American National Bank, Washington, DC (Charter 6716)
American National Bank, Washington, DC (Chartered 1903 - Closed 1922)
Town History
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia, also known as just Washington or simply D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. It is located on the east bank of the Potomac River, which forms its southwestern and southern border with Virginia, and it shares a land border with Maryland on its other sides. The city was named for George Washington, a Founding Father and the first president of the United States, and the federal district is named after Columbia, a female personification of the nation. As the seat of the U.S. federal government and several international organizations, the city is an important world political capital. It is one of the most visited cities in the U.S. with over 20 million annual visitors as of 2016.
Washington, DC had 29 National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and 25 of those banks issued National Bank Notes.
Bank History
- Organized March 30, 1903
- Chartered April 9, 1903
- Opened for business May 4, 1903
- Closed October 31, 1922
- Consolidated with 10316 (Federal NB/Federal-American NB, Washington, DC)
- Circulation assumed by 10316 (Federal NB/Federal-American NB, Washington, DC)
In February 1903, the American National Bank recently authorized to organize in the District of Columbia planned to open within two months. A building on Fourteenth Street in the vicinity of F Street had been leased and offices would be opened there as early in April as found practicable. The entire amount of $200,000 capital originally authorized had been subscribed and the Comptroller of the Currency authorized an increase in the capital stock to $250,000, and the additional amount was being subscribed rapidly. The bank would conduct a general banking business, a large part of which would consist of the local business of the Williams syndicate of Richmond, which controlled the Seaboard Air Line and other large corporate interests. Langbourne M. Williams, a brother of John Skelton Williams, head of the Williams syndicate, would represent the syndicate interests on the board of directors. [NOTE: John Skelton Williams was comptroller of the currency under President Wilson from 1914-1921.] The subscribers to the stock met in the offices of Robert N. Harper at 467 C Street, Northwest, to complete the details of organization and elect officers. The officers elected were Robert N. harper, president and J. J. Darlington as general counsel. The stockholders voted to provide for a board of directors to consist of not less than 16 and not more than 20 members. The following were named to the board: William H. Saunders, R. Henry Lynn, Robert N. Harper, Benjamin S. Minor, Gist Blair, George E. Walker, Irwin B. Linton, J. Miller Kenyon, Langbourne M. Williams, George Howard, Edward O. Whitford, Charles A. Douglass, R.E.L. Yellott, and W.B. Hibbs.
In January 1909, the officers were R.H. Lynn, president; W.T. Galliher, 1st vice president; Colin H. Livingstone, 2d vice president; William Selby, cashier, A.C. West, J.W. Williams, and Edmund S. Wolfe, assistant cashiers. The bank was located on 1315-1317 F Street, NW, with capital of $500,000, surplus and undivided profits of $181,903.52 and deposits of $2,386,228.64.
In January 1922, the directors of the American National Bank re-elected the following officers: W.T. Galliher, president; C.H. Livingstone, vice president; W.J. Waller, cashier; S.L. Mitchell, H.H. Shackleford, and H.C. McCeney, assistant cashiers; and Arthur T. Linn, auditor.
Late on the afternoon of September 29, 1922, the largest financial transaction in District annals was consummated when directors of the Federal National Bank, meeting separately, but simultaneously as directors of the American National Bank, unanimously voted to consolidate the two institutions. The amalgamated institution, known as the Federal-American National Bank, would have the largest capital of any bank in the city. The capital would be divided into 12,000 shares of equal $100 par value and stockholders of the Federal would receive 1 and 1/5 shares for each share held while stockholders of the American would received share for share.
The Federal National Bank and the American National Bank consolidated at the close of business, October 31, 1922. The combined institution had capital of $1,200,000, Surplus of $400,000, undivided profits of $253,110.12 and deposits of $10,926,546.83. All officers, tellers and employees of both banks were retained. The officers were W.T. Galliher, chairman of the board; John Poole, president; Wm. John Eynon, W.J. Waller, Charles B. Lyddane, vice presidents; Chas. D. Boyer, cashier; Wm. C. Johnson, assistant to president; Leon Tobriner, general counsel; and S. Louise Mitchell, Wm. M. Seay, and H.H. Shackelford, assistant cashiers. The bank's headquarters was located at 1315 F Street, NW.
The new president, Mr. Poole, organized the Federal National in 1913. He served for two years as president of the American Institute of Banking, as president of the District Bankers’ Association and as vice president of the American Bankers’ Association. He also had extensive holdings in various corporations, including a seat on the board of the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company.
W.T. Galliher, the new chairman, was president of the W.T. Galliher and Bros., Inc., Lumber Company and was also president of the Home Building Association and of the Washington Lumber Exchange. He was a past president of the District Bankers’ Association and an ex-vice president of the American Bankers’ Association. He too had large holdings in local corporations, principally in the Washington and District Title Company.
Official Bank Titles
1: American National Bank of Washington, DC
Bank Note Types Issued
A total of $7,149,200 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1903 and 1922. This consisted of a total of 870,364 notes (870,364 large size and No small size notes).
This bank issued the following Types and Denominations of bank notes:
Series/Type Sheet/Denoms Serial#s Sheet Comments 1902 Red Seal 4x5 1 - 14000 1902 Red Seal 3x10-20 1 - 18250 1902 Date Back 4x5 1 - 55665 1902 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 39834 1902 Plain Back 4x5 55666 - 110345 1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 39835 - 74996
Bank Presidents and Cashiers
Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1903 - 1922):
Presidents:
- Colonel Robert Newton Harper, 1903-1907
- Richard Henry Lynn, 1908-1909
- William Thompson Galliher, 1910-1922
Cashiers:
Other Known Bank Note Signers
- No other known bank note signers for this bank
Bank Note History Links
- American National Bank, Washington, DC History (NB Lookup)
- District of Columbia Bank Note History (BNH Wiki)
Sources
- Washington, DC, on Wikipedia
- Don C. Kelly, National Bank Notes, A Guide with Prices. 6th Edition (Oxford, OH: The Paper Money Institute, 2008).
- Dean Oakes and John Hickman, Standard Catalog of National Bank Notes. 2nd Edition (Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 1990).
- Banks & Bankers Historical Database (1782-1935), https://spmc.org/bank-note-history-project
- American National Bank Photo, Library of Congress, accessed Feb. 10, 2023.
- The Washington Times, Washington, DC, Mon., Feb. 23, 1903.
- The Evening Star, Washington, DC, Fri., Jan. 13, 1922.
- The Washington Herald, Washington, DC, Sat., Sep. 30, 1922.
- The Washington Herald, Washington, DC, Tue., Nov. 7, 1922.
- ↑ The Bankers' Magazine, Vol. 78, Jan. 1909-June 1909, p. 662.