Leeds-American NB, Leeds, AL (Charter 13359)

Needed: a contemporary postcard or photo of the bank

Leeds-American NB, Leeds , AL (Chartered 1929 - Liquidated 1935)

Town History

Leeds is a tri-county municipality located in Jefferson, St. Clair, and Shelby counties in the State of Alabama and is an eastern suburb of Birmingham. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 12,324.

Leeds was founded in 1877, during the final years of the post-Civil War Reconstruction Era. It housed the workers and their families of Lehigh, a Portland cement manufacturing plant.

Leeds had one National Bank chartered during the Bank Note Era, and it issued National Bank Notes.

Bank History

Organized July 24, 1929
Chartered July 31, 1929
2: Liquidated May 10, 1935
2: Absorbed by 3185 (First National Bank, Birmingham, AL)

Approval of charters for the Woodlawn-American and Leeds-American National Banks was given in July 1929 by the Comptroller of the Currency at Washington. The new banks would act as liquidating agents for the Woodlawn Savings Bank and the Leeds State Bank that recently closed their doors. Horace Wilkinson was the liquidating agent for the two banks.

On Saturday August 3, 1929, The Woodlawn-American National Bank opened in the quarters previously occupied by the Woodlawn Savings bank and the Leeds-American National Bank opened in the former quarters of the Bank of Leeds. The new banks announced that they had no connection with the old institutions. Both banks were under the supervision of the American-Traders Security Corp. owned by stockholders of the American-Traders National Bank of Birmingham. The Leeds-American National Bank had a paid in capital of $50,000 and $10,000 surplus. Frank Hurst was named president of the new institution and Harry Moriarty, the vice president of the American-Traders National Bank of Birmingham, was named the Leeds vice president. Mr. Roy Rogers was named cashier and the directors were B.E. Merrell, Supt. Atlas Portland Cement Co.; Frank R. Hurst, Grocer, Hurst & Son; Harris Moriarty, Vice President American-Traders National Bank; Charles R. Rew, Merchant; J.M. Spruill, Druggist; I. Levy, Merchant; and R.E. Lee, Atlas Portland Cement Co.

Upon consolidation of the American-Traders National Bank with the First National Bank of Birmingham the end of June 1930, the Leeds-American National Bank became affiliated with the First.

Two 1935 Advertisements from The First National Bank of Birmingham showing the affiliation ended with consolidation of the local banks under the First National Bank as branch offices. Note the addition of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation logo in the later ad.

In May, 1935, The Woodlawn-American National Bank, The Leeds-American National Bank and The Fairfield American National Bank, as well as the Tarrant-American Savings Bank and North-Birmingham Savings Bank were liquidated, ending their association with the First National Bank of Birmingham and becoming branch banks of the latter.

Official Bank Title(s)

1: 1st title not used on notes: The Leeds-American National Bank of Leeds, AL

2: The Leeds-American National Bank (11/29/1929), Leeds, AL

Bank Note Types Issued

1929 Type 2 $10 bank note with printed signatures of Roy Rogers, Cashier and Frank R. Hurst, President. Courtesy of Lyn Knight Auctions, www.lynknight.com

A total of $216,580 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1929 and 1935. This consisted of a total of 33,380 notes (No large size and 33,380 small size notes).

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

Series/Type	Sheet/Denoms	Serial#s	Sheet Comments
2: 1929 Type 1	6x5	1 - 3284
2: 1929 Type 1	6x10	1 - 1362
2: 1929 Type 2	5	1 - 3740
2: 1929 Type 2	10	1 - 1764

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1929 - 1935):

Presidents:

Frank Randolph Hurst, 1929-1935

Cashiers:

Roy Petty Rogers, (Sr.), 1929-1935

Other Bank Note Signers

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

Wiki Links

Sources

Leeds , AL, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leeds_,_Alabama
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
The Huntsville Times, Huntsville, AL, Thu., Aug. 1, 1929.