Capital City National Bank, Atlanta, GA (Charter 5490)
Capital City National Bank, Atlanta, GA (Chartered 1900 - Liquidated 1903)
Town History
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, although a portion of the city extends into neighboring DeKalb County. With a population of 498,715 living within the city limits, it is the eighth most populous city in the Southeast and 38th most populous city in the United States according to the 2020 U.S. census. The population in 1880 was 37,409, growing to 89,872 by 1900.
Atlanta had 12 National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and 10 of those banks issued National Bank Notes.
Bank History
- Organized June 23, 1900
- Chartered July 9, 1900
- Succeeded Capital City Bank
- Liquidated May 16, 1903
- Absorbed by 1559 (Atlanta NB/Atlanta and LowryNB/FNB, Atlanta, GA)
On March 17, 1884, the following gentlemen met and effected a temporary organization of the Capital City Land and Improvement Company: Jacob Elsas, John Colvin, W.M. Scott, Jacob Haas, John Berkele, M. Franklin, I.H. Haas, James R. Gray, Samuel Weil, A. Rosenfeld, W. A. Venable, J.H. Kettner and David Mayer. The first meeting of the stockholders was held April 29th and the company was organized with a capital of $400,000 fully subscribed. The following were elected directors: J.W. English, Jacob Elsas, Jacob Haas, W.A. Hemphill, David Mayer, Aaron Haas, John Berkele, A. Rosenfeld, J.A. Colvin, and J.H. Kettner. The officers elected were Mr. Elsas, president; Mr. English, vice president; Mr. W.D. Luckie, treasurer; and Jacob Haas, secretary. Colonel S. Weil was elected attorney. The company's business was the buying and selling of real estate.
In June 1887, the new Capital City Bank was expected to open not later than October 1st. The Capital City Land and Improvement Company made a special effort to secure the Freeman corner, deeming it the most desirable location for a bank. D.N. Freeman & Co. located on the corner of Whitehall and Alabama Streets had failed in February 1887; liquidation of the stock was done by Freeman & Cranckshaw. On June 18th a contract was signed renting a room in the Freeman corner. While not official, it was well-understood that Mr. Jacob Hass, secretary of the Capital City Land and Improvement Company and a gentlemen thoroughly qualified, would be selected as cashier.
In July 1887, a bill was introduced in the in the House by Mr. Weil to amend the charter of the Capital City Land Improvement and Banking Company by changing its name to the Capital City Bank and to authorize the company to do a general banking business. On August 19th, the bill passed in the Senate. The evening of October 1st, the directors of the Capital City Bank met and organized by electing W.A. Hemphill, president; David Mayer, vice president; and Jacob Haas, cashier and secretary. The new bank was one of the strongest in the city with capital stock of $400,000 and surplus $52,000. The directors were W.A. Hemphill, David Mayer, Geo. W. Parrott, Aaron Haas, C.A. Collier, W.H. Clayton, John C. Hallman, John Berkele, John H. Ketner, John A. Colvin, D.A. Beatie, Jesse W. Rankin and Louis Gholstin. Opening was planned for October 15th.
On October 15, 1893, six years after opening, the bank moved to quarters at the corner of Pryor and Alabama Streets.
On January 9, 1900, Mr. Charles A. Collier, cashier of the Capital City Bank, notified the directors that he would no longer serve as cashier after his termed of office expired. Mr. Collier had been connected with the bank for the past 12 years. For 11 years, he was vice president of the bank and for the past year he was cashier, succeeding Mr. Jacob Haas. Mr. Collier retired on account of his health. Mr. George W. Parrott who had been president for a number of years decided to retire. Mr. Jacob Haas would succeed Mr. Parrott as president. Mr. George A. Speer of LaGrange would succeed Mr. Haas as vice president. Mr. Parrott's retirement was due to a desire for a long rest in Europe. Mr. Speer was the president of the LaGrange Banking Company. He would resign and move to Atlanta. At the stockholders meeting, Messrs. S.F. Parrott and George A. Speer were added to the board of directors. The directors were George W. Parrott, Jacob Haas, John C. Hallman, J.E. Maddox, Isaac G. Haas, Savannah; Isaac Liebman, Hoke Smith, H.L. Schlesinger, D. Woodward, B.J. Eiseman, S.F. Parrott, L.H. Beck and George A. Speer. On the 11th, the directors added Anton Kontz as the new cashier and G.R. Donovan, assistant cashier. Mr. Kontz was treasurer of the Cotton exposition. He also had banking experience having been cashier of the Commercial Travelers' Bank and having continued as such until it was changed into the Trust Company of Georgia. G.R. Donovan, the new assistant cashier, had been connected with the Capital City bank almost since its organization.
