Fourth National Bank, Saint Louis, MO (Charter 283)

Needed: a contemporary postcard or photo of the bank.

Fourth National Bank, Saint Louis, MO (Chartered 1864 - Liquidated 1907)

Town History

A 1906 advertisement in German for the Fourth National Bank of Saint Louis, Missouri.

St. Louis is the second-largest city in Missouri. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which extends into Illinois, had an estimated population of over 2.8 million, making it the largest metropolitan area in Missouri and the second-largest in Illinois.

The founding of St. Louis was preceded by a trading business between Gilbert Antoine de St. Maxent and Pierre Laclède Liguest in the fall of 1763. St. Maxent invested in a Mississippi River expedition led by Laclède, who searched for a location to base the company's fur trading operations. Though Ste. Genevieve was already established as a trading center, he sought a place less prone to flooding. He found an elevated area overlooking the flood plain of the Mississippi River, not far south from its confluence with the Missouri and Illinois rivers. In addition to having an advantageous natural drainage system, there were nearby forested areas to supply timber and grasslands which could easily be converted for agricultural purposes. This place, declared Laclède, “might become, hereafter, one of the finest cities in America.” He dispatched his 14-year-old stepson, Auguste Chouteau, to the site, with the support of 30 settlers in February 1764. Laclède arrived at the future town site two months later and produced a plan for St. Louis based on the New Orleans street plan. The default block size was 240 by 300 feet, with just three long avenues running parallel to the west bank of the Mississippi. He established a public corridor of 300 feet fronting the river, but later this area was released for private development.

St. Louis was transferred to the French First Republic in 1800 (although all of the colonial lands continued to be administered by Spanish officials), then sold by the French to the U.S. in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase. St. Louis became the capital of, and gateway to, the new territory. Shortly after the official transfer of authority was made, the Lewis and Clark Expedition was commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson. The expedition departed from St. Louis in May 1804 along the Missouri River to explore the vast territory.

St. Louis became a major port on the Mississippi River and from 1870 until the 1920 census, it was the fourth-largest city in the country. It separated from St. Louis County in 1877, becoming an independent city and limiting its political boundaries. In 1904, it hosted the Louisiana Purchase Exposition and the Summer Olympics.

Saint Louis had 42 National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and 37 of those banks issued National Bank Notes.

Bank History

A sketch, ca1899, of F.W. Biebinger, President of the Forth National Bank of Saint Louis.

Chartered February 26, 1864
Liquidated January 15, 1907
Absorbed by 4178 (NB of Commerce/Mercantile-Commerce NB, Saint Louis, MO)

The Fourth National Bank was organized in 1864 with capital of $200,000. In July 1865, F.W. Biebinger, cashier of the Fourth National Bank, located at the northwest corner of Third Street and Washington Avenue, was taking subscriptions for 5-20 and 7-30 bonds.

In March 1875, the officers were John C.H.D. Block, president; John C. Nulsen, vice president; F.W. Biebinger, cashier; and G.A.W. Augst, assistant cashier. The directors were John C.H. D. Block, John C. Nulsen, Francis Cornet, Christian Peper, Arnold Hussmann, Henry Grone, C.L. Buschmann, John H. Kaiser, and Fred. E. Schmieding. The capital was $200,000 with reserves of $260,000.

In January 1880, the stockholders re-elected the old board. The directors were: John C.H.D. Block, F.E. Schmieding, Arnold Hussman, Christian Peper, Farncis Cornet, C.L. Buschmann, Henry Grone, John H. Kaiser, Louis J. Holthaus. The directors re-elected the officers, viz: John C.H.D. Block, president; Arnold Haussmann, vice president; and F.W. Biebinger, cashier.

