German National Bank/American NB, Vincennes, IN (Charter 3864)

The old American National Bank building on the corner of Main and Third Streets, Vincennes, Indiana, ca2022. The building was completed in 1919. Courtesy of Google Maps

German National Bank/American NB, Vincennes, IN (Chartered 1888 - Closed (Merger) 1999)

Town History

The George Rogers Clark Memorial, Vincennes, Indiana, ca2020. Courtesy of Google Maps

Vincennes is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Indiana. It is located on the lower Wabash River in the southwestern part of the state, nearly halfway between Evansville and Terre Haute. Founded in 1732 by French fur traders, notably François-Marie Bissot, Sieur de Vincennes, for whom the Fort was named, Vincennes is the oldest continually inhabited European settlement in Indiana and one of the oldest settlements west of the Appalachians. Vincennes served as capital of the Indiana Territory from 1800 until 1813.

In 1800 Vincennes was made capital of the new Indiana Territory. In 1801, William Henry Harrison was only 27 years old when he was appointed Governor of the Indiana Territory. He was given the powers of an emperor over what now comprises the states of Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin, and later over the Louisiana purchase as well. He was authorized to adopt on his own initiative civil and criminal laws, arbitrarily to create counties and townships, to appoint civil officials and militia officers below the grade of general and to issue without supervision or countersigning land grants giving absolute title. Harrison erected his house, Grouseland, in 1804 and it remained his home until the War of 1812 took him away from Vincennes. It occupied a site of 300 acres on the banks of the Wabash on the outskirts of the city. From it he directed the affairs of the Indiana Territory and Louisiana purchase, so the building had the deserving name of "White House of the West." Originally, it was surrounded by a grove of stately walnut trees where Harrison held his famous parleys with the Indians, including the one with the intrepid Tecumseh in 1810.

Vincennes University was established in 1801 as Jefferson Academy. It is the oldest college of higher learning in Indiana. Purdue Polytechnic Institute maintains a satellite campus in Vincennes in a partnership with Vincennes University.

George Rogers Clark National Historical Park, located in Vincennes, Indiana, on the banks of the Wabash River at what is believed to be the site of Fort Sackville, is a United States National Historical Park. President Calvin Coolidge authorized a classical memorial and President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the completed structure in 1936.

According to the 2010 census, its population was 18,423, a decrease of 1.5% from 18,701 in 2000. In 1890 the population was 8,853, increasing to 17,564 by 1930.

Vincennes had four National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and all four of those banks issued National Bank Notes.

Bank History

A 1920s view of Main Street, Vincennes, Indiana. The American National Bank is the tallest building at six-stories on the right.

Organized February 4, 1888
Chartered April 4, 1888
2: Assumed 4901 by consolidation October 23, 1919, and assumed its circulation (Second National Bank, Vincennes, IN)
Bank was Open past 1935
For Bank History after 1935 see FDIC Bank History website
Merged into Union Planters Bank, NA in Memphis, TN, May 7, 1999

In January 1888, Vincennes had a new national bank named the German. The directors of the new institution were Seleman Gimbel, William Baker, Christian Hoffman, Gerard Reiter, August Heinekamp, Eugene Hack, Job Freeman, Abraham Gimbel, and J.W. Milan. The growth of its business would be steady and healthy and by 1891, the German National Bank was considered one of the safest and most reliable institutions in the country. The President, Mr. Seleman, came to Vincennes in 18-3 from Bavaria. He commenced business as a grocer in 1860, but abandoned this to enter the banking business, and he was one of the bank's organizers and largest shareholder. Mr. Gimbel was a Democrat in politics and one of the wealthiest men of the town. Mr. Gerard Reiter, the Vice President, was born and raised in Vincennes. He served as auditor of Knox County two terms and was a member of the Legislature of 1883 for Knox, Green and Sullivan Counties. Mr. Reiter was a Democrat. Dr. Geo. R. Alsop, cashier, came to Knox County in 1875 and practiced medicine for eight years when he was elected Clerk of the Court and removed to Vincennes. He became one of her leading citizens, serving as Clerk four years. Mr. Borckman, Assistant Cashier, was born and raised in Vincennes and was in the banking business all of his business life. The following were the Directors: Seleman Gimbel, Gerard Reiter, William Baker, Christian Hoffman, Job Freeman, August Heinekamp, Eugene Hacks, John W, Milam, and Abraham Gimbel.

