City National Bank, Evansville, IN (Charter 6200)

Photo of the City National Bank of Evansville, Indiana, ca1915. Courtesy of the Willard Public Library

City National Bank, Evansville, IN (Chartered 1902 - Liquidated 1922)

Town History

Interior of the City National Bank of Evansville, Indiana, ca1914. Courtesy of the Willard Public Library

Evansville is a city in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, and its county seat. With a population of 118,414 at the 2020 census, it is Indiana's 3rd-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the most populous city in Southern Indiana, and the 249th-most populous city in the United States. It is the central city of the Evansville metropolitan area, a hub of commercial, medical, and cultural activity of southwestern Indiana and the Illinois–Indiana–Kentucky tri-state area, which is home to over 911,000 people. The 38th parallel north crosses the north side of the city and is marked on Interstate 69 immediately north of its junction with Indiana 62 within the city's east side.

Situated on an oxbow in the Ohio River, the city is often referred to as the "Crescent Valley" or "River City". Early French explorers named it La Belle Rivière ("The Beautiful River"). The area has been inhabited by various indigenous cultures for millennia, dating back at least 10,000 years. Angel Mounds was a permanent settlement of the Mississippian culture from AD 1000 to around 1400. The city of Evansville was founded in 1812.

Evansville had 13 National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and all 13 of those banks issued National Bank Notes.

Bank History

A 1922 advertisement for the City National Bank of Evansville, Indiana.

In February 1922, The National City Bank of Evansville, Indiana, was chartered with capital $500,000. The bank succeeded to the business of the City National Bank whose charter expired on March 7, 1922. The officers, directors and employees of the new bank were those of the present one. National City Bank was the oldest bank in Southern Indiana established in 1863.

• Organized March 8, 1902
• Chartered April 9, 1902
• Succeeded 2692 (First National Bank, Evansville, IN)
• Liquidated March 7, 1922
• Succeeded by 12132 (National City Bank, Evansville, IN)
• Circulation assumed by 12132 (National City Bank, Evansville, IN)

On February 25, 1902, the comptroller of the currency approved the application of Francis J. Reitz, Thomas Garvin, George L. Mesker and M.J. Bray, Jr., to organize the City National Bank of Evansville, Indiana, with a capital of $200,000. Authorization to commence business arrived on April 9th. The First National Bank of Evansville terminated its corporate existence at midnight and at the same hour the City National Bank came into existence. The same men who were directors and officers of the old institution filled the same duties for the new bank. The old quarters located at Main and First Streets would continue to be used. The First National Bank was one of the old and reliable financial institutions of the city. It was first chartered to do business forty years ago and at the end of twenty years was re-chartered. The First National was the successor of the Canal Bank which went out of existence in 1863, having been organized in 1852. James H. Cutler, its vice president, saw the First National come into existence and witnessed the termination of its career. After forty years with the First Nation, he would be the first of the vice presidents of the City National Bank. Mr. Cutler was connected with the organization of the Canal Bank and served in an official capacity during the life of that institution. Some time ago the stockholders of the First National Bank decided to reorganize when the charter of the old institution expired. The public was never asked to purchase stock, yet it was necessary to raise the capitalization $50,000 in order to relieve demand, and even so many subscribers were forced to submit to scaled back amounts. This demand for stock in the new institution was a high compliment to the officers and directors of the old First National. The directors of the City National Bank were Francis J. Reitz, Thomas E. Garvin, James H. Cutler, M.J. Bray, George L. Mesker, O.F. Jacobi, A.J. Klein, D. Kronenberger, George A. Cunningham and Albert F. Karges. The officers were Francis J. Reitz, president; James H. Cutler, vice president; F.A. Foster, cashier; and John H. Dippel, assistant cashier. The capital stock was $350,000 and surplus was $35,000.

In January 1907, the directors re-elected were Francis J. Reitz, Thomas E. Garvin, James H. Cutler, Madison J. Bray, George L. Mesker, Otto F. Jacobi, David Kronenberger, George A. Cunningham, Albert F. Karges, and Francis A. Foster. O.F. Jacobi was also president of the Central Trust and Savings Co. with James H. Cutler as second vice president.

In January 1922, the directors of the City National Bank were Francis J. Reitz, A.F. Karges, Abe Strouse, S.W. Cook, C.B. Enlow, Chas. F. Hartmetz, John H. Fendrich, Benjamin Bosse, David Ingle, Alfred L. Bernardin, John S. Hopkins, Edw. M. Schaefer, Wm. H. Boettlener, Bernard S. Alnutt, and Daniel H. Ortmeyer. The officers were Francis J. Reitz, president; C.B. Enlow, vice president; Bernard S. Alnutt, cashier; Syl H. Kuhn and John H. Dippel, assistant cashiers. The bank had capital and surplus of $900,000.

Benjamin Bosse, 47, was born at the Bosse homestead in Scott Township November 1, 1874. He began driving a grocery wagon for his brother William in Evansville and later was employed by Raphael Mannheimer at his wholesale grocery. Mannheimer loaned Bosse money to start a retail grocery store at 1610 Main Street, later the site of Bosse Bros. Grocery and the location of The Grocers Quality Baking Co. of which Bosse was president. At 26 he went into the furniture business and started a small frame shop when the Globe-Bosse World Furniture factory would stand. Bosse took the Democratic mayoralty nomination in 1913, campaigning so vigorously he was swept into office. Of his many business interests, he was president of the West Side Bank since it was founded in 1903 and a director of the National City Bank and the Chero Cola Company. He died on April 4, 1922 a few months after taking the oath of office for his third term as Mayor of Evansville.

Official Bank Title

1: The City National Bank of Evansville, IN

Bank Note Types Issued

1902 Red Seal $10 bank note with stamped signatures of F.A. Foster, Cashier and Francis J. Reitz, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

1902 Date Back $20 bank note with stamped signatures of C.B. Enlow, Cashier and Francis J. Reitz, President. Courtesy of David Grant

1902 Plain Back $20 bank note with Radar SN and stamped signatures of B.S. Alnutt, Cashier and Francis J. Reitz, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

A total of $2,903,900 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1902 and 1922. This consisted of a total of 232,312 notes (232,312 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	3x10-20	1 - 14200
1902 Date Back	3x10-20	1 - 24500
1902 Plain Back	3x10-20	24501 - 43878

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1902 - 1922):

Presidents:

• Francis Joseph Reitz, 1902-1922

Cashiers:

• Francis Alexander Foster, 1902-1909
• Charles Bates Enlow, 1910-1915
• Bernard Smith Alnutt, 1916-1922

Other Known Bank Note Signers

• James Huntington Cutler, Vice President 1902...1906 Note: a featured biography is available
• Sylvester H. Kuhn (Asst Cashier 1921...1922)

Bank Note History Links

• City National Bank, Evansville, IN History (NB Lookup)
• Indiana Bank Note History (BNH Wiki)

Sources

• Evansville, IN, 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
• Integra/National City Bank, Willard Library photographic collection.