Miami Valley National Bank, Hamilton, OH (Charter 3840)
Miami Valley National Bank, Hamilton, OH (Chartered 1888 - Liquidated 1914)
Town History
Hamilton is a city in and the county seat of Butler County, Ohio. Located 20 miles north of Cincinnati, Hamilton is the second largest city in the Greater Cincinnati area and the 10th largest city in Ohio. The population was 63,399 at the 2020 census. In 1880 the population was 12,122, increasing to 35,279 by 1910.
Hamilton started as Fort Hamilton (named to honor Alexander Hamilton, first Secretary of the Treasury), constructed in Sept.-Oct. 1791 by General Arthur St. Clair, governor of the Northwest Territory. The fort was the first of several built north from Fort Washington into Indian territory. The fort was built to serve as a supply station for the troops of general Arthur St. Clair during his campaign in the Northwest Indian War. Later it was used by General "Mad" Anthony Wayne. The fort was located 28 miles upstream from the mouth of the Great Miami River where the river is shallow during normal flow and easily forded by men, animals and wagons on its gravelly bottom. The fort was abandoned in 1796 after the signing of the Treaty of Greenville.
A settlement grew up around the fort and was platted as Fairfield in 1794. By 1800, Hamilton was becoming an agricultural and regional trading town. The town was platted, government was seated, and the town named by 1803.
Hamilton had three National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and all three of those banks issued National Bank Notes. Hamilton also had one Obsolete Bank that issued Obsolete Bank Notes during the Obsolete Bank Note Era (1782-1866).
Bank History
- Organized December 31, 1887
- Chartered January 27, 1888
- Liquidated September 25, 1914
- Absorbed by 56 (First National Bank/First NB & TC, Hamilton, OH)
The Miami Valley National Bank of Hamilton, Ohio, opened on March 10, 1888. In 1890 the officers were Peter Murphy, president; E.G. Rathbone, vice president; F.S. Heath, cashier and Frank W. Whitaker, assistant cashier. The directors were Peter Murphy, Hon. E.G. Rathbone, Jacob H. Schollenbarger, Chas. F. Gunckel, Perry S. Heath, Sam. K. Hughes, and George W. St Clair. The bank had $100,000 in capital stock.
In September 1892, Frank W. Whitaker, the genial and efficient vice president of the Miami Valley National Bank returned home from San Francisco where he attended a meeting of the American Bankers' Association. Mr. Whitaker was highly honored by being elected one of the vice presidents of the association.
In August 1900, The officers were F.W. Whitaker, president; F.S. Heath, vice president; O.M. Bake, cashier; and C.E. Mason, assistant cashier.
On June 29, 1901, the directors as soon as they heard of the embarrassment of the Seventh National Bank of New York determined to remove all suspicion against their bank from the fact that Fletcher Heath, the vice president of the Seventh National Bank of New York was also vice president of the Miami Valley National Bank and acting president. A meeting was called and a reorganization was effected whereby Fletcher Heath was not only ousted from the vice presidency, but also from the board of directors. The officers were F.W. Whitaker, president; O.M. Bake, vice president; Chas. E. Mason, cashier; and H.W. Schollenbarger, assistant cashier. Directors were F.W. Whitaker, Ben Strauss, O.M. Bake, Sam K. Hughes, L.P. Hurm, H.H. Long, and J.H. Schollenbarger.
On August 12, 1903, F.W. Whitaker President of the Miami Valley National Bank and Director of the Equitable National Bank of Cincinnati, O.M. Bake, Vice President of both banks, Ben Strauss, clothier and George F. Krebs, merchant all of Hamilton, Ohio had a close call from death at York and Western Avenue when their automobile collided with a Clark Street car. The street was wet and after avoiding a wagon the party steered into the car track, but one of the auto's wheels refused to obey the steering apparatus and clung to the rut. Motorman B.W. Connelly was hurled backward into the vestibule of his car when the crash came, but with great presence of mind he brought his car to a dead stop. The dashboard of the auto and the fender of the car were crushed in. Beyond a few scratches, none was hurt save Strauss who suffered from the bursting of a small artery in his leg and bled profusely until medical aid arrived.
On September 13, 1905, announcement was made that Hamilton was to have a new savings bank. It was organized by the Miami Valley National Bank and John L. Hoffman, Jr. was selected as the manager. He recently had retired from the office of County Clerk. The Citizens Building Loan & Savings Co. with W.G. Holbrook, president, Dr. C.N. Huston, vice president; C.E. Mason, Secretary, and Dr. F.M. Barden, treasurer, operated out of the Miami Valley National Bank.
In January 1914, the stockholders elected the following directors: O.M. Bake, Ben Strauss, H.H. Long, H.C. Jacoby, H.G. Taylor, S.K. Hughes, G.S. Renischler. The officers elected were O.M. Bake, president; Ben Strauss, vice president; C.E. Mason, cashier; H.W. Shollenbarger, assistant cashier; W.S. Rosencrans, assistant cashier.
On August 12, 1914, The First National Bank of Hamilton, capitalized at $250,000 and established in July 1863, and the Miami Valley National Bank, capitalized at $200,000 were reported to have merged.
Official Bank Title(s)
1: The Miami Valley National Bank of Hamilton, OH
Bank Note Types Issued
A total of $1,452,650 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1888 and 1914. This consisted of a total of 188,992 notes (188,992 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 1882 Brown Back 4x5 1 - 17600 1882 Brown Back 3x10-20 1 - 6737 1902 Red Seal 4x5 1 - 3750 1902 Red Seal 3x10-20 1 - 3000 1902 Date Back 4x5 1 - 8975 1902 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 7186
Bank Presidents and Cashiers
Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1888 - 1914):
Presidents:
Cashiers:
Other Bank Note Signers
- F.W. Whitaker signed notes as Vice President
- There are currently no known Assistant Cashier bank note signers for this bank.
Wiki Links
- Ohio Bank Note History
- General information on Hamilton (Wikipedia)
- General information on Butler County (Wikipedia)
- General information on Ohio (Wikipedia)
Sources
- Hamilton, OH, 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
- The Hamilton Telegraph, Hamilton, OH, Thu., Dec. 25, 1890.
- Hamilton Evening Journal, Hamilton, OH, Sat., Sep. 17, 1892.
- The Hamilton Telegraph, Hamilton, OH, Thu., Aug. 23, 1900.
- The Piqua Daily Call, Piqua, OH, Mon., June 3, 1901.
- Butler County Democrat, Hamilton, OH, Thu., Aug. 22, 1901.
- The Cincinnati Post, Cincinnati, OH, Thu., Aug. 13, 1903.
- The Dayton Herald, Dayton, OH, Wed., Sep. 13, 1905.
- The Journal News, Hamilton, OH, Mon., Apr. 2, 1906.
- Hamilton Evening Journal, Hamilton, OH, Tue., Jan. 13, 1914.
- Tagliches Cincinnatier Volksblatt, Cincinnati, OH, Wed., Aug. 12, 1914.