Atlanta National Bank, Atlanta, TX (Charter 7694)

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The Atlanta National Bank on Hiram Street, Atlanta, Texas, ca2022
The Atlanta National Bank on Hiram Street, Atlanta, Texas, ca2022. Courtesy of Google Maps

Atlanta National Bank, Atlanta, TX (Chartered 1905 - Closed (Merger) 1995)

Town History

Needed: a contemporary postcard or photo of the bank.
Needed: a contemporary postcard or photo of the bank.

Atlanta is a city in Cass County, northeastern Texas. U.S. Route 59 bypasses the city to the west, leading north 25 miles  to Texarkana and southwest 14 miles to Linden. Texas State Highway 77 passes through the southern side of the city, leading southeast 10 miles to the Louisiana border and northwest 13 miles to Douglassville. Texas State Highway 43 passes through the center of Atlanta and leads south 47 miles  to Marshall. According to the 2010 U.S. census, the city had a population of 5,675, which decreased to 5,433 in 2020.  In 1910 the population was 1,604.

Atlanta was established in 1872 with the building of the Texas and Pacific Railway and was named for Atlanta, Georgia, former home of many early settlers; a post office was opened that same year. Atlanta, Texas is now the second largest Atlanta in the nation. Other "Atlantas" exist in Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, and elsewhere. Atlanta, Texas is known as "Hometown, USA".

Atlanta had two National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, The First National Bank (Charter 4922) and The Atlanta National Bank (Charter 7694), and both of those banks issued National Bank Notes.

Bank History

  • Organized April 3, 1905
  • Chartered April 17, 1905
  • Opened for business June 1, 1905
  • Bank was Open past 1935
  • For Bank History after 1935 see FDIC Bank History website
  • Merged into American National Bank in Texarkana, TX, October 1, 1995

In April 1905, an application to organize a national bank was approved by the comptroller of the currency for The Atlanta National Bank of Atlanta, Texas, with a capital of $30,000, by R.L. Witt, T.H. Leaves, H.F. O'Neal, George Hughes, L.F. Allday and others.

On Tuesday, December 4, 1928, The Atlanta National Bank held a formal opening of its new, $40,000 home, a two-story fireproof structure. The officers were L.F. Allday, president; T.J. Swint, vice president; H.F. O'Neal, vice president; Henry A. King, cashier; Ranson Hardy, assistant cashier and R.H. Price, director.

On October 10, 1931, it was reported that a frightened robber saw his own image and gun reflected in a mirror in the rear of the vault of the Atlanta National Bank and fired a fusillade of shots into the mirror. He and a pal who attempted to hold up the bank ran to a waiting car with driver and roared out of town.

On October 30, 1932, Louis Franklin Allday, Sr., passed away. Mr. Allday's first business was the organization of the mercantile firm R.S. Allday & Son in which he was associated with his father in 1896. The business was reorganized in 1910 as the Allday Supply Co., with Mr. Allday as president. He became president of the Atlanta National Bank when it was founded in 1905 and held that position up to the time of his death. His other business connections included presidency of the East Texas Motor Company, the Atlanta Brick Co., and the Three States Insurance Association. He had held the presidency of the later concern since its organization in 1918.

Patrick C. Willis, 53, civic leader and vice president of the Commercial National Bank died Wednesday afternoon, November 22, 1933. He was born in Atlanta, Texas on April 8, 1880 and attended Grayson College at Whitewright, Texas before starting his long banking career at the First National Bank of Atlanta as runner. During his nine years with the First, he occupied every position up to cashier. He resigned to accept a position as cashier with the Atlanta National Bank and served there for 10 years. In 1919 he went to Monroe, Louisiana as cashier and was elected vice president the following year. He left in 1921 for the Commercial National Bank of Shreveport, continuing he association with the Monroe institution to the time of his death. He was past president of the Louisiana Bankers' Association and took a particular interest in Boy Scouting.

In December 1935, upon the death of Judge Howard F. O'Neal, Henry A. King was elected president.

Official Bank Title

1: The Atlanta National Bank, Atlanta, TX

Bank Note Types Issued

1902 Plain Back $10 bank note with printed signatures of Henry A. King, Cashier and L.F. Allday, President.
1902 Plain Back $10 bank note with printed signatures of Henry A. King, Cashier and L.F. Allday, President. Courtesy of Lyn Knight Auctions, www.lynknight.com
1929 Type 1 $20 bank note with printed signatures of Henry A. King, Cashier and L.F. Allday, President.
1929 Type 1 $20 bank note with printed signatures of Henry A. King, Cashier and L.F. Allday, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

A total of $681,230 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1905 and 1995. This consisted of a total of 55,021 notes (39,228 large size and 15,793 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 3x10-20 1 - 1400
1902 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 2650
1902 DB/PB 3x10-20 2651 - 3150 Type uncertain
1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 3151 - 8407
1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 1702
1929 Type 1 6x20 1 - 450
1929 Type 2 10 1 - 2286
1929 Type 2 20 1 - 595

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1905 - 1995):

Presidents:

Cashiers:

Other Bank Note Signers

Wiki Links

Sources

  • Atlanta, TX, 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
  • El Paso Times, El Paso, TX, Wed., Apr. 5, 1905.
  • Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, TX, Sat., Dec. 8, 1928.
  • Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, TX, Sun., Oct. 11, 1931.
  • The Shreveport Journal, Shreveport, LA, Tue., Nov. 1, 1932.
  • The Times, Shreveport, LA, Thu., Nov. 23, 1933.