In May 1900, directors announced that two financial institutions would be formed from the Capital City Bank, a trust company and a national bank. Stockholders at their meeting on April 30th approved the organizing of a national bank. The capital stock was $400,000 and the surplus $100,000. The new bank would be capitalized at $250,000 with a surplus of $100,000. The remaining $150,000 would constitution the capital of a trust company conducted under the old name. The name Capital City National Bank was recommended by the stockholders. On June 15th, authority to organize the Capital City National Bank of Atlanta, Georgia, capital $250,000, was approved by the Comptroller of the Currency and on July 9th a charter was issued. The officers of the Capital City National Bank were the same as those elected in January as officers of the Capital City Bank.
On Tuesday, January 13, 1903, at the annual meeting of stockholders of the Capital City National Bank, two names were added to the board of directors, W.A. Speer, and Frank Inman. Mr. Speer was one of the best known businessmen in Atlanta and was president of the John Silvey Company. Mr. Inman, a much younger man, was a member of the firm of Sanders, Swann & Co., and had made splendid progress in the business world. The officers of the bank were as follows: George A. Speer, president; Isaac Liebmann, vice president; A.L. Kontz, cashier. The directors were George A. Speer, George W. Parrott, Isaac G. Haas, Isaac Liebmann, John C. Hallman, D. Woodward, S.F. Parrott, J.E. Maddox, L.H. Beck, Hoke Smith, B.J. Eiseman, W. Woods White, W.A. Speer, and Frank Inman.
On Friday, April 3, 1903, G.H. Sims, collection and discount clerk of the Capital City National Bank, one of the largest financial institutions in the south, was placed under arrest and charged with embezzling $93,457.42 of the bank's funds. He confessed to the shortage and was in the county jail. Sims said he spent $42,000 on a farm and the remaining $51,000 was spent "in society." The first suspicion of the defalcation arose when George R. DeSaussure, national bank examiner, noted certain similarities in different notes and erasures on the books of Sims. Sims was confronted with the evidence in a room with President George A. Speer and Cashier Anton L. Kontz. For a moment a look of blank surprise covered his face. Then he slightly smiled and said, "You have got me."
On April 13, 1903, the Capital City National Bank was absorbed by the Atlanta National. The price paid was $275,000 which was 10% above par on the stock. In addition, the Capital City National retained the assets of G.H. Sims and the surplus on hand. Deposits at the Capital City were about $1.3 million. The G.H. Sims assets were estimated at $35,000 to $40,000 more depending on the sale of the defaulting clerk's farm in Greene County, live stock, etc. Pending liquidation, the bank would maintain a separate corporate existence while is was winding up its affairs. Cashier C.E. Curried stated that no arrangements had been made regarding the employees of the Capital City National. The capital stock of the Atlanta National would remain at $500,000. Officers of the Atlanta National were Jas. Swann of New York, president; Paul Romare, vice president; and Charles E. currier, cashier. Officers of the Capital City national were George A. Speer, president; Isaac Liebman, vice president; Anton L. Kontz, cashier; G.R. Donovan, assistant cashier; Samuel Meyer, Jr., paying teller, and W.J. Franklin, receiving teller. The directors were George A. Speer, Hoke Smith, G.W. Parrott, J.E. Maddox, W. Woods White, W.A. Speer, B.J. Eiseman, Frank M. Inman, David Woodward and John C. Hellman.
The scene at the Capital City bank the morning of the 13th was calm. The doors opened and hundreds of depositors filled the corridors. Huge bags of coin and large rolls of bills and completed deposit slips filled the hands of long rows of people in front of the receiving teller's window. The money was being placed to their credit in the Atlanta National and their accounts had already been transferred. All business would be transferred upon completion of the new quarters of the Atlanta National Bank at the corner of Whitehall and Alabama Streets.
Official Bank Title(s)
1: The Capital City National Bank of Atlanta, GA
Bank Note Types Issued
A total of $83,700 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1900 and 1903. This consisted of a total of 10,116 notes (10,116 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 1882 Brown Back 4x5 1 - 1425 1882 Brown Back 3x10-20 1 - 1104
Bank Presidents and Cashiers
Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1900 - 1903):
Presidents:
Cashiers:
Other Known Bank Note Signers
- No other known bank note signers for this bank
Bank Note History Links
Sources
- Atlanta, GA, 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
- The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, GA, Sun., June 19, 1887.
- The Macon Telegraph, Macon, GA, Sat., Feb. 12, 1887.
- The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, GA, Tue., July 12, 1887
- The Weekly Telegraph, Macon, GA, Tue., Aug. 23, 1887.
- The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, GA, Sun., Oct. 2, 1887.
- The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, GA, Wed., Jan. 10, 1900.
- The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, GA, Fri., Jan. 12, 1900.
- The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, GA, Sat., May 5, 1900.
- The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Brooklyn, NY, Fri., June 15, 1900.
- The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, GA, Wed., Aug. 1, 1900.
- The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, GA, Wed., Jan. 14, 1903.
- The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, GA, Sun., Apr. 5, 1903.
- The Atlanta Journal, Atlanta, GA, Mon., Apr. 13, 1903.