Ansonia National Bank, Ansonia, CT (Charter 1093)

The old Ansonia National Bank (at Right) located at 117 Main Street. Courtesy of Google Maps, ca2023

Ansonia National Bank, Ansonia, CT (Chartered 1865 - Open past 1935)

Town History

Needed: photo of the bank or an obsolete note for the Ansonia Bank.

Ansonia is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, located on the Naugatuck River. It is immediately north of Derby, and about 12 miles northwest of New Haven. The city is served by the Metro-North Railroad. Ansonia Station is a stop on the railroad passenger commuter service's Waterbury Branch connecting to New York's Grand Central Terminal. The population was 18,918 at the time of the 2020 census. In 1870 the population was 2,749, growing to 19,898 by 1930.

In 1844, Anson Green Phelps (1781–1853), a merchant and philanthropist, wanted to expand the old borough of Birmingham (the present downtown of the city of Derby) to the north along the west side of the Naugatuck River to enable industrial development. Unable to purchase the land from its owner, in 1844 Phelps acquired land along the east side of the river; today this is Ansonia's downtown section. A canal was dug for river power to drive the factories and businesses in the new industrial village, which Phelps named "Ansonia". He wanted to name the industrial village "Phelpsville", but learned there was another village in the region by that name.

Ansonia, also referred to as "The Copper City", is recognized for its history of heavy machine manufacturing industry in the lower Naugatuck Valley. Production included copper, brass, rubber and plastics processing, molding and tubing, iron castings, sheet metal, electric, automatic screw machine, textiles, and foundry products. The well-known Ansonia Clock Company was founded here in 1851. Ansonia is the birthplace of David Humphreys, a diplomat and colonel in the American Revolutionary War.

Ansonia had one National Bank chartered during the Bank Note Era, and it issued National Bank Notes.

Bank History

Organized April 22, 1865
Chartered May 1, 1865
Succeeded Ansonia Bank
Bank was Open past 1935

In June 1861, Arthur J. Hine, Esq., late assistant cashier of the Merchants and Manufacturers Bank, Hartford, was appointed cashier of the Ansonia Bank and assumed his new duties. The Ansonia Savings Bank was charted by the Legislature in 1862 and was under the management of Wm. B. Bristol, president; Richard M. Johnson, vice president; and Sylvester Barbour, secretary and treasurer.

In September 1873, it was reported that A.J. Hine, cashier of the Ansonia National Bank had been using the banks funds for speculation. The surplus of $40,000 was gone as was the cashier's personal fortune. The bank was reported as solvent. On March 16, 1875, Mr. Hine, formerly cashier of the Ansonia National Bank was tried for deceiving the Bank Commissioner by making false statements. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in the county jail. In September 1877, Mr. Hine, having been released from New Haven Jail, had just been promoted to the position of treasurer and general manager in the office of the Connecticut Cutlery Co. of Naugatuck. In December 1888, Thomaston's new national bank, capitalized at $50,000, was organized with A.J. Hine as its president.

On June 10, 1900, William B. Bristol, one of the oldest businessman of Ansonia died at his home after a brief illness. He was born in Oxford, Connecticut, in 1811 and taught school in Connecticut, New York and Illinois. He was engaged in the coal business for many years. He had been the only president of the Ansonia Savings Bank since its incorporation in 1862 and also served as president of the Ansonia National Bank. He was a member of the Odd Fellows for 60 years.

On Mar. 14, 1915, General Charles H. Pine, a leading citizen of the Naugatuck Valley, died in St. Petersburg, Florida. He was born in Riverton (Barkhamsed), Litchfield County on September 20, 1843, a poor country boy. At 16 he enlisted in the army as a drummer and would serve until the end in the old Second Heavies. After the war he became a clerk in a store in Torrington, then Wolcottville and after two years through the influence of his friend, Charles F. Brooker, he went to Ansonia to take a position in the Ansonia National Bank. He worked his way up step by step to the presidency. He served in the House in 1883 as a member from Derby and was elected speaker. In 1887-9 he was paymaster general on the staff of Governor P.C. Lounsbury. He was chairman of the committee from Connecticut to erect the Gettysburg monument to General John Sedgwick. Of his many gifts was $50,000 to Yale University for the Charles H. Pine scholarship to educate deserving boys, primarily those from Ansonia.

