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When we talk about financial strength, longevity, and trust, it is important to remember that behind every institution is a story. Behind ESB Financial is the remarkable life of its founder, Will Wayman, a story shaped by perseverance, hard work, and an unwavering commitment to community.

Will Wayman was born in Devonshire, England, on May 15, 1850. He came to the United States when he was just three months old. Four years later, tragedy struck when his mother and little sister died of cholera. The family was poor, and Will’s father had little understanding of how to care for his motherless sons. He bound them out to farmers, where they worked simply for their existence. By the time he was four years old, Will was largely making his own way in the world.

One of the most defining moments of Will’s early life came during the summer of his seventh year. The man to whom Will had been bound passed away, and on the day of the funeral, the widow handed Will his bundle of clothes and told him she could no longer keep him. About fifteen farmers were present at the funeral. One by one, they shook their heads and said they had no place for the young boy. Finally, the last farmer offered to take the seven-year-old home for the night, but only for that night. The next day, the family did not have the heart to turn the poor little fellow out, and they kept him for several years. There was little time for schooling during those years of Will’s childhood and youth.

Will’s father, John Wayman, later remarried and settled in Waterloo Township north of Emporia in Lyon County, Kansas. In his teenage years, Will went to Ellsworth, Kansas, where he found work running a sawmill that supplied wood for the engines of the Union Pacific Railroad. He later became a fireman for the railroad and, at the age of nineteen, worked as an engineer.

In 1870, Will traveled to Texas on horseback, where he joined a crew moving a large herd of cattle from Hood County, Texas, to the railhead at Ellsworth. From there, he participated in another cattle drive, moving 2,500 head of cattle to Laramie, Wyoming, to fulfill a contract delivering beef to the Sioux Indians under Chief Red Cloud. For the next five years, Will worked as a cattle drover, gaining firsthand knowledge of agriculture, risk, and hard work, lessons that would later shape his approach to banking.

In 1875, Will married Miss Adeline Miller, who taught school in a log cabin in northern Lyon County. After their marriage, they began farming on 80 acres near Reading. A few years later, they sold that farm and purchased 60 acres on 142 Creek. It was there that their children, Harry, Lee, and Pearl, were born. Over time, additional land was acquired until the operation grew into a ranch of 1,800 acres, which operated for more than thirty years.

In March of 1887, Will and his brother-in-law, Fremont Miller, decided to combine farming with banking and started a bank in Admire at the urging of rural neighbors. It was the first banking institution in northern Lyon County and was capitalized with $2,000, which Will borrowed from Major Calvin Hood of Emporia. Will Wayman served as president of the bank, which grew into one of the most substantial banks in the county for its time. Later, Will sold the Admire bank to his brother-in-law and went on to start the Bank of Allen. As both a stockman and banker, Will worked around the clock to make a success of each enterprise.

In 1901, Will sold the Allen bank, and the family moved to Emporia. That year, he organized what is now ESB Financial with a capitalization of $50,000 and several partners. The bank received a state charter, and Will Wayman served as its active head until his death. His firsthand knowledge of farming and ranching made him one of the most knowledgeable bankers in town when it came to agricultural and rural financial needs.

A tireless worker with a tremendous work ethic, Will held the presidency of the bank while also serving as president of two affiliated institutions, The Emporia Building and Loan Association and The Emporia Loan and Investment Company.

Each day, the spry, wiry gentleman walked to the bank, opened the doors at eight o’clock, and entered the building to begin his day. Known for wearing his coat even on the hottest days, he once said, “Bankers need dignity.” On the day he died, Will had spent the day at the bank and passed away that evening at the age of eighty-two.

Following his death, newspapers wrote that “Emporia won’t be quite the same with Will Wayman gone.” He was remembered as a tremendous force for good in the community, giving his time, money, and sound advice to every worthy cause. Will was the founder and president of three banking institutions, a leader in his church, active in the Kansas Bankers Association, a two-term state legislator, county treasurer, chairman of the Commercial Club, a director of the Kansas Historical Society, and a leader of the Liberty Loan bond drive for Lyon County during World War I. He was known for his rare, indomitable, unconquered enthusiasm.

From his humble beginnings as an orphan, Will Wayman never lost his optimism, good cheer, or unconquerable spirit. That legacy of service, integrity, and commitment to community continues to guide ESB Financial today, 125 years later.