First National Bank, Du Quoin, IL (Charter 4737)
First National Bank, Du Quoin, IL (Chartered 1892 - Receivership 1935)
Town History
Du Quoin (/duːˈkɔɪn/ doo-KOYN) is a city in Perry County, Illinois. It is best known for hosting the annual DuQuoin State Fair and the Street Machine Nationals. The population was 5,827 in the 2020 census. In 1900, the population was 4,353, peaking at 7,593 in 1930.
The area east of DuQuoin is known as Old Du Quoin. In the early 19th century, Du Quoin was near the Lusk's Ferry Road, an important early road that connected Kaskaskia with Lusk's Ferry on the Ohio River. The road ran easterly out of Steeleville to a point southwest of Du Quoin. There it turned to the southeast to cross the Big Muddy River and head for Lusk's Ferry.
Du Quoin had its start at its present location in 1853 when the railroad was extended to that point. The city was named after Chief Jean Baptiste Ducoigne of the Kaskaskia, an Illiniwek people, who were defeated by the Shawnee near here in 1802.
Du Quoin had one National Bank chartered during the Bank Note Era, and it issued National Bank Notes.
Bank History
- Organized April 11, 1892
- Chartered May 12, 1892
- 2: Assumed The First Bank and Trust Company of DuQuoin December 1, 1934, by consolidation
- 2: Conservatorship March 31, 1933
- 2: Operated on a restricted basis under Conservator H.C. Miller (1933-1935)
- 2: Receivership February 6, 1935
In March 1892, an application was filed by P.M. Pope and associates of Du Quoin, Illinois, for authority to organize the First National Bank of Du Quoin.[1] On April 7th, stockholders met and organized by elected P.N. Pope, Don Onstott, S.B. Eaton, J.B. White, R.O. Lehn, J.H. Ward, and W.B. Hall as directors. P.N. Pope was elected president. The capital stock was $50,000, all taken, and the bank planned to open for business on June 1st.[2]
Effective May 1, 1909, R.O. Lehn, cashier of the First National Bank resigned to give his entire attention to the affairs of the DuQuoin Utility Company of which he was president. Mr. Lehn's place as cashier was filled by Harry C. Miller.[3]
In January 1915, Willard P. Wall, formerly connected with the Pana National Bank and afterwards with the Chicago State Bank, was elected assistant cashier of the First National Bank.[4]
In February 1919, burglars blew open the vault door at the First National Bank and secured booty of about $1,500. The robbers worked on the door for an hour or two and used a quantity of soap and blunt instruments to force it open. The booty consisted of war savings stamps and counter change. Local authorities had no clues to the robbers.[5]
On Tuesday night, May 20, 1930, negotiations which had been in progress for the past 90 days to merge the First National Bank and the First Bank & Trust Company, two of DuQuoin's oldest and strongest banking institutions, came to a conclusion when the boards of both banks ratified the plan. The First Bank & Trust Co. organized in 1860 as the Exchange Bank of G.S. Smith and Co. and incorporated as a state bank in 1909. It had assets of approximately $1,200,000. The First National organized in 1892 and rapidly grew into one of the most substantial banks in Southern Illinois. The entire force of employees of both banks would be retained and the new board of directors, composed of the boards of both banks, would be made up by the following: L.S. Smith, Sr., Harry C. Miller, L.S. Smith, Jr., Walter J. Forester, Charles Rogers, Jr., Archie Lehn, C.F. Kelly, J.H. Forester, George Croessman, Clarence Kimmel, Walter Rutledge, Walter Naumer, and R.S. Linzee.[6]
On Friday, February 22, 1935, the First National Bank of Du Quoin was placed in the hands of a receiver. Plans were afoot to organize a new bank in its place and it was understood that $50,000 had already been subscribed.[7]
On April 4, 1935, Edward J. Barrett, state auditor, announced he had granted permission for the organization of a new state bank at Du Quoin. The permit was issued to H.C. Miller, C.E. Kimmell, Harry Lancaster, H.E. Sanford and Joe Werner, all of Du Quoin. The name of the proposed bank was the First Bank & Trust Company of Du Quoin. It was proposed to have a capital of $50,000 and surplus of $10,000 and reserve of $5,000.[8] Harry Lancaster was president of the Du Quoin Home Loan Association along with W.J. Forester as treasurer.[9]
Official Bank Titles
1: The First National Bank of Du Quoin, IL
2: The First National Bank of Duquoin, IL [1929]
Bank Note Types Issued
A total of $977,740 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1892 and 1935. This consisted of a total of 88,815 notes (69,294 large size and 19,521 small size notes).
This bank issued the following Types and Denominations of bank notes:
Series/Type Sheet/Denoms Serial#s Sheet Comments 1: 1882 Brown Back 4x5 1 - 7250 1: 1882 Brown Back 50-100 1 - 740 1: 1882 Date Back 4x5 1 - 992 1: 1882 Date Back 50-100 1 - 263 1: 1902 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 1940 1: 1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 1941 - 8580 2: 1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 2222 2: 1929 Type 1 6x20 1 - 542 2: 1929 Type 2 10 1 - 2365 2: 1929 Type 2 20 1 - 572
Bank Presidents and Cashiers
Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1892 - 1935):
Presidents:
Cashiers:
- Robert Oscar Lehn, 1892-1898
- Joseph Russell Perkins, 1899-1899
- Robert Oscar Lehn, 1900-1908
- Harry Clendenin Miller, 1909-1910
- Walter Roots Kimzey, 1911-1914
- Walter James Forester, 1915-1929
- Lucius Skinner Smith, Jr., 1930-1934
Other Known Bank Note Signers
Bank Note History Links
Sources
- Du Quoin, IL, 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 Times, Streator, IL, Thu., Mar. 31, 1892.
- ↑ The Inter Ocean, Chicago, IL, Fri., Apr. 8, 1892.
- ↑ The Free Press, Carbondale, IL, Mon., Apr. 26, 1909.
- ↑ Herald and Review, Decatur, IL, Mon., Jan. 25, 1915.
- ↑ The Belleville News-Democrat, Belleville, IL, Sat., Feb. 15, 1919.
- ↑ Perry County Advocate, Pickneyville, IL, Fri., May 21, 1930.
- ↑ Perry County Advocate, Pickneyville, IL, Fri., Mar. 1, 1935.
- ↑ The Free Press, Carbondale, IL, Thu., Apr. 4, 1935.
- ↑ Perry County Advocate, Pickneyville, IL, Fri., Jan. 15, 1932.