Cass County, Missouri - Chapter 34, 1917

Banks And Banking

Probably the first bank in the county was. a partnership in about 1856. The name was Simpson, Glenn & Co., and some of the parties inter¬ ested was "Diddle/' supposed to be a nickname, Simpson, Winchester Payne, Hugh G. Glenn, Jeremiah Farmer and others. This was a great institution in its day. It would not be considered a bank in after years.

faster than their credit would hold up elsewhere. The principal cor¬ respondents were at Lexington and Independence. It was their custom, when their balance ran low at the correspondent bank, often Uncle Ned, a negro, was put on a horse with several thousand dollars in currency and dispatched with the same to Independence or Lexington, where their credit needed strengthening most. This bank was located on the east side of the square in the building then occupied the place where L. L. O'Rear's office is now located.

The bank of Leonard Dunbaugh & Co., a private bank, opened for business at Pleasant Hill in 1866, and was operated until 1870, when it closed its doors. In 1868 Theodore M. Stanley and others opened a savings bank. It so continued until 1870 with varying success. It was succeeded in 1870 by the First National Bank with a capital of $50,000. Theodore M. Stanley was president, with George H. Harper as cashier. This bank ran until 1878 when it went the way of all the earth.

Following this J. W. Mercer opened a bank at Pleasant Hill and after running it a short time, sold out to a new institution organized under the state banking laws. The new bank was named the Bank of

Pleasant Hill. William Hines was the first president and John C. Knorpp the first cashier. In 1881, Dustin Adams was made president, and about 1882 Knorpp was succeeded as cashier by W. A. Symington. The capital stock of this new bank was $10,000 and it did a prosperous business. This is the legitimate predecessor of the present Pleasant Hill Hanking Company.

In 1868, William H. Allen established a private bank at Harrisonville. In the statement made in 1882 it is shown the capital and surplus of this bank amounted to $23,033.61. The present Allen Banking Com¬ pany of Harrisonville is the legitimate successor of this private bank of 1868.

In 1874, J. N. Hargis & Son organized a private bank at Belton. This firm was composed of J. N. Hargis and his son, B. F. Hargis. This was a strong bank. About the time the Hargis & Son bank voluntarily retired from business the Bank of Belton was organized. It is now most successfully managed.

banks; Peculiar, one bank; Cleveland, one bank; Freeman, one bank; West Line, one bank ; Drexel, two banks ; Archie, one bank ; Harrison¬ ville, three banks; East Lynne, two banks; Strasburg, one bank; Creigh¬ ton, one bank, and Garden City, two banks. The banks of Cass County are all strong institutions and well managed without exception. Few counties are blessed with as safe and well managed institutions.