First National Bank - Hutchinson, KS

Bank Information

Episode Type: Run Only
Bank Type: national
Bank ID: 3180
Charter Number: 3180
Start Date: January 20, 1906
Location: Hutchinson, Kansas (38.061, -97.930)

Metadata

Model: gpt-5-mini
Short Digest: 5e7c7472

Response Measures

Accommodated withdrawals

Description

A short-lived run triggered by a joke/rumor. Depositors largely returned the next day; no suspension or receivership mentioned.

Events (1)

1. January 20, 1906 Run

Cause: Rumor Or Misinformation
Cause Details: Two employees joked about withdrawing savings and 'breaking the bank'; the joke turned into a circulating rumor that the bank was unsound.
Random Run: Yes
Random Run Snippet: Employees' joke about withdrawing accounts; rumor later shown to be from joking
Measures: Confidence restored when it was demonstrated that funds were readily available; depositors returned next day.
Newspaper Excerpt: JOKE CAUSES BANK RUN. First National Bank Depositors of Hutchinson Were Scared. ... a rumor was in the streets that the institution was not sound. Many depositors, most of them in the savings department, withdrew their money ... Confidence was restored at once when it was learned how readily money could be gotten and most of the the next day depositors were back with their money.
Source: newspapers

Newspaper Articles (1)

1. January 20, 1906 The Topeka State Journal Topeka, KS

Article from The Topeka State Journal, January 20, 1906

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Article Text

JOKE CAUSES BANK RUN. First National Bank Depositors of Hutchinson Were Scared. Hutchinson, Kan., Jan. 20. Because two young women and a man employed in the packing department of Carey's salt works joked about their accounts in the First National bank and innocently said that they might withdraw their saving accounts and break the bank a rumor was in the streets that the institution was not sound. Many depositors, most of them in the savings department, withdrew their money and there was talk that a run had started on the bank. It was two days before people could understand that the rumor was the result of joking. Confidence was restored at once when it was learned how readily money could be gotten and most of the the next day depositors were back with their money.