Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1911-08-03
CONSOLIDATION OF
HEPPNER'S BANKS
First National and Bank of
Heppner Complete
Amalgamation

For some weeks a move has been
on foot to consolidate Heppner's
banking institutions, but the deal
had not reached stage where it
was considered proper to make
public announcement of the fact
until within the past week. Under
the agreement as reached the trans
fer of all the stock Of the Bank Of
Heppner has been made, all the
stockholders Of this bank having
merged their interests with those
of the First National Bank, with
the exception Of w. S. Wharton,
who has sold his shares outright.
The business of the Bank Of Hepp-
ner is to be taken over and trans
ferred to the banking house of the
First National and conducted un-
der the sole management of that
institution, with an increased cap
italization Of 100000.
w. S. Wharton, who has been
cashier of the Bank of Heppner
since its establishment in August,
1904, will retire from the banking
business in this field. He has sold
his real estate here, and with his
family will depart on Monday for
The Dalles and Hood River. He
is not decided as to what be will
do, but as he has some real estate
in the Hood River valley in which
he is indirectly interested, he will
go there for time to look after
this and await developments of
some other propositions that have
been made to him.
The history O: banking in Hepp-
ner is rather interesting. The
First National bank is the out
growth of the private banking bus
mess started in Heppner some
twenty-five years ago by Rhea
Brothers and John G. Maddox
On july %, 1887, a charter was is
sued by the government for the Or
of the First National
Bank of Heppner, and the first
officers were @. A. Rhea, president;
E. r. Swinburne, vice-president;
]. G. Maddox, cashier; board of
G A Rhea, t A Rhea, j
G Maddox, E r Swinburne and
Ellis Minor. Mr.. Maddox con-
tinued as cashier for about year
and the business was conducted in
The old / O 0 f bulldog. In Oc.
tober, 1888, George w. Conser was
elected cashier to succeed j G
Maddox, and served in that capa-
city for 20 years, or up to the time
)f his death on March 30, 1908.
Under his management the busi-
ness of the bank grew to large pro-
portions and it became known as
one of the best banking institu tions
If the Northwest. Mr.. Conser was
by I. j. Mahoney as cash. /
er, and he is now in charge of the '
,ffice and will serve the consolida-
ed bank both as cashier and direc- !
or. Mr.. Mahoney Is no novice in /
he banking business. He came !
o Morrow county in 1903 and took
harge of the Bank of lone as it's
serving that bank for five o
ears. He was educated in the L
business in Watertown, e
,outh Dakota, where he worked '
With the Citizens National, He is .
lso we'll acquainted with condi-
ions in this part of the country Q
nd is in every way well equipped =
or the responsible position. a
In November, 1909, the interests i
{ the Rheas was purchased by M.
!. Corrigall, one of the wealthiest 4
len of the county, and he was !,
lected president The present p
flicers are: M S Corrigall, presi- b
ent; J B Natter, vice-president; D
J Mahoney, cashier; Clyde Brock,
ssistant cashier; NJ S Corrigall. j [
Natter, A J. Ayers, Frank Gill
I'M and 7 j Mahoney, directors. a
is understood that the board of t,
is to be increased to seven OIL
Iembers Immediately after consoli- IT u
alton, and that there will also be r
mother vice-president added to the in
Dard of officers. These men in all NJ
will be J II McHaley a.
nd w o minor, the former being 81
ated for vice-presldent. al
Under this arrangement Heppner tt
i'll have the largest banking instl- ef
ltion of any town of its size in
regon, if not IN the entire North
est. This should be a benefit to to
70 business interests of the city al
ID community at large, as it will R
ace the bank in q position to ac- to
a line of business that sc