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National Bank Notes > North Dakota

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Casselton, Cass County NB, W7142
Fr. 624 $10 1902PB
Grade: PMG VF 25    

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This bank was organized January 11, 1904 and it was the town's second national bank. The bank issued 5,413 sheets of notes with this example being one of seven surviving notes reported. Excellent pen signatures of Joseph L. Langer, President and J.S. Gunkel, Cashier. A nice, problem free note from this Cass County bank that was placed into receivership on December 10, 1928. John L. Gunkel, cashier of the Cass County National Bank, was born in Germany on the 11th of January, 1858, a son of Carl and Therese (Diethe) Gunkel, who in 1870, emigrated to the United States. They made their way to North Dakota around 1880; Gunkel township was named in Carl s honor. John, in 1879, when twenty-one years of age, came to North Dakota and engaged in banking. He was one of the organizers of the First National Bank of Casselton and for fteen years served as cashier of that institution. Subsequently he accepted the position of cashier of the Cass County National Bank and was also a director in the institution. Mr. Gunkel also dealt extensively in farm loans for a number of years and was city treasurer. Casselton, in Cass County, is in the Fargo metro area. The population was 2,329 at the 2010 census. Casselton had its origin in 1873 when the Northern Pacific Railway sent Mike Smith to plant cottonwood and willow trees in the area to serve as windbreaks along the right-of-way. Over the years, Casselton was known by many names including The Nursery, Goose Creek and Swan Creek (for a stream that meandered through the area). In 1876, the railroad established a station called Casstown, after George Cass, the railroad president. When the post office was established on August 8, 1876, the name Casselton was designated. Casselton is the hometown of five North Dakota governors including: Andrew Horace Burke, North Dakota s second governor; William Langer, 17th governor from 1933 to 1934 and 21st governor from 1937 to 1939; William Lewis Guy, 26th governor; George Albert Sinner 29th governor; and John Jack Dalrymple who became North Dakota s 32nd governor on Nov. 4, 2010. Casselton is home to the world's largest can pile. This tourist attraction was created in 1933 by Max Taubert when a Sinclair gas station occupied the lot. It is approximately 45 feet (14 m) tall, and is made of thousands of oil cans.

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