First National Bank, Belleville, IL (Charter 2154)
First National Bank, Belleville, IL (Chartered 1874 - Closed (Merger) 1993)
Town History
Belleville is a city and the county seat of St. Clair County, Illinois. It is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Belleville and the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows. The population was 44,478 according to the Census Bureau's 2010 data, making it the eighth-most populated city in the state outside the Chicago metropolitan area, and the most-populated city in southern Illinois. Due to its proximity to Scott Air Force Base, the population receives a boost from military and federal civilian personnel, defense contractors, and military retirees.
George Blair named the city of Belleville in 1814. Because Blair donated an acre of his land for the town square and an additional 25 acres (10 ha) adjoining the square for the new county seat, the legislature transferred the county seat from the village of Cahokia. The latter had been established by French colonists as a mission village in the late 17th century.
Belleville was incorporated as a village in 1819, and became a city in 1850. It is said that Blair named the city Belleville (French for "beautiful city") because he believed that a French name would attract new residents. Major immigration in the mid-19th century to this area occurred following revolutions in Germany, and most of the European-American population is of German ancestry.
Many of the educated Germans fled their homeland after the failure of the German Revolution in 1848. Belleville was the center of the first important German settlement in Illinois. By 1870, an estimated 90% of the city's population was either German-born or of German descent.
After the Civil War, Belleville became a manufacturing center producing nails, printing presses, gray iron castings, agricultural equipment, and stoves. Belleville became known as "The Stove Capital of the World." The first brewery in Illinois was established in Belleville. In 1868, Gustav Goelitz founded the candy company that is known today as "Jelly Belly."
Belleville had three National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and all three of those banks issued National Bank Notes.
Bank History
- Organized June 1, 1874
- Chartered June 15, 1874
- Bank was Open past 1935
- For Bank History after 1935 see FDIC Bank History website
- Merged into Magna Bank of Illinois in Belleville, IL on June 30, 1993
The First National Bank of Belleville, Illinois, charter 2154, with paid in capital $65,000 was authorized to commence business June 15, 1874. Julius Kohl was president and Van L. Runyan, cashier.
On January 12, 1875, stockholders of the First National Bank elected the following thirteen directors: Julius Kohl, Henry Reis, Jos. Fuess, Jr., Martin Herr, George Vonderschmidt, John Eimer, Jr., Samuel Stookey, James M. Hay, John Kloes, Ferd. Sunkel, Phil M. Gundlach, Theodore Meyer and John Lorenzen.
An official call was made for the retirement of all the circulating notes of the denomination of $5 of the following banks, the notes of that denomination had been successfully counterfeited: The First, Third, and Traders' National Banks, Chicago, First National Bank of Paxton, Ill., First National Bank of Canton, Ill. National banks throughout the country were requested to return all notes of these banks of the denomination of $5 to the Treasury for redemption and no additional notes of this denomination would thereafter be issued to these banks. The Semi-Weekly Advocate, Belleville, IL, Fri., July 16, 1875.
On January 14, 1879, stockholders elected the following board: Casimir Andel, H.J. Decker, John Eimer Jr., Jos. Fuess Jr., Geo. Gauss, Henry Reis, A.C. Hucke, Nocholas Meyer, Ferdinand Sunkel, Fred. Priester, Dr. Feichert, Chas. P. Knispel, and August Thebus.
On April 29, 1898, Company D, 4th Regiment, Illinois National Guard, Belleville's crack militia company, left for Springfield answering the Governor's call to take to the field in defense of the Nation's honor against the Spaniards in Cuba. The company was organized in 1894 by Col. Casimir Andel who served with distinction in the union army during the civil war. Col. Andel retired from command a few years ago and was succeeded by Captain Ed P. Rogers. At the state fair ground, known as Camp Tanner, the barn used for showing fine Hereford cattle during fairs was filled with clean straw for the soldiers to bed down on. Owing to insufficient provision for subsistence, Company D did not secure anything to eat until late when coffee bread and several raw hams were issued to them. Camp fires were started, the hams boiled, and in short time they were eating a meal of ham sandwiches washed down with hot black coffee. Visitors were allowed during certain hours and to find Co. D, they just had to look for the large barn with the sign "Hereford Cattle."
The officers in 1900 were Joseph Fuess, president; Henry Reis, vice president; and Casimir Andel, cashier. Directors were Jos. Fuess, Henry Reis, Victor Gauss, Frederick Priester, Charles Becker, John Kloes, F.C. Espenhain, Henry J. Decker, August Thebus, Wm. Feickert, Chas. Drees, Casimir Andel, and J.J. Weingaertner. Capital was $100,000.
Official Bank Title(s)
1: The First National Bank of Belleville, IL
Bank Note Types Issued
A total of $2,419,090 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1874 and 1993. This consisted of a total of 288,144 notes (235,736 large size and 52,408 small size notes).
This bank issued the following Types and Denominations of bank notes:
Series/Type Sheet/Denoms Serial#s Sheet Comments Original Series 3x1-2 1 - 2000 Original Series 4x5 1 - 1250 Original Series 3x10-20 1 - 500 Series 1875 4x5 1 - 1820 Series 1875 3x10-20 1 - 2769 1882 Brown Back 4x5 1 - 3250 1882 Brown Back 50-100 1 - 2460 1882 Date Back 4x5 1 - 6250 1882 Date Back 50-100 1 - 900 1882 Date Back 3x50-100 1 - 85 1902 Date Back 4x5 1 - 2500 1902 Date Back 3x50-100 1 - 920 1902 Plain Back 4x5 2501 - 38061 1902 Plain Back 3x50-100 921 - 1269 1929 Type 1 6x5 1 - 7334 1929 Type 1 6x50 1 - 276 1929 Type 1 6x100 1 - 80 1929 Type 2 5 1 - 6180 1929 Type 2 100 1 - 88
Bank Presidents and Cashiers
Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1874 - 1993):
Presidents:
- Dr. Julius Kohl, 1874-1878
- Capt. Joseph Fuess, Jr. , 1879-1908
- Casimir Andel, 1909-1915
- George Brinton McClellan Rogers, 1916-1935
Cashiers:
Other Bank Note Signers
- There are currently no known Vice President or Assistant Cashier bank note signers for this bank.
Wiki Links
- Illinois Bank Note History
- General information on Belleville (Wikipedia)
- General information on St. Clair County (Wikipedia)
- General information on Illinois (Wikipedia)
Sources
- Belleville, IL, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belleville,_Illinois
- 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
- Chicago Tribune, Chicago, IL, Thu., June 25, 1874.
- The Semi-Weekly Advocate, Belleville, IL, Fri., Jan. 15, 1875.
- The Semi-Weekly Advocate, Belleville, IL, Fri., July 16, 1875.
- The Semi-Weekly Advocate, Belleville, IL, Fri., Jan. 17, 1879.
- The Semi-Weekly Advocate, Belleville, IL, Fri., Apr. 29, 1898.
- The Semi-Weekly Advocate, Belleville, IL, Fri., Dec. 28, 1900.