Seleman and Abraham Gimbel were brothers of Adam Gimbel, founder of Gimbel Brothers Department Stores, better known as simply Gimbels.

On January 30, 1894, the Comptroller of the Currency was informed that Wm. Baker replaced S. Gimbel as president of the German National Bank of Vincennes.

On June 18, 1903, Henry J. Boeckmann was elected vice president replacing Gerard Reiter who resigned to assume the duties of secretary of Catholic Knights of America, headquartered in St. Louis. Mr. Reiter, supreme secretary C.K. of A., passed away at his home in St. Louis on July 14th 1904. He was supreme treasurer of the Catholic Knights of Indiana when he lived in Vincennes.

After gaining entrance to the Sandborn Bank at Sandborn, Knox County, at an early hour Thursday, November 2, 1905, robbers blew open the safe with a charge of nitroglycerine and escaped without detection, taking with them nearly $5,000 in cash and notes to the value of probably $10,000. Of the cash taken $2,500 was in silver and gold, and $1,900 in bills. The robbers, previous to their attack on the bank safe, broke into a blacksmith shop, a flour mill and an Indianapolis & Vincennes Railroad tool shop and secured tools with which to do their work. After securing the tools, shortly after midnight, they broke open three doors that led into the bank building, and after closing them, took their time about preparing the nitroglycerine charge. The explosions were muffled and were heard by several people, who were at the time of the opinion that the sound had come from a dredge boat working in the vicinity of the little town. The explosions completely wrecked the bank's safe and damaged the building. Taking nearly all the cash and notes in the safe the robbers left the building, leaving no clues. The thieves overlooked a $50 bill and several $5 gold pieces. The Sandborn Bank was a branch of the German National Bank of Vincennes. The post office department likely would take a hand in the effort to apprehend the robbers. The postmaster of Sandborn had deposited $85 at the bank on Wednesday evening and had also left stamps at the bank that evening for safe keeping. The post office money and the stamps were taken with the bank money. The value of the stamps was not known. What money was on hand and the stamps were placed in the bank for safe keeping by the postmaster each night. Armed with repeating rifles, Capt. Kruse, Sheriff Westfall, Prosecutor Emison and Dr. George R. Alsop, cashier of the German National Bank, were on the search. They were being assisted by Indianapolis detectives, the bloodhounds and a posse of citizens and farmers in an attempt to run the cracksmen to earth.

The next day about 2 o'clock in the morning the big safe of the Odon National Bank at Odon, was blown up with nitroglycerine, but the robbers ran away before they could secure any loot. A hole was blown in the safe door large enough to let a dog through and the bottom of the door was bent upwards, but the robbers could not get at the funds, and hurried away without making a further attempt. The bank contained $6,000. Odon was within twenty miles of Sandborn, the scene of the Thursday morning robbery, and within ten miles of Elnora, where Captain Kruse of the Vincennes police force, went last night in search of the robbers of the Sanborn bank. The same men were thought to have done both jobs. Just before the blast four men held up Jacob Shields, a well known citizen of Odon, as he was passing near the bank. They took $16 from his pockets, bound and gaged him, and left him lying in a dark corner. These men were no doubt the men who attempted to rob the bank. A good description of one of these men was secured. Only one charge of nitroglycerine was exploded. It destroyed the outside door and rendered the $1,300 safe a wreck, but the inside door remained intact. For some unknown reason the burglars feared to risk a second blast and fled without securing any money. No one saw them except Mr. Shields. The bank at Odon was a National Bank with $25,000 capital, and carried $5,000 burglar insurance.

Yeggmen revisited Sandborn, Indiana, on June 1, 1922, blowing open the the safe's outer doors of the Sandborn Banking Co. and escaping with only $22 in change; a May 1929 robbery; and a November 1931 job on the Renner's State Bank in Sandborn where only the outer door of the vault was explosively removed.  The robbers were frightened away without securing any of the bank's money.

