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

1959-1967

In 1959 the old building was given a new look and in 1962 the Motor Bank was added.

SECOND BANK CHARTER SIGNED

H. M. Reed, Chairman of the Board and past President of First State Bank, recorded a new charter for the bank dated January 6, 1958, at the register of deeds office in the county courthouse. The first charter for the bank was on June 25, 1896, with capitalization at $5,000. In 1900, the charter was amended and capitalization was increased to $10,000. The first charter was granted for a period of five years, but a change in the state banking laws extended the life of a charter to half a century. First State Bank's first 50-year charter was dated January 15, 1908, and it is signed by H.M. Reed, as secretary of the board. He was also the bank Cashier at that time. It isn't often that a banker signs one 50-year charter and records one for a second span of 50 years during his association with the financial institution, but that was the case with H.M. Reed.

On September 26 and 27, 1958 CBS held a "Return to the Santa Fe Trail" star press junket in Larned. A crowd estimated at 37,000 came for the event to see their favorite TV stars including James Arness, Amanda Blake, Milburn Stone, Robert Culp, David Janssen, Steve McQueen, Chill Wills, Linda Francis, and Johnny West.

In June of 1959, Fort Larned celebrated their Centennial with a pageant entitled "Along the Santa Fe Trail" which played to overflow crowds for three nights.

It was in 1960 that the black students began to have sit-ins. In 1961, John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as President. The Peace Corps was established and the Bay of Pigs invasion took place.

On May 15, 1961, a crowd estimated at 10,000 to 12,000 people lined Broadway and Main streets in Larned to view the Santa Fe Trail Caravan.

Fort Larned was dedicated as a National Landmark on June 18, 1961, with Governor John Anderson in attendance.

Larned's National Guard Armory at 14th & Toles was dedicated on December 10, 1961. The new armory was built at a cost of $140,000 on ground given to the city by Tera and Henry Jordaan. Two Bank people were key in this dedication. Glee Smith, then a state senator and member of the Kansas Senate's military affairs committee, received the facility for the State. Kenneth Peters, a Colonel in the Kansas National Guard and Commander of the 130th Artillery Group introduced the guests.

GLEE S. SMITH, JR.

On January 6, 1961, Glee S. Smith, Jr. was first elected to the Board of Directors at First State Bank. He is currently the longest serving member of the board, having served over thirty-five years.

Born in Pawnee County, Smith obtained his Bachelor's and Law Degree from the University of Kansas . He served as First Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps during World War II.

In 1943 he married Geraldine Buhler, and they have three children, all with professional degrees from the University of Kansas.

Glee has practiced law in Larned since 1947. He has devoted his career to a three part emphasis on the practice of law, public service, and political action. He practiced law in all courts and had his first partnership in 1947 with the late Judge Maurice A. Wildgen. That partnership was joined by Donald L. Burnett in 1958. Judge Wildgen left the firm to become District Judge in 1963, and since 1975 the partnership has consisted of Donald L. Burnett, Jerry G. Larson, and Glee S. Smith, under the firm name of Smith, Burnett & Larson.

Glee Smith served twelve years on the Larned Board of Education, and four years as County Attorney in addition to serving as a member on many philanthropic and business corporate boards, including two life insurance companies and bank boards in other cities. His service at the state level includes sixteen years in the Kansas State Senate with eight years serving as President of the Senate.

He served eight years as a member of the Kansas Board of Regents including two years as chairman of that board. In 1975, he was appointed by President Ford as one of nine members of the Board of the National Legal Services Corporation and served four years on that board.

He served ten years as a member of the Board of Governors of the Kansas Bar Association, and ten years as one of three Kansas delegates to the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association. Smith served as a member of the ABA Board of Governors and Executive Committee for the 360,000 member association.

In 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis took place, and John Glenn circled the globe.

It was also in 1962 that First State Bank added the "First State Bank Motor Bank" drive up windows to their building. Built by Fraser and Gilbert of Larned, it was equipped by Diebold, Inc of Canton, Ohio. The drive-in entrance and exit were both on East Fifth Street. Along with the drive-up window was a walk-up window.

WALTER M. CRAWFORD

Walter M. Crawford has served on the Board of Directors since 1962 and is a member of the Trust Investment Committee and the Loan Committee. Born in Larned, Walt graduated from Larned High School and attended Kansas State University. He was a pilot during World War II in the European theater attaining the rank of Captain.

