First National Bank, Forest City, IA (Charter 4889)

Postcard of the First National Bank building ca. 1912

First National Bank, Forest City, IA (Chartered 1893 - Receivership 1925)

Town History

Photo of the First National Bank building in 2015. Courtesy of Google Maps.

Forest City is located in Hancock and Winnebago Counties in north central Iowa.

Forest City was platted in 1856. It was incorporated as a city on June 14, 1878.

During the National Bank Note Era, the population of Forest City was 895 in 1890, rising to 2,016 in 1930. It's highest population was 4,430 in 1990, and the current population is estimated at 4,047 (2018).

For more information on the town of Forest City, see their Wikipedia page.

Bank History

• Organized Feb 20, 1893
• Chartered Mar 21, 1893
• Succeeded City Bank (Plummar, Secors & Hanson)
• Receivership Nov 14, 1925

Official Bank Title(s)

1: The First National Bank of Forest City, IA

Bank Note Types Issued

1902 Date Back $50 bank note with pen signature of John Olson, Cashier and faded stamped signature of B. A. Plummer, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

A total of $572,160 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1893 and 1925. This consisted of a total of 39,820 notes (39,820 large size and 0 small size notes).

This bank issued the following Types and Denominations of bank notes:

Series/Type	Sheet/Denoms	Serial#s
1882 Brown Back	4x5	1 - 4055
1882 Brown Back	3x10-20	1 - 1668
1882 Date Back	4x5	1 - 1778
1882 Date Back	3x10-20	1 - 1207
1902 Date Back	3x50-100	1 - 1247

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

1902 Date Back $50 bank note with pen signatures of Bessie Harstedt, Assistant Cashier and (Faded), President. Courtesy of Lyn Knight Currency Auctions, www.lynknight.com

First National Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1893 - 1925):

Presidents:

• B. A. Plummer, 1893-1918
• R. C. Plummer, 1919-1919
• John Olson, 1920-1925

Cashiers:

• W. O. Hanson, 1893-1898
• R. C. Plummer, 1899-1910
• John Olson, 1911-1919
• Otto Beckjorden, 1920-1924
• F. E. Taylor, 1925-1925

Other Bank Note Signers

• Bessie Harstedt, Assistant Cashier (1920-1925)

References

• Forest City, IA, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_City,_Iowa
• 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