First National Bank of Oshkosh, WI (Charter 218)

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Needed: a contemporary postcard or photo of the bank.
Needed: a contemporary postcard or photo of the bank.

First National Bank of Oshkosh, WI (Chartered 1864 - Liquidated 1883)

Town History

Oshkosh is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, of which it is the county seat. The city had an estimated population of 67,004 in 2019, making it the ninth-largest city in Wisconsin.

Oshkosh was named for Menominee Chief Oshkosh, whose name meant "claw" (cf. Ojibwe oshkanzh, "the claw"). Although the fur trade attracted the first European settlers to the area as early as 1818, it never became a major player in the fur trade. The 1820s mining boom in southwest Wisconsin along with the opening of the Erie Canal shifted commercial activity away from the Fox River Valley and Green Bay. Soon after 1830, much of the trade moved west, as there had been over-trapping in the region. Following the publicity caused by the Black Hawk War in 1832, there was increased interest in settling Wisconsin by whites from the East Coast, especially New York, Indiana, and Virginia, and by 1836 the cities of Milwaukee, Madison, Janesville, Beloit, and Fond du Lac were founded, with Madison the capital of a new territorial government, setting the stage for the economic and political importance of the southern part of the state. However, Oshkosh would continue to be one of Wisconsin's top five largest cities into the twentieth century.

The establishment and growth of the wood industry in the area spurred development of Oshkosh. Already designated as the county seat, Oshkosh was incorporated as a city in 1853. It had a population of nearly 2,800. The lumber industry became well established as businessmen took advantage of navigable waterways to provide access to both markets and northern pineries. The 1859 arrival of rail transportation expanded the industry's ability to meet the demands of a rapidly growing construction market. At one time, Oshkosh was known as the "Sawdust Capital of the World" due to the number of lumber mills in the city, 11 by 1860.

On April 28, 1875, Oshkosh had a "Great Fire" that consumed homes and businesses along Main Street north of the Fox River. The fire engulfed 70 stores, 40 factories, and 500 homes, costing nearly $2.5 million (or $51.2 million in 2010 money).

Oshkosh had 10 National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and all 10 of those banks issued National Bank Notes. Oshkosh also had three Obsolete Banks that issued Obsolete Bank Notes during the Obsolete Bank Note Era (1782-1866).

Bank History

  • Chartered January 27, 1864
  • Liquidated February 24, 1883
  • Succeeded by 2877 (National Bank, Oshkosh, WI)
The bank's history from 1852 to 1935 as follows:
1852 Private bank of Darling, Wright, Kellogg, & Company
1856 Organized as The Bank of Oshkosh 
1863 Organized as The First National Bank of Oshkosh
1883 Organized as the National Bank of Oshkosh
1903 Organized as The Old National Bank of Oshkosh

Official Bank Title(s)

1: The First National Bank of Oshkosh, WI

Bank Note Types Issued

Series of 1875 $5 bank note with pen signatures of Charles Schriber, Cashier and S.M. Hay, President.
Series of 1875 $5 bank note with pen signatures of Charles Schriber, Cashier and S.M. Hay, President. Courtesy of Lyn Knight Auctions, www.lynknight.com

A total of $243,500 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1864 and 1883. This consisted of a total of 48,700 notes (48,700 large size and No small size notes).

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

Series/Type Sheet/Denoms Serial#s Sheet Comments
Original Series 4x5 1 - 6750
Series 1875 4x5 1 - 5425

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1864 - 1883):

Presidents:

Cashiers:

Other Bank Note Signers

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

Wiki Links

Sources

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