On January 10, 1905, Rudolph Schmitz was elected a director of the Fourth National to succeed G.A.W. Augst, the veteran cashier who died a week ago on the 5th. A successor to Mr. Augst had not been decided on and the board would not fill the position for some time. The re-elected directors were H.A. Forman, L.A. Browning, Van L. Runyan, August Goerts, C.A. Caldwell, Forrest Ferguson, Edward A. Faust, Ferdinand Diehm, G.H. Lewis, and David Sommers. The bank had capital and surplus of $2,300,000. On February 9, the directors elected Emison Chanslor as its new cashier. Mr. Chanslor was assistant cashier of the American Exchange National Bank, a position he held since 1900. Mr. Chanslor commenced banking at Lexington, Missouri in 1877 and remained with a bank there until he was appointed state bank examiner, serving until 1900. The directors re-elected other officers as follows: H.A. Forman, president; Edward Faust, vice president; David Sommers, second vice president; Van L. Runyan, assistant cashier.

In January 1906, the directors elected were H.A. Forman, L.A. Browning, Rud. Schmitz, Van L. Runyan, Forrest Ferguson, Edward A. Faust, Ferdinand Diehm, David Sommers, C.A. Caldwell, R. Lee Travers, and Edward Hidden. By January 30, the officers were H.A. Forman, president, Edward A. Faust, vice president; David Sommers, vice president; Edward Hidden, vice president; Van L. Runyan, cashier; and A.L. Weissenborn, assistant cashier. The bank had capital and surplus of $2,392,927.05

On December 11, 1906, the board of directors of the Fourth National Bank voted to place the bank in liquidation and accept the proposal from the National Bank of Commerce to assume liabilities and purchase all assets for the sum of $2,450,000. On the same day by a unanimous vote of the board of directors, the assets and business of the Fourth National Bank of St. Louis were transferred to and the liabilities assumed by the National Bank of Commerce in Saint Louis. In its November 12, 1906, statement, the National Bank of Commerce had capital of $7 million, Surplus and profits of $9,186,166.50, Circulation of $6,969,900, Deposits of $49,573,555,59 and Total assets of $73,443,275.09. Stockholders of the Fourth National received $300 per share for stock delivered to the bank on or before January 15, 1907. Edward Hidden was president and Van L. Runyan, cashier.

Official Bank Title(s)

1: The Fourth National Bank of St. Louis, MO

Bank Note Types Issued

Series of 1875 $20 bank note with pen signatures of F.W. Biebinger, Cashier and Arnold Hussman, Vice President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

1882 Brown Back $50 bank note with pen signatures of G.A.W. Augst, Cashier and H.A. Forman, Vice President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

1902 Red Seal $100 bank note with pen signatures of Van L. Runyan, Cashier and H.A. Forman, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

A total of $4,138,100 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1864 and 1907. This consisted of a total of 172,288 notes (172,288 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 - 7250
Original Series	3x10-20	1 - 3300
Series 1875	3x10-20	1 - 7198
Series 1875	3x50-100	1 - 480
1882 Brown Back	4x5	1 - 8250
1882 Brown Back	3x10-20	1 - 7180
1882 Brown Back	50-100	1 - 8871
1902 Red Seal	50-100	1 - 9957

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1864 - 1907):

Presidents:

Cashiers:

Other Bank Note Signers

Arnold Hussman, Vice President 1880
Hamilton A. Forman signed notes as vice president
There are currently no known Assistant Cashier bank note signers for this bank.

Wiki Links

Sources

Saint Louis, MO, 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
Westliche Post, St. Louis, MO, Fri., July 14, 1865.
Westliche Post, St. Louis, MO, Mon. Mar. 8, 1875.
St. Louis Globe-Democrat, St. Louis, MO, Sat., Sep. 2, 1876.
St. Louis Globe-Democrat, St. Louis, MO, Wed., Jan. 14, 1880.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, MO, Sun., Jan. 1, 1899.
St. Louis Globe-Democrat, St. Louis, MO, Wed., Jan. 11, 1905.
St. Louis Globe-Democrat, St. Louis, MO, Fri., Feb. 10, 1905.
Westliche Post, St. Louis, MO, Wed., Jan. 10, 1906.
Westliche Post, St. Louis, MO, Tue., Jan. 30, 1906.
St. Louis Globe-Democrat, St. Louis, MO, Wed., Dec. 12, 1906.
Jewish Voice, St. Louis, MO, Fri., Dec. 14, 1906.