The First National Bank

The Merchants' and Drovers' Bank, established in Medicine Lodge in October, 1880, by H.M. Hickman from Wellington, was the town's first bank, but it closed on January 10, 1882. Two days later the Medicine Valley Bank was formed with Wylie Payne as president, George Geppert as cashier, and Frank Chapin as assistant cashier. Construction began in August, 1882, on a bank building at the southwest corner of Main Street and Kansas Avenue, and the building was completed in March 1883. On April 30, 1884, Henry Brown, the marshal of Caldwell, his assistant Ben Wheeler, and two cowboys, John Wesley and Billy Smith, attempted to rob the bank, killing Payne and Geppert. A posse pursued the robbers into the gyp hills, trapped them in a box canyon, captured them, and brought them to jail. Later that night, when townsmen demanded to see the robbers and the robbers tried to escape, Brown was shot and killed and Wheeler was wounded. The three survivors were hanged from an elm tree on Spring Creek at the bottom of East 1st Avenue. In May, 1884, the directors of the Medicine Valley Bank elected new officers, with Frank Chapin remaining assistant cashier, and in October, 1884, The First National Bank succeeded the Medicine Valley Bank and continued as a vital part of the community.

Medicine Lodge, Kansas · United States