Exhibit 99.1

Susquehanna Bancshares, Inc. Announces Corporate-wide Branding Strategy and Bank
Realignment; Changes will broaden customer service, enhance banks' market
presence

    LITITZ, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 1, 2004--Susquehanna
Bancshares, Inc., (Susquehanna) (Nasdaq:SUSQ) announces its decision
to unify its financial services affiliates under a common master
brand. The new brand, currently being used at Susquehanna Patriot Bank
and Susquehanna Bancshares, Inc., soon will be applied to all of
Susquehanna's affiliates. Each affiliate will adopt the master
brand--Susquehanna--and will incorporate Susquehanna into its legal
and market name. Along with a name and brand identity change, the
company will combine its eight banking subsidiaries into three. The
branding and realignment will provide customers access to more banking
offices and will create banks of greater size allowing Susquehanna to
increase its presence in target markets.
    "This decision creates numerous benefits for our customers, our
employees and our shareholders," said Susquehanna Chairman, President
and CEO William J. Reuter. "Combining our existing eight banks into
three organizations with a common brand significantly increases our
customers' ability to locate and access our 159 banking offices in
Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. This decision
also opens internal career growth opportunities for our employees and
creates the potential for Susquehanna to build even stronger market
share in the communities we serve."
    Susquehanna based the three banks' formations on geography and
common market characteristics. Banks will adopt a new name and each
will operate under a state charter. The banks will be organized as
follows:
    Susquehanna Bank PA will be formed by combining Farmers First
Bank, Lititz, Pa.; First Susquehanna Bank & Trust, Sunbury, Pa.; and,
WNB Bank, Williamsport, Pa. The Pennsylvania state-chartered bank is
projected to have $2.3 billion in combined assets and will operate 58
Pa. banking offices in Columbia, Lancaster, Lycoming, Northumberland,
Snyder, Union and York counties. Susquehanna Bank PA will be
headquartered in Lancaster, Pa. and will operate under the market name
Susquehanna Bank. Farmers First Bank will become Susquehanna Bank PA
on November 5, 2004. Pending regulatory approvals, First Susquehanna
Bank & Trust and WNB Bank will become part of Susquehanna Bank PA on
or about January 21, 2005.
    Susquehanna Bank will be formed by combining Citizens Bank of
Southern Pennsylvania, Greencastle, Pa.; Farmers & Merchants Bank and
Trust, Hagerstown, Md.; First American Bank of Pennsylvania, Everett,
Pa.; and, Susquehanna Bank, Towson, Md. The Maryland state-chartered
bank is projected to have $2.8 billion in combined assets and will
operate a total of 64 banking offices--13 Pa. banking offices in
Bedford, Blair and Franklin counties, 46 Md. banking offices in
Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Garrett, Harford, Howard,
Washington and Worcester counties, and five W.Va. banking offices in
Berkeley and Jefferson counties. Susquehanna Bank initially will be
headquartered in Hagerstown, Md. and will operate under the market
name Susquehanna Bank. Pending regulatory approvals, Citizens Bank of
Southern Pennsylvania, First American Bank of Pennsylvania and
Susquehanna Bank will consolidate into Farmers & Merchants Bank and
Trust on or about April 15, 2005, and concurrently will adopt the
legal and market name Susquehanna Bank.
    Susquehanna Patriot Bank was formed in June 2004 by the merger of
Equity Bank, Marlton, N.J., and Patriot Bank, Pottstown, Pa.
Headquartered in Marlton, N.J., the New Jersey state-chartered bank
has $2.1 billion in assets and operates a total of 37 banking
offices--22 Pa. banking offices in Berks, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh,
Montgomery and Northampton counties and 15 N.J. banking offices in
Burlington, Camden and Gloucester counties. Susquehanna Patriot Bank
will continue to operate under its current name.
    Market changes and customer mobility played an important part in
the decision to brand and realign the banks. "There is significant
movement within our 150-mile footprint," said Reuter. "Due to our
growth over the years, we have many situations where one subsidiary's
banking office is only a few miles from another subsidiary's banking
office. With customers commuting and doing business across county and
state lines, it just makes sense that we provide a structure to
service them throughout their travels." Susquehanna's realignment also
should help streamline increasingly complex regulatory requirements
and should provide operational and administrative efficiencies by
reducing redundancies. Additionally, the company anticipates an
improvement in its efficiency ratio which should have a positive
effect on its future earnings and help to enhance shareholder value.
    Despite the name change and realignment, Susquehanna remains
committed to the community-banking model the company has practiced
since its formation in 1982. "Community banking is not about a name or
a logo, it's about local decision making that makes sense for the
communities we serve," Reuter explained. "This realignment will unify
and strengthen our corporate identity in all of our markets, but at
the same time we will still support our philosophy of local decision
making when it comes to things like product pricing, loan approvals
and minimum balances. Community banking is also about improving the
quality of life in our communities and Susquehanna will remain
committed to community efforts in each of our local markets with gifts
of our time and our dollars."
    The boards of directors of the new banks will be comprised of
representatives from each of the markets Susquehanna serves.
Susquehanna anticipates limited staff reductions as a result of
operational and administrative consolidations. Management will discuss
the branding strategy and bank realignment during its third quarter
2004 earnings conference call in late October. The call can be
accessed on Susquehanna's Web site at www.susqbanc.com.
    Susquehanna is a financial services holding company, operating in
multiple states, with assets of $7.4 billion. It provides financial
services through its subsidiaries at over 170 locations in the
mid-Atlantic region. In addition to its current eight commercial
banks, Susquehanna operates a trust and investment company, an asset
management company, a property and casualty insurance brokerage
company, a commercial leasing company and a vehicle leasing company.
Investor information may be requested on Susquehanna's Web site at
www.susqbanc.com.

    This press release contains "forward-looking" statements as
defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995,
regarding Susquehanna's expectations of its branding strategy and
internal realignment plans and their potential impact on the company's
efficiency ratio and earnings. These statements are not historical
facts or guarantees of future performance, events or results. Such
statements involve potential risks and uncertainties, including
Susquehanna's ability to increase its presence in target markets,
achieve operational and administrative efficiencies by reducing
redundancies and effect limited staff reductions. Accordingly, actual
results may differ materially. Susquehanna undertakes no obligation to
publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a
result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    CONTACT: Susquehanna Bancshares, Inc.
             Media: Alison van Harskamp, 717-625-6260
             communications@susqbanc.com
                 or
             Investor Relations: Gregg Lampf, 717-625-6305
             ir@susqbanc.com