In June 1911, Mr. Eugene H. Gough resigned as National Bank examiner of Indiana to accept the Vice Presidency of The German National Bank. Mr. Gough departed on June 29 to enter upon his new duties as vice president.

On October 27, 1919, the largest bank merger in southern Indiana in many years became effective when the American National Bank, the Second National Bank and the Citizens Trust Company joined forces. It was announced some time ago that it was the intention to merge the three institutions, but because the approval of the federal reserve was necessary, the details were not completed until last week. Under the merger, the Second National Bank moves its headquarters to the new building now occupied by the American National Bank. This building was completed recently at a cost of almost $400,000. The Citizens Trust Company, under the law, will have independent quarters and will occupy the Second National building. The American National Bank of Vincennes, after the consolidation, would have total resources of $6,000,000, capital stock $325,000, surplus $325,000 and undivided profits $61,000. The American National Bank was chartered April 4, 1888 under the name of the German National Bank.

November 1, 1971 - Main Office moved to 302 Main Street, Vincennes, IN 47591.
January 1, 1992 - Acquired The Patoka National Bank (4406) in Patoka, IN.
July 1, 1996 - Changed Institution Name to AmBank Indiana, National Association.
July 1, 1996 - Acquired Citizens' National Bank of Linton (14734) in Linton, IN.
May 7, 1999 - Merged and became part of Union Planters Bank, National Association (4979) in Memphis, TN.
June 30, 2005 - Merged and became part of Regions Bank (12368) in Birmingham, AL.

Official Bank Title(s)

1: The German National Bank of Vincennes, IN

2: The American National Bank of (1/18/1918), Vincennes, IN

Bank Note Types Issued

1882 Brown Back $5 bank note with pen signatures of George R. Alsop, Cashier and S. Gimbel, President. The paper used for this note has two horizontal threads as a security feature. Courtesy of NBNCensus.com

1882 Brown Back $5 bank note with pen signatures of George R. Alsop, Cashier and G. Reiter, Vice President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

1902 Plain Back $10 bank note with stamped signatures of W.E. Baker, Cashier and George R. Alsop, President. Courtesy of Lyn Knight Auctions, www.lynknight.com

A total of $3,640,080 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1888 and 1999. This consisted of a total of 468,516 notes (468,516 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
1: 1882 Brown Back	4x5	1 - 19417
1: 1882 Brown Back	3x10-20	1 - 5866
1: 1902 Red Seal	3x10-20	1 - 2000
1: 1902 Date Back	4x5	1 - 14330
1: 1902 Date Back	3x10-20	1 - 9400
1: 1902 Plain Back	4x5	14331 - 19830
1: 1902 Plain Back	3x10-20	9401 - 12300
2: 1902 Plain Back	4x5	1 - 34632
2: 1902 Plain Back	3x10-20	1 - 23084

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1888 - 1999):

Presidents:

Cashiers:

Other Bank Note Signers

Gerard Reiter, Vice President 1891...1903
There are currently no known Assistant Cashier bank note signers for this bank.

Wiki Links

Sources

Vincennes, IN, 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
Richard Day and William Hopper, "Images of America--Vincennes," Arcadia Publishing, 1998.
The Evansville Journal, Evansville, IN, Thu., Jan. 26, 1888.
Evansville Courier and Press, Evansville, IN, Sun., May 10, 1891.
The Indianapolis News, Indianapolis, IN, Tue., Jan. 30, 1894.
The Indianapolis News, Indianapolis, IN, Thu., June 18, 1903.
Palladium-Item, Richmond, IN, Sat., July 16, 1904.
The Bedford Daily Mail, Bedford, IN, Fri., Nov. 3, 1905.
The Boonville Enquirer, Boonville, IN, Fri., June 30, 1911.
Princeton Daily Clarion, Princeton, IN, Tue., Oct. 28, 1919.
The Indianapolis News, Indianapolis, IN, Thu., June 1, 1922.
The Huntingburgh Argus, Huntingburg, IN, Fri., June 21, 1929.
The Indianapolis Star, Indianapolis, IN, Tue., Nov. 24, 1931.