City National Bank/First NB, Decatur, AL (Charter 10336)
City National Bank/First NB, Decatur, AL (Chartered 1913 - Receivership 1932)
Town History
Decatur is the largest city and county seat of Morgan County (with a portion also in Limestone County) in the U.S. state of Alabama. The city, nicknamed "The River City", is located in Northern Alabama on the banks of Wheeler Lake, along the Tennessee River. The population in 2010 was 55,683. Decatur is also the core city of the two-county large Decatur, Alabama metropolitan area which had an estimated population of 153,374 in 2013.
Initially the area was known as "Rhodes Ferry Landing", named for Dr. Henry W. Rhodes, an early landowner who operated a ferry that crossed the Tennessee River in the 1810s at the present-day location of Rhodes Ferry Park. The city was incorporated as Decatur in 1821. It was named in honor of Stephen Decatur; after he was killed in a duel in 1820, President Monroe directed that the Alabama town be named for him.
Because of its location on the Tennessee River at the strategically important crossing of two major railroads, Decatur was the site of several encounters during the American Civil War. New Decatur, Alabama was a city that rose out of the ashes of former Decatur west of the railroad tracks. New Decatur was founded in 1887 and incorporated in 1889. However, residents of the older Decatur resented the new town, founded and occupied by people who moved down from northern states. Animosity built until New Decatur renamed their town Albany, after Albany, N.Y., in September 1916. Eventually, the hostilities between the two cities began to die down, and the need for a common bridge over the Tennessee River united them. On August 28, 1923, a measure to consolidate the two cities failed due to tax inequities. On February 4, 1927, the two cities finally merged into one, taking the original name of Decatur.
The Old State Bank, on the edge of downtown, is the oldest bank building in the State of Alabama, being 173 years old.
Decatur had two National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, The First National Bank of Decatur (Charter 3699) and The City National Bank of Decatur. Both of those banks issued National Bank Notes. Decatur also had two Obsolete Banks that issued Obsolete Bank Notes during the Obsolete Bank Note Era (1782-1866).
New Decatur/Albany/Decatur had two National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, The Morgan County National Bank of New Decatur (Charter 6380) and The Central National Bank of New Decatur (Charter 10423). Both of those banks issued National Bank Notes with town names of New Decatur, Albany and finally Decatur.
Bank History
- Organized February 21, 1913
- Chartered February 25, 1913
- 1: Succeeded 3699 (First National Bank, Decatur, AL)
- 2: Absorbed 10423 November 6, 1930 (Central NB Decatur/CentralNB Albany, New Decatur/Albany, AL)
- 2: Receivership January 18, 1932
The City National Bank of Decatur, Alabama opened on February 27, 1913 with paid-in capital of $100,000. It took over the accounts of the First National Bank and conducted business in the building of the First National Bank. The Directors were John D. Wyker, J.H. Calvin, A.E. Jackson, R.P. McEntire, and Thomas W. Wert. Officers were John D. Wyker, president; J.H. Calvin, first vice president; R.P. McEntire, second vice president; and A.E. Jackson, cashier.
The First National Bank in Decatur reported at the beginning of business, October 1, 1930, accounting for the consolidation of the assets of the Central National Bank and the City National Bank the following: Assets of $1,137,554.83 in loans and discounts; $205,000 U.S. Gov't bonds to secure circulation; $383,990.56 in other marketable bonds; and Liabilities of $200,000 capital stock, $53,890.86 Surplus and undivided profits; $200,000 Circulation; $979,591.23 deposits; balancing at $1,899,363.52. Indications were that 2,000 visitors were in the First National Bank over the past week with 480 people making deposits on the opening day alone. Officials of the merged bank took occasion to express sincere appreciation for the hundreds of congratulatory messages received since the merger of the Central National and the City National Banks into the First National Bank. The entire quarters of the former City National Bank were being utilized, the balcony having been made into a bookkeeping department, and a private telephone system was established for inter-bank communication.
Official Bank Title(s)
1: The City National Bank of Decatur, AL
2: First National Bank in (9/26/1930), Decatur, AL
Bank Note Types Issued
A total of $3,432,810 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1913 and 1932. This consisted of a total of 482,216 notes (394,076 large size and 88,140 small size notes).
This bank issued the following Types and Denominations of bank notes:
Series/Type Sheet/Denoms Serial#s Sheet Comments 1: 1902 Date Back 4x5 1 - 7650 1: 1902 Date Back 4x10 1 - 7675 1: 1902 Plain Back 4x5 7651 - 54697 1: 1902 Plain Back 4x10 7676 - 43822 1: 1929 Type 1 6x5 1 - 5534 1: 1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 2888 2: 1929 Type 1 6x5 1 - 4313 2: 1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 1955
Bank Presidents and Cashiers
Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1913 - 1932):
Presidents:
- John Daniel Wyker, 1913-1914
- Christopher Columbus Harris, 1915-1927
- Warner Willis Fussell, 1929-1931
Cashiers:
Other Bank Note Signers
- Joseph Hiram Calvin, Vice President 1913...1915
- There are currently no known Assistant Cashier bank note signers for this bank.
Wiki Links
- Alabama Bank Note History
- General information on Decatur (Wikipedia)
- General information on Morgan County (Wikipedia)
- General information on Alabama (Wikipedia)
Sources
- Decatur, AL, 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://bbdata.banknotehistory.com
- New Decatur Advertiser, New Decatur, AL, Thu., Feb. 27, 1913.
- The Decatur Daily, Decatur, AL, Mon., Oct. 6, 1930.
- The Decatur Daily, Decatur, AL, Wed., Oct. 29, 1930.