First State Bank History

Larned Background up to July 5, 1896 ● Founders of the Bank - 1900 ● Larned Business - 1904 ● H. H. Reed - World War I ● John Wagner - 1933 ● 1933-1949 ● 1949-1959 ● 1959-1967 ● Reed Peters - 1975 ● New Building - 1989 ● 1986-1996 ● 100 years ● Begin the Next 100 Years ● 2000's

Founders of the bank up to 1900

F.D. LOWREY

FIRST PRESIDENT

F.D. Lowrey was the first President of First State Bank at the age of forty-one. Born as Fred Deming Lowrey on August 17, 1854, at Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, he left Ohio at the age of eighteen and moved to West Illinois. Following a short span of time he moved west to Colorado where he stayed for a few years. In 1880 he moved to Larned, Kansas. F.D. Lowrey took up residence at 903 Toles. On February 18, 1883, he married Miss Edith M. Shallenberger, and they had four children - three sons and one daughter: Frederick Lewis, Ralph Deming, George Shallenberger, and Edith Helen (Mrs. D.E. Helen Burnett).

Lowrey had many business interests as well as establishing the First State Bank, and extended a helping hand to many struggling families. He was a charter member of the Hector Lodge No. 31, Knights of Pythias, a member of the I.O.O.F. and A.O.U.W. lodges, the Anti-Horse Thief Association and a member of the Presbyterian church.

F.D. Lowrey gave some of his land to the City of Larned. That land joined the property of Peter B. Schnack, which is known today as the Schnack-Lowrey Park and contains the 4-H Building, the present Boy Scout cabin, duck pond and softball field. The existing duck pond was originally the City Swimming Pool.

F.D. Lowrey served as President of First State Bank until 1899. During this time Mr. Lowrey was not employed by the Bank. He owned and operated a hardware store which he sold to Boyd and Getty in 1898 and moved to Kansas City. His business venture in Kansas City was not successful so, following the death of Timothy McCarthy in 1900, he was hired as Cashier at a salary of $50 per month. By 1907 that had been increased to $125 a month. One of the more trying times in existence of the First State Bank was the Panic of 1907. In one of his letters, Mr. Lowrey is quoted as saying, "We have more money on hand than we should need but we have to supply Burdett and Jetmore. They want $3,000 to $5,000 a week." In a letter to a friend on January 29, 1908, he commented that "These are awful times and everybody is short of money. I never saw such shortage of money since I have lived in Larned even in the old dry times. The trouble is people are scared and drew out money and are hiding it in the cellar or some other place." In 1912 while still working in the bank, F.D. received an extortion letter threatening to destroy the bank or injure him, his wife or some by use of nitroglycerin. The extortionist demanded $2,000 to be taken by F.D. Lowrey to his home to wait further instruction. Even though he was told not to, he informed the officials and a day marshall slept at the Lowrey home until the extortionist was captured two weeks later. The extortionist had a long criminal history and was wanted for murder in Florida.

Lowrey retired from First State Bank in 1917. On January 2, 1918 F.D. Lowrey died in his home in Larned at the age of 64.

L.A. CHOAT

L.A. Choat, at the age of 64, was one of the five original directors of First State Bank in 1896, and he served until 1909. He was elected Vice President of the bank on January 2, 1901 and served in that capacity until his death in 1909. Mr. Choat had been a 10% owner of the Rush State Bank formed four years later and then bought out by First State Bank. Mr. Choat and Mr. Lowrey were also stockholders of the Peoples Bank of Larned chartered in 1887, nine years prior. In November 1897 Mr. Choat bought the bank building at 502 Broadway.

Born in Indiana in 1832, he had an interest in cattle raising, and in the 1880's settled on a ranch near Burdett. After living there for awhile he moved to Larned.

He married Mary Armstrong in 1887. Mary was a widow who's husband had been murdered (shot in the back) while checking on his cattle west of Burdett. L. A. Choat had been on the posse looking for Mr. J.C. Armstrong's killer when he met his future wife. L.A. Choat died on April 8, 1909. Mr. Choat moved to Larned shortly before his death. His home was at 1120 Toles.

TIMOTHY MCCARTHY

Timothy McCarthy, the majority stockholder and managing officer, was elected the Cashier at First State Bank on June 27, 1896, at the age of sixty-one. He had prior banking experience having retired from the First National Bank in September of 1894. He served as Cashier until his death four years later on June 12, 1900. He also was on the bank's board of directors from 1896 to 1900.

Born in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland in 1835, he immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 16. He lived in Boston before enlisting in the U.S. Army. In August 1859, McCarthy was discharged at Fort Lancaster, Texas after serving in Company K, First United States Infantry at Fort Columbus, New York Harbor, and Fort Duncan, Texas. McCarthy returned to New York where he reenlisted on March 11, 1861, and was selected as one of the two hundred troops sent to reinforce Fort Sumter. The following month, McCarthy returned to New York Harbor and was assigned once again to Company K, Third United States Infantry. With his regiment, McCarthy fought in many major battles of the Civil War. McCarthy's regiment was ordered to Fort Columbus, New York Harbor, where he was discharged on March 11, 1864 with the rank of Sergeant-Major.

