First bank in Jewell County featured in logo

Located at 200 Delaware, south of Jewell's Maag Park, is a little stone building with a rich history.

John Calvin Postlewaite, for whom Calvin township is named, saw the need for a bank and set about to establish the first bank in Jewell County on this site. He had been in business for 10 years and was noted as a first-class bookkeeper and accountant. He was said to be honest, industrious, and had as his motto, "punctuality and dispatch." Construction of the rustic appearing stone structure commenced in February, 1880, and by April, it was completed and the safe had arrived. Inside the main room was a "handsome" counter constructed by George W. Brick and W. H. Greenwood. Behind it was the main working area. In the rear was the private office of the cashier (Postlethwaite). The bank capital was $25,000, and the bank property was valued at $3,000. The bank had loaned $250,000 on real estate. John H. Schaeffer of Philadelphia was the president of the newly named Jewell City Bank, having formed a five year partnership with Postlethwaite. At the end of that period, Schaeffer purchased the building and Postlethwaite resumed his law practice.

In 1888 the citizens of Jewell were shocked to discover that J. H. Schaeffer had returned to Pennsylvania after embezzling funds from the bank. There followed many attachments from bankers and lawyers from Atchison, St. Joseph, and Leavenworth to name a few. The liabilities were $56,000 and the deficit was $37,000. The bank was closed. There was much talk that his downfall had come from gambling and speculation in wheat, however that was not a proven fact. In any case, the community was in sympathy for his father, Dr. Schaeffer, who was left to take the brunt and shock of it all.

In 1892, the building was again purchased at a tax sale by J. C. Postlethwaite. For more than 22 years, he conducted an extensive law, real estate loan and insurance business there, taking in his son Robert, into partnership with him in 1896. Postlethwaite died in 1910.

During the first week of August 1921, O.P. Smith and P.M. Hollis opened the Jewell Cleaning and Tailoring business in the building. Less than a year later, Roy McDill was the proprietor of the business.

In 1926, the United Telephone Co. purchased the building and announced its intention of having a new, ground-floor office. The building was completely remodeled and redecorated with new heating and lighting systems installed, and comfortable quarters for operators provided. More than 4,000 soldered connections were made in the central office alone. Each had to be sorted, connected and tested out. Open house was held, Dec. 10, 1927. Although the day was cold and disagreeable, more than 400 people attended. Roy Byers was the manager. With the coming of dial phones, the telephone office was closed late in 1956.

The next owner was the Jewell Lumber Co. who then sold it to George Bartsch in 1962 for Bartsch Electric, a TV sales and service. In 1978, he sold the business to his son, Tom Bartsch. The building was again purchased by the Jewell Lumber Co. in 1984 and was used to display appliances. At that time, the building was partly torn down to make room for a new addition to the back of the structure. Metal siding was applied to the west side of the building. Don Mallory did the work.

In 1998 the building changed hands again when it was purchased by Ron Zentz for his Big Bear Repair, a general maintenance business. The present owner is John Woerner, who purchased it in 2005, to add to his body shop business located next door.

From horse and buggy to computer technology, through world wars, depression and prosperity, this building has stood a silent watch. It was one of the few buildings preserved when the block was cleared in 1999 for the construction of the new community center. v