First National Bank, Mount Vernon, OH (Charter 908)

Postcard of the First-Knox National bank at One South Main Street, Mount Vernon, Ohio, ca1950s. Courtesy of Adam Stroup

First National Bank, Mount Vernon, OH (Chartered 1865 - Open past 1935)

Town History

The First-Knox National Bank, ca2022. Courtesy of Google Maps

Mount Vernon is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Ohio. It is located 40 miles northeast of Columbus. The population was 16,990 at the 2010 census.

The community was platted in 1805, and named after Mount Vernon, the estate owned by George Washington. The Woodward Opera House, the oldest opera theater of its kind in the United States, is located downtown. The theater, after many years of renovation and restoration, has been transformed into a local cultural and performing-arts center. The Knox County Historical Society, with a building and extensive exhibits, makes its headquarters on Harcourt Road in Mount Vernon. Exhibits feature information about Daniel Decatur Emmett, Paul Lynde, The Cooper Company and other subjects.

Mount Vernon had three National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and all three of those banks issued National Bank Notes. Mount Vernon also had three Obsolete Banks that issued Obsolete Bank Notes during the Obsolete Bank Note Era (1782-1866). The Mount Vernon Bank was included in a list of Free and Independent banks provided by the State Auditor's office in 1862.

Bank History

Mount Vernon Bank Obsolete $1 dated May 21, 1862 with Fred. D. Sturges, Cashier. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

• Organized January 14, 1865
• Chartered March 17, 1865
• Succeeded the Bank of Mount Vernon which opened in April, 1862
• Bank was Open past 1935
• Merged with The Knox National Bank of Mt. Vernon (Charter 7638) in April 1939 with title change to First-Knox National Bank

In October 1910, the officers were H.H. Greer, president; Ben Ames, vice president; and S.W. Alsdorf, cashier. The Citizens' Building & Loan Association was located in the First National Bank Building with Wm. H. Smith, president.

On Tuesday, January 11, 1916, stockholders elected the following directors: H.H. Greer, R.M. Greer, H.S. Jennings, Alice G. McCarthy, and Sarah Russell.

In April 1939, directors of the Knox National Bank and the First National Bank announced the merger of the two institutions. The combined banks would be known as the Knox National Bank, but later changed to the First-Knox National Bank. On June 5, the board of directors made three changes in officers. Henry C. Devin, president for the past 19 years, was named chairman of the board, and William A. Ackerman, executive vice president, was elected president. B.B. Williams who served as a director was elevated to vice president.

In June 1954, directors of the First-Knox National Bank in Mount Vernon and the Dan Struble & Son Bank of Fredericktown voted to consolidate the banks under the charter and name of the First-Knox National Bank. A branch of the First-Knox National Bank would be operated in Fredericktown with the same personnel.

The merger of First-Knox Banc Corp. into Newark-based Park National Corp. was completed May 5, 1997. As a result, Park subsidiaries included First-Knox Banc Corp. and its two subsidiaries, First-Knox National Bank of Mount Vernon and Farmers and Savings Bank of Loudonville.

Official Bank Title(s)

1: The First National Bank of Mount Vernon, OH

Bank Note Types Issued

Original Series $2 bank note with only the pen signature of Fred D. Sturges, Cashier, remaining. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

1902 Date Back $50 bank note with printed signatures of S.W. Alsdorf, Cashier and H.H. Greer, President. Courtesy of Lyn Knight Auctions, www.lynknight.com

1929 Type 1 $50 bank note with printed signatures of W.P. Welshymer, Cashier and S.W. Alsdorf, President. Courtesy of Lyn Knight, www.lynknight.com

A total of $484,650 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1865 and 1935. This consisted of a total of 26,270 notes (25,286 large size and 984 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 - 1800
Original Series	4x5	1 - 1500
Original Series	3x10-20	1 - 1100
Series 1875	3x10-20	1 - 808
1882 Brown Back	50-100	1 - 89
1902 Red Seal	50-100	1 - 350
1902 Date Back	50-100	1 - 300
1902 Date Back	3x50-100	1 - 570
1902 Plain Back	3x50-100	571 - 744
1929 Type 1	6x50	1 - 150
1929 Type 1	6x100	1 - 14

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1865 - 1936):

Presidents:

• Columbus Delano, 1865-1896
• Frederic Dimon Sturges, 1897-1905
• Henry Harrison Greer, 1906-1916
• Saurin W. Alsdorf, 1917-1935

Cashiers:

• Frederic Dimon Sturges, 1865-1896
• Harry Allen Sturges, 1897-1897
• Saurin W. Alsdorf, 1900-1916
• William P. Welshymer, 1917-1935

Other Bank Note Signers

• There are currently no known Vice President or Assistant Cashier bank note signers for this bank.

Wiki Links

• Ohio Bank Note History
• General information on Mount Vernon (Wikipedia)
• General information on Knox County (Wikipedia)
• General information on Ohio (Wikipedia)

Sources

• Mount Vernon, OH, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Vernon,_Ohio
• 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
• Belmont Chronicle, Saint Clairsville, OH, Thu., Oct. 9, 1862.
• The Democratic Banner, Mount Vernon, OH, Fri., Oct. 28, 1910.
• The Democratic Banner, Mount Vernon, OH, Fri., Jan. 14, 1916.
• The Galion Inquirer, Galion, OH, Thu., Apr. 27, 1939.
• The Newark Advocate, Newark, OH, Wed., June 7, 1939.
• The News-Messenger, Fremont, OH, Thu., June 24, 1954.
• News-Journal, Mansfield, OH, Thu., Oct. 16, 1997.