Two months later, he reenlisted in Company E of his old regiment and served with General Grant until Lee's surrender at Appomattox on April 9, 1868. At the close of the war, McCarthy was sent to Washington, D.C. before being ordered to St. Louis, Missouri, and thence to Jefferson Barracks before moving to Fort Riley, Kansas in 1866. The following year, McCarthy was discharged on May 12, at Fort Wallace, Kansas.

McCarthy arrived in Larned in 1870, and filed a 160-acre claim east of Larned in February 1872. He was one of the inhabitants who signed the title to the original townsite of Larned on December 2, 1873.

In 1874, McCarthy was granted a permit to sell liquor. Fifty-two people signed the petition requesting the permit. The licensed was renewed the following year, and the LARNED PRESS printed an advertisement on New Year's Day of 1875 proclaiming "Tim McCarthy as the proprietor of a billiard hall and saloon with the best of liquors and cigars always on hand."

McCarthy's investments were quite profitable for in 1875, only two years following the founding of Larned with its nine crude buildings perched on the bank of the Pawnee, McCarthy built a grand Victorian home, complete with cupola and a widow's walk at the southeast corner of Fourth and State Streets, an area later known as "Quality Hill." That same year McCarthy married Julia Seely of Knoxville, Pennsylvania. One year later, their daughter was born. The McCarthy family enjoyed a high standard of living in their luxurious home as evidence by the 1885 announcement in a local paper that "Miss Nora McCarthy is the proud possessor of a tricycle, the second in the city."

From 1873 to 1886 McCarthy served the county as commissioner and county clerk, and the city as mayor and postmaster.

McCarthy was a staunch Republican and ran for the office of State Auditor. When McCarthy began his campaign a number of Larned friends, including the Edwards brothers, accompanied him to Topeka where they sang at a political meeting. McCarthy had brought with him a lot of Coyotes from western Kansas to help campaign. Such was the genesis of the Coyote Club, a vocal society which continued in Larned for a number of years. McCarthy was elected as State Auditor in 1886 and re-elected in 1888.

When McCarthy moved to Topeka for his first term, the prominent citizens of Larned gathered at G.A.R. Hall to bid farewell to General and Mrs. McCarthy. Beginning about 8:00 in the evening with one of Larned's orchestra playing, the floor was soon filled with graceful ladies and nimble gentlemen dancing. Supper was served in the spacious dining hall of the Farmer's hotel where host Seely had prepared a spread such as is seldom seen even in this land of fatness - where tables were loaded with everything obtainable in the time of good things. Dancing then resumed after supper until after ten o'clock when order was called and a number of the prominent citizens were invited to take seats on the stage and address the audience. Mayor Fry was chosen as master of ceremonies and he announced Capt. Gray as the first speaker. Judge Brownlee, Hon. W.C. Edwards, and Hon. Wm. Scott followed him all eulogizing McCarthy, after which Capt. Henry Booth spoke. Following several other speakers McCarthy thanked the audience and the community for their support and friendship.

Upon returning to Larned, McCarthy was again elected as mayor in 1887, and acted in that capacity until his death.

Timothy McCarthy died on June 12, 1900, at the age of 65 from an abscess of the lungs. Prior to his death he had been ill for four weeks.

H. M. HALLOWAY

H.M. Halloway was one of the original founders of the First State Bank at the age of thirty-seven, and served on the board of directors until January 4, 1904. In 1900, Halloway became the second President of First State Bank and held that position through 1903. He later returned to serve on the bank's board of directors in 1913, and continued on the board as well as serving as Vice President of the bank from 1921 until his death in 1948.

Born July 14, 1859, he came to Larned in 1882 from Pennsylvania to manage the Keystone Flour Mill. The Keystone Flour Mill was later sold to H.G. Gable and Sons in 1904, who in turn sold it in 1905 to the Stafford Company Mills. He was also a farmer and rancher until 1914, at which time he sold the land to the Larned State Hospital. Halloway worked in real estate and insurance until 1945.

He married Libbie DuMont, sister of Mrs. H.H. Reed and Mrs. E.E. Frizell, and was the father of Mabel Oroszy. Halloway's home was located at 905 Main and is presently occupied by his granddaughter, Ilona Oroszy. Halloway died June 26, 1948, at the age of eighty-eight.

EDWARD EVERETT FRIZELL

E.E. Frizell was one of the original directors when the bank opened in 1896 and he served as a director until 1914. He was the youngest of the five founders of First State Bank. He was elected Vice President on January 6, 1908, and then became President in 1911, with John E. Wagner as Cashier, W.D. Fox as Vice President, and H.M. Reed as Assistant Cashier. Mr. Frizell was active in many enterprises and served on the Kansas State Board of Agriculture, the Superintendent of the State Reformatory, and the President of the Kansas State Fair Board. He served in both the State Legislature and the Senate, as well as Mayor of Larned. Some years later his son, George, would also serve as mayor of Larned.

Mr. Frizell returned to farming in 1902, when he purchased a large tract of land that had once been a part of the Fort Larned Military Reservation. E.E. Frizell resided at 519 W. 4th Street in Larned. His wife was ElDora DuMont, a sister of Mrs. H.H. Reed and Mrs. H.M. Halloway. E.E. Frizell was the great grandfather of Judy Redding, who with her husband Clark, and their children live in what was the E.E. Frizell home.

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