, of Wichita, and who was identified as one of the bandits. Mr. Marbut, who was in his office in the Palace building, heard shooting and ran down the steps onto Fifth avenue, where he met Mrs. Bailey, who told him there had been a robbery at the Citizens. Mrs. Bailey pointed to a man who was walking on Fifth avenue and said, “I believe that is one of the robbers.” The man’s coat was bulging as if he had some guns under his coat.

“Alvie Cook, one of my employees, came along about them,” Marbut said, “and I told him to follow the man on one of the street and I would follow on the other. The bandit walked west to Merchant street and then turned south toward the New Process laundry. As he got in front of the laundry, he turned and saw me, and I think he spotted me as following him. He turned east and walked through the alleyway north of the laundry and I went east on the south side of Fifth. I got to the alley about the time he did, and he stopped and looked at me and reached toward his hip pocket. I ducked behind a telephone pole and he went on. I saw Ed Rowland and told him to tell the police I was following the man and for them to find me. I then followed him down the alley and he turned east on Fourth and then walked south on the east side of Commercial to the Santa Fe tracks. He went east to Mechanic and I followed him. He looked back often, and I was getting away from the traffic, so I ran

back up town and into the McCarthy hardware store and borrowed a shotgun. I then met Mit Wilhite, Santa Fe officer Eli Raymond and Hal Green of Wichita. We got in Wilhite’s car and drove down to the southwest part of town and I saw the man about a block away, down the alley. Wilhite drove down the alley and when we got within a few yards of him, he reached for his guns. Raymond held the shotgun on hi, and Green shouted ‘Stick ‘em up’ and the man raised his arms. I ran out and disarmed him and Raymond took charge and we took him to the courthouse.

“All I want to do is see that Mrs. Bailey gets the credit for seeing the man and pointing him out.”

FOUR SHOTS AT BANDITS

James A. Hollandsworth, clerk in the Leatherberry No. 1 drug store, on Commercial street just north of the Emporia State bank, fired four shots at the bandits as they ran into the alley behind the Citizens Bank and he shot once into the rear of the car as the bandits escaped.

Hollandsworth used a sawed-off shotgun, loaded with heavy shot, which had been left in the drug store by Lee Wayman, president of the Emporia State Bank, to be used by the drug clerks in case of robbery.

“I was walking down the street when I heard shots and saw the crowd.” Hollandsworth said. “I rushed into the drug store and ran out into the alley. Roy Leatherberry Jr. said “’There they are” and I saw the bandits dropping off the fire escape behind the bank. I was standing behind a pole on the north side of Sixth and one of the bandits raised his pistol. He was facing me. I thought he was going to shoot, so I let him have it. I shot four times. Then I ran down to Sixth and Merchant as the bandits went north in the car and I fired one shot into the rear of the car. You find that car and you’ll find some of my shots in it.

All historic photos courtesty of the Walter M. Anderson Collection

Slaymaker Suite

2 bed 1 bath • 850 sq. feet

Dr. Ron Slaymaker played basketball at Emporia State University from 1954-60. Slaymaker was a first team all conference three years and honerable mention all-American in 1957-58. He went on to coach ESU men’s basketball and compiled 452 wins and 348 losses. He was named NAIA National Coach of the year in 1985-1986. Slaymaker was inducted into the ESU Athletics Hall of Fame.

1 bed 1 bath • 600 sq feet

werner suite

1 bed 1 bath • 600 sq. feet

Matt Werner was born and raised in Emporia. Mr. Werner was the downtown architect on Preston Plaza & Lofts, Chelsea Plaza & Lofts, Roosevelt Plaza & Lofts, and Legacy Plaza & Lofts projects.

Terry Brownback painted the historic Citizens National Plaza & Lofts and has been part of the revitalization of numerous Downtown Emporia projects.

Wayman Suite

2 bed 2 bath • 925 sq feet

ESB Financial is owned by the Wayman family. The Wayman family history in Lyon county and Emporia banking goes back 135 years. The Wayman family has been serving the banking needs of Kansans since 1887. They are proud to be a family owned bank with a tradition of helping family, friends, and neighbors through four generations.

F.C. Newman was the former owner of Citizens National Bank in the 1920’s. F.C. Newman was elected president of the bank in 1892. He was retained as president through the bank consolidation in the 1920’s until the sale of the bank in 1929.

french & shepHErd suite

1 bed 1 bath • 625 sq. feet

The French and Shepherd family’s owned S&S Oil and Propane for over 50 years and also were owners of Admire State Bank. The Shepherd Scholarship program has become one of the most pretigous scholarships in ESU's history.

Hughes suite

2 bed 1 bath • 850 sq. feet

plumb suite

1 bed 1 bath • 600 sq. feet

Oliver H. Hughes was Chairman and Chief Owner of Citizens National Bank from the 1960’s to June 19, 1985. Hughes was a leader in state banking, civic leader, and oilman.

Preston B. Plumb was a founding father of Emporia. Plumb was born in 1837 and died in 1891. He was a United State Senator as well as an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was a founding member of Citizens National Bank and Trust Company.

Barney and Jane Reeble operated Reebles Grocery Stores in Emporia. The Reeble Foundation has given many generous bequests to Emporia causes over the years.

soden suite

2 bed 2 bath • 925 sq. feet

William T. Soden, for whom Soden’s Grove is named, is one of the first settlers to the Emporia area in 1857 and founding fathers. W.T. Soden was a charter member of the Emporia National Bank board.

Harold and Irene Trusler founded the Trusler Foundation in Emporia. The Trusler Foundation has gifted significant financial resources to various organizations and projects since its inception in 1957.

William Allen White (1868-1944) was the owner of The Historic Emporia Gazette, which he bought in 1895.

witt penthouse

2 bed 2 bath • 925 sq. feet

Jim Witt has served as Assistant City Manager and Projects Coordinator for the city of Emporia. Mr. Witt is instrumental in the commercial and residential development of Emporia.

Russ Jones was an Emporia industry leader in HVAC installation and repair in the Emporia area for over 50 years.

Heritage Builders remodeled the Citizens National Plaza & Lofts building in 2020. Brothers Adam & Ben Green and Chris Nava have been updating and rebuilding the downtown over the last 10 years.

Main Floor Bank Lobby 2020

Main Floor Bank Lobby 1936