In June 1926, Jay S. Buckley, trust officer of the Ansonia National Bank was appointed cashier, succeeding R. Edwards Chambers who went to the National Shawmut Bank of Boston as vice president. Mr. Chambers was president of the Connecticut Bankers' Association, vice president for Connecticut of the American Bankers' Association and a member of the stockholders' advisory committee of the Federal Reserve Bank at Boston. In July 1926, the officers were Charles F. Brooker, president; Wm. A. Nelson, vice president; Wm. A. Cowles, vice president; and Jay S. Buckley, cashier.

March 1958 advertisement for The Union & New Haven Trust Company.

In January 1927, two new directors were elected, John B. Davidson, president of the Cameron Electrical Co.; and Jay S. Buckley, cashier. The directors were as follows: Theodore L. Bristol, Franklin Farrel, Jr., William A. Cowles, Louis F. Anschutz, Frederick M. Drew, William A. Nelson, George O. Schnellar, Charles F. Bliss, Akon Farrel, William B. Swan, Oscar Cohen, John T. Walsh, George C. Bryent, John B. Davidson and Jay S. Buckley.

On December 19, 1957, presidents Edward M. Gaillard of the Union & New Haven Trust Company and Jay S. Buckley of the Ansonia National Bank announced in a joint statement the merger of the two institutions, subject to approval by stockholders and state and federal banking authorities. On January 21, 1958, stockholders of the Union and New Haven Trust Company and Ansonia National Bank approved the merger plans. The Ansonia bank became the fourth branch of the New Haven institution. The combined institution had resources of $80 million.

In March 1958, The Union & New Haven Trust Company had its main office at Church and Elm Streets, New Haven, the Ansonia Branch, 165 Main Street, Ansonia; Hamden Branch, Dixwell and Circular Avenues, Hamden, Plaza Office, 2100 Dixwell Avenue, Hamden; and Wallingford Branch, 9 North Main Street, Wallingford.

Official Bank Title(s)

1: The Ansonia National Bank, Ansonia, CT

Bank Note Types Issued

Original Series $1 bank note with pen signatures of A.J. Hine, Cashier and J.M. Colburn, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

Series of 1875 $5 bank note with pen signature of Charles H. Pine, Cashier. Courtesy of Lyn Knight Auctions, www.lynknight.com

1902 Date Back $20 bank note with printed signatures of R.E. Chambers, Cashier and Charles F. Brooker, President. Courtesy of Lyn Knight Auctions, www.lynknight.com

1929 Type 1 $10 bank note with printed signatures of J.S. Buckley, Cashier and W.A. Cowles, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

A total of $1,815,890 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1865 and 1935. This consisted of a total of 175,510 notes (162,732 large size and 12,778 small size notes).

This bank issued the following Types and Denominations of bank notes:

Series/Type	Sheet/Denoms	Serial#s	Sheet Comments
Original Series	3x1-2	1 - 1200
Original Series	4x5	1 - 3600
Original Series	3x10-20	1 - 1000
Original Series	50-100	1 - 270
Series 1875	4x5	1 - 8100
Series 1875	3x10-20	1 - 3900
1882 Brown Back	3x10-20	1 - 8363
1902 Red Seal	3x10-20	1 - 1900
1902 Date Back	3x10-20	1 - 5800
1902 Plain Back	3x10-20	5801 - 12485
1929 Type 1	6x10	1 - 1316
1929 Type 1	6x20	1 - 326
1929 Type 2	10	1 - 2361
1929 Type 2	20	1 - 565

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1865 - 1935):

Presidents:

Cashiers:

Other Bank Note Signers

William A. Nelson, Vice President 1926...1932
There are currently no known Assistant Cashier bank note signers for this bank.

Wiki Links

Sources

Ansonia, CT, 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
Hartford Courant, Hartford, CT, Sat., June 15, 1861.
Hartford Courant, Hartford, CT, Tue., July 15, 1862.
The Meriden Daily Republican, Meriden, CT, Fri., Sep. 26, 1873.
The Philadelphia Times, Philadelphia, PA, Wed., Mar. 17, 1875.
The Morning Journal-Courier, New Haven, CT, Fri., Dec. 14, 1888.
The Morning Journal-Courier, New Haven, CT, Mon., June 11, 1900.
Hartford Courant, Hartford, CT, Mon. Mar. 15, 1915.
The Boston Globe, Boston, MA, Thu., May 27, 1926.
Hartford Courant, Hartford, CT, Thu., June 3, 1926.
Hartford Courant, Hartford, CT, Sun., July 4, 1926.
Hartford Courant, Hartford, CT, Wed., Jan. 12, 1927.