National Bank of Wilkes, Washington, GA (Charter 8848)

This should be a contemporary postcard or photo of the bank. (Set Height x300px)

National Bank of Wilkes, Washington, GA (Chartered 1907 - Receivership 1931)

Town History

Washington is the county seat of Wilkes County, Georgia. It is located about 50 miles west of Augusta and 13 miles south of Tignall, Georgia. In 1900 the population was 3,300, growing to 4,208 by 1920. Under its original name, Heard's Fort, it was for a brief time during the American Revolutionary War the Georgia state capital. It is noteworthy as the place where the Confederacy voted to dissolve itself, effectively ending the American Civil War.

Heard's Fort was established in 1774 by colonist Stephen Heard. The settlement served as the temporary capital of the new state of Georgia from February 3, 1780, until early 1781. The Battle of Kettle Creek, one of the most important battles of the American Revolutionary War to be fought in Georgia, was fought on February 14, 1779, in Wilkes County, about eleven miles from present-day Washington.

One of Washington's most lingering mysteries is that of the lost Confederate gold. As the last recorded location of the remaining Confederate gold, the Washington area is thought to be the site where it is buried. Worth roughly $100,000 when it disappeared in 1865, at 2016 prices its value would be around $3.6 million. The cable television channel A&E produced a documentary focusing on this legend.

Washington had two National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and both of those banks issued National Bank Notes.

Bank History

• Organized July 25, 1907
• Chartered August 28, 1907
• Opened for business August 31, 1907
• Succeeded Bank of Wilkes
• Absorbed 8894 January 23, 1926 (Citizens National Bank, Washington, GA)
• Receivership January 12, 1931

On March 8, 1903, an application was filed in the office of Secretary of State Phil Cook for a charter for the Bank of Wilkes. This bank would be located at Washington, Wilkes County, with a capital stock of $25,000. The incorporators were Boyce Ficklen, F.H. Ficklen, James M. Pitner, J.W.S. Lowe, T. Burwell Green, and W.M. Hill, all of Wilkes County. The new bank was the third for Washington and a singular feature of the three was that they were organized by the same finacier, Mr. Boyce Ficklen, who would be identified with the last. The bank opened its doors for business on April 1st. The directors were W.M. Hill, J.A. Moss, Boyce Ficklen, J.W.S. Lowe, C.S. Lucas, D.J. Muse, and W.L. Sutton. The officers were W.M. Hill, president; J.A. Moss, vice president; Boyce Ficklen, cashier; F.H. Ficklen, assistant cashier and bookkeeper; I.T. Irvin, Jr., attorney. A statement of the bank at the close of its first day's business was $22,510.07.

On Tuesday, January 13, 1925, two local national banks held their annual meetings, reviewed the work of 1924, and elected officers and directors for the current year. The stockholders of the Citizens National Bank re-elected the following as members of the board of directors: E.A. Barnett, G.A. Green, T.W. Miller, C.H. Orr, M.H. Barnett, R.R. Johnson and I.T. Irvin, Jr., who, in turn, elected E.A. Barnett, president; G.A. Green, vice president; C.B. Golsan, cashier; Sarah McMekin, assistant cashier. Earnings of 8 per cent on a capitalization of $75,000 were reported. At the annual meeting of the shareholders of the National Bank of Wilkes it was shown that 29% was the net operating income before dividends and depreciation. A 12% dividend was paid during the year, an unbroken record for twenty-one years. The officers named ace J. A. Moss. president; Boyce Ficklen, Sr., vice president; F.H. Ficklen, cashier; Boyce Ficklen, Jr., G.F. Armstrong and Miss S.R. Hill, assistant cashiers. The new board of directors was composed of W.L. Johnson, J.A. Moss, J.M. Pitner, Boyce Ficklen, Sr., and F.H. Ficklen.

On Tuesday, January 26, 1926, an agreement was reached whereby the Citizens National Bank of Washington was sold to the National Bank of Wilkes, the latter bank assuming the liabilities of the Citizens