After the war he returned to Larned and took over his father's insurance business which he ran successfully until joining with Pete McDonald to form The Crawford-McDonald Agency, Inc.

Crawford served a term as President of the Kansas Association of Independent Insurance Agents and was Mayor of Larned from 1967 to 1973. He has been a director of the John D. Jordaan Foundation since its inception.

Walt and his wife, Norma, daughter of H.L. Reed, live just north of the Larned Country Club.

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and Lyndon B. Johnson succeeded as President. The civil rights march was on in Washington and a uniform school district system was established in Kansas.

In 1964, Fort Larned became a national historic site in Kansas.

Customers of First State Bank and First National Bank both of Larned were asked to place their account numbers on their checks with the adoption of the number system and electronic computers in March of 1964.

FERN WEIHE

Fern Weihe began working at First State Bank on September 15, 1964, in the bookkeeping department. Within four months she moved to the drive-in teller position which she gladly kept. Fern retired from First State Bank on December 31, 1993, with twenty-nine years of service at First State Bank.

Prior to working at First State Bank, Fern was employed as a teller for four years in Lyons, Kansas. Fern married Kenneth Weihe and had two daughters. She is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and actively involved in the Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors.

KENNETH H. PETERS

The ninth President of First State Bank was Kenneth H. Peters. K.H. Peters had started at the bank in 1936, and he served as Vice-President and Cashier before being elected President in 1964. He also served as director of the bank from 1940 to 1968.

Born at Pawnee Rock on May 8, 1908. He attended Fort Hays State College after completing a high school education in Pawnee Rock. He began his banking career in Kansas City in 1929 with the Commerce Trust Company. He attended the American Institute of Banking courses and received the Standard Certificate in 1931.

Leaving Kansas City, after a short period with the Shawnee Investment Company, Topeka, in the real estate department, Peters returned to Larned and associated with the First State Bank.

Two years later, in 1934, he married Frances Reed, the daughter of H. M. Reed. They had three children, daughter Jean, son James, and son Reed.

Peters had an active military career and held the rank of Colonel in the National Guard and commanding officer of the 130th Artillery Group, headquartered in Hutchinson. His military career dated back to 1932, when he was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant in the National Guard. He was called to active duty in February, 1941, before Pearl Harbor. He attained the rank of major after service in Europe as executive officer of the 24th Tank Battalion. Upon return from duty in World War II in December 1945, he remained in the reserve and rejoined the National Guard. He was appointed to the Kansas Armory Board by Gov. John Anderson, Jr.

Peters was involved in community activity and civic development. He was President of the Larned Rotary Club, past President of the Community Development Corp. and of the Santa Fe Trail Highway Association. Treasurer of the Larned Chamber of Commerce and active in Boy Scouts. He was also very active in the Kansas Bankers Association and served as President of the organization in 1962. He was elected to of the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

Kenneth H. Peters was known as the flying President of the Kansas Bankers Association, and he subscribed to the theory that the shortest distance between two points is by airplane. He earned his commercial pilot's license and kept it active.

In 1964, the following people were officers at First State Bank: H.L. Reed - Chairman of the Board, K.H. Peters - President, Glee S. Smith - Chairman of Trust Committee, Fred B. Reed - Vice President, Howard Harbert - Cashier and Secretary of the Board, Charles Eckert - Trust Officer and Ag Representative, Nelle Shiplett and Virginia Lupfer - Assistant Cashiers. The directors included H.L. Reed, K.H. Peters, Glee S. Smith, Jr., Walter Crawford, Frances R. Peters, Fred B. Reed, Howard Harbert, and Charles Eckert.

On December 21, 1964, First State Bank began their Employee Profit Sharing Trust managed by their trust department. In 1966, the bank did more remodeling to upgrade their services and added an addition for a director's room.

On June 13, 1968, Kenneth Huffman Peters, at the age of 60, died unexpectedly in Lawrence while addressing a Girls State group in the student union at the University.

In 1965, Lyndon Johnson was inaugurated to his first full term as President. He authorized the bombing of North Vietnam in 1965 while the first U.S. troops landed in South Vietnam.

The Kansas legislature laid out a foundation in 1965, for a statewide system of junior colleges. Four years after this the legislature provided for state aid to junior colleges and municipal universities. On July 1, 1964, the state acquired another college, Wichita University.

The Missouri-Pacific Railroad announced the closing of the Larned depot on July 24, 1965.

The Financial Statement of First State Bank on
December 30, 1967 read as follows:

Board of Directors

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