Quote of the day:
It pays to be obvious, especially if you have a reputation for subtlety.
—Isaac Asimov
It took me awhile but here is the followup to Part 1 of this series.
But first things first. When I wrote the first part, I didn’t have a picture of Mona Goodison, one of the children of John and Sara Goodison, but I do now, so here she is. She is the sister of John and Thomas.
On September 17, 1906, Judge Ehrgood granted the petition that had been submitted to incorporate Richland into a borough as all seemed to want it and there were no objections. He set the third Tuesday of February for holding the first election and appointed the election officers as follows: Martin K. Hertzler, judge, and Daniel R. Frank and Martin Miller, inspectors.
But something perhaps even more exciting happened the following day, Tuesday September 18, 1906. Mark that date down wherever you place historic events because it’s a biggie.
The Richland National Bank flung open its doors for the first time.
And what a day it was! By the time it closed its doors its officers and tellers had been kept busy greeting neighbors and receiving deposits, and the first day’s deposits came to a grand total of $22,021.64. That may not sound like much, but in 2025 dollars that comes to the tidy sum of $722,487.74. (Actually, the inflation calculator only goes back to 1913, but I think that’s close enough.)
In any case the directors and stockholders were exceedingly gratified and looking forward to many more days as the word got out.
As the article in the Lebanon Daily News put it:
The new bank is conveniently located in the central part of the town, and is fitted up with all the latest and most modern banking house fixtures and equipments, including a large Herring-Hall burglar and fire proof safe; counters, desks and tables of the latest pattern, made by the Middletown Furniture Company, and finished in golden oak; carpets and tapestries, supplied by A. C Kaufman Bros., of this city.
F. D. Reber and M. D. M. Batdorf; cashier and teller of the bank, respectively, were assisted in the first day’s work by Mr. D. J. Leopold, cashier of the First National bank, of this city, who rendered valuable aid in opening and closing.
All in all, September of 1906 was a banner month in the history of Richland, Pennsylvania.
