City National Bank, Taylor, TX (Charter 5275)
City National Bank, Taylor, TX (Chartered 1900 - Open past 1935)
Town History
Taylor is a city in Williamson County, Texas, located approximately 35 miles northeast of the capital, Austin. The population at the 2020 Census was 16,267, up from 15,191 as of 2010. In 1890 the population was 2,584, growing to 7,463 by 1930.
In 1876, the Texas Land Company auctioned lots in anticipation of the arrival of the International-Great Northern Railroad when Taylor was founded that year. The city was named after Edward Moses Taylor, a railroad official, under the name Taylorsville, which officially became Taylor in 1892. Immigrants from Moravia and Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) and other Slavic states, as well as from Germany and Austria, helped establish the town. It soon became a busy shipping point for cattle, grain, and cotton.
By 1878, the town had 1,000 residents and 32 businesses, 29 of which were destroyed by fire in 1879. Recovery was rapid, however, and more substantial buildings were constructed. In 1882, the Taylor, Bastrop and Houston Railway (later part of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad) reached the community, and machine shops and a roundhouse served both rail lines. In 1882, the town was incorporated with a mayor-council form of city government, and in 1883, a public school system replaced a number of private schools.
Taylor had three National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, The First National Bank/First-Taylor National Bank (Charter 3027), The Taylor National Bank, (Charter 3859), and The City National Bank of Taylor, and all three of those banks issued National Bank Notes.
Bank History
- Organized February 10, 1900
- Chartered April 3, 1900
- Bank was Open past 1935
- For Bank History after 1935 see FDIC Bank History website
- Still in business as City National Bank, Taylor, TX (March 2024)
In February 1900, the comptroller of the currency approved the application of J.H. Griffith, J.J. Thomas, C.C. Hooper, R.H. Eaves and R.L. Penn for authority to organize the City National Bank of Taylor, Texas, with a capital of $50,000.[1]
In January 1902, the officers elected were R.H. Eanes, president; John H. Griffith, vice president; H.T. Kimbro, cashier; R.H. Eanes, J.H. Griffith, H.T. Kimbro, William Pfluger, J.J. Thames, C.C. Hooper, C.A. Wilcox S.A. Easley, and J.R. Hargis, directors.[2]
In January 1928, officers chosen during the annual election were J.H. Griffith, president; J.M. Griffith, vice president and cashier; H.A. Letterman, assistant cashier; John H. Griffith, John M. Griffith, Dr. Edmond Doak, C.W. Pfluger, C.S. Griffith, H.A. Letterman, and T.J. Lawhon, directors.[3]
In January 1931, officers were John H. Griffith, president; John M. Griffith, vice president; H.A. Letterman, assistant cashier; J.H. Griffith, J.M. Griffith, H.A. Letterman, C.W. Pfluger, Dr. Edmund Doak, C.S. Griffith of Georgetown and T.J. Lawhon of Houston, directors.[4]
In January 1935, J.H. Griffith was re-elected president of the City National Bank with John M. Griffith as first vice president and cashier, D. Hargis as honorary vice president, and H.A. Letterman, assistant cashier. The directors were J.H. Griffith, J.M. Griffith, C.W. Pfluger, C.S. Griffith, H.A. Letterman and Mrs. T.J. Lawhon.[5]
In October 1984, The City National Bank of Taylor announced plans to form a holding company.[6]
In April 1987, several promotions were announced by City National Bank of Taylor. Walton Slivensky, long-time cashier was elected to the bank's board of directors. In addition Molly Zucknick, Henrietta Hyzak and Mary Paris were promoted to assistant cashiers. C.W. "Bill" Pfluger of the Coupland State Bank stepped down as president but would continue to serve as chairman of the Board. The bank's new president was Leonard R. Buchhorn.[7]
Edward C. Griffith, the son of John M. Griffith, attended SMU where he met Martha Ann Hamblen of Dallas, Texas. They were married at Fort Benning, Georgia on October 20, 1961 after he had been called to active duty as a member of the 49th Armored Division of the Texas National Guard during the Berlin Crisis. Ed and Martha lived in Georgia and then in Louisiana, where he was stationed at Fort Polk. Ed returned to Taylor in late 1962. He then joined his father in employment at City National Bank of Taylor where he later served as President, then as Chairman of the Board of Directors, and remained active in the management of the bank until his death in 2021.
Official Bank Title
1: The City National Bank of Taylor, TX
Bank Note Types Issued
A total of $925,260 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1900 and 1935. This consisted of a total of 74,921 notes (51,088 large size and 23,833 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 3x10-20 1 - 960 1882 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 4300 1882 Value Back 3x10-20 4301 - 5203 1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 1 - 6609 1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 2370 1929 Type 1 6x20 1 - 568 1929 Type 2 10 1 - 4780 1929 Type 2 20 1 - 1425
Bank Presidents and Cashiers
Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1900 - 1935):
Presidents:
- Dr. Robert Headon Eanes, 1900-1908
- Joseph Jefferson Thames Sr., 1909-1912
- John H. Griffith, 1913-1935
Cashiers:
Other Known Bank Note Signers
Bank Note History Links
- City National Bank, Taylor, TX History (NB Lookup)
- Banking: Doing What We Do Best (Taylor, TX) (SPMC PM#252)
- Texas Bank Note History (BNH Wiki)
Sources
- Taylor, 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
- ↑ The Houston Post, Houston, TX, Thu., Feb. 8, 1900.
- ↑ Austin American-Statesman, Austin, TX, Wed., Jan. 22, 1902.
- ↑ The Austin American, Austin, TX, Tue., Jan. 17, 1928.
- ↑ Austin American-Statesman, Austin, TX, Thu., Jan. 15, 1931.
- ↑ Austin American, Austin, TX, Fri., Jan. 11, 1935.
- ↑ Austin American-Statesman, Austin, TX, Thu., Oct. 18, 1984.
- ↑ Austin American-Statesman, Austin, TX, Thu., Apr. 9, 1987.