‘Piggy Bank’ term coined in White Cloud, KS?
Here’s an interesting take on the origin of “piggy bank”, if only because this idea is accompanied by a plaque in White Cloud, Kansas. According to the community legend, it started in the early 20th century. The plaque tells of a 10 year-old boy named Wilbur Chapman who was so moved by a sermon about lepers that he decided to help a boy he knew of who was suffering from leprosy. His generocity took the form of raising a pig which he later sold for $25.00. He gave the full amount of money to the sick boy; this act captured the community so much that, evidently, a Pig Bank Movement was started to help others with leprosy, which may be responsible for birthing the name “piggy bank” (at least as far as the locals are concerned). Claiming that this story single-handedly accounts for peoples’ referring to coin banks as ‘piggy banks’ is inconsistent with the popular explanation, but this story compliments the widely accepted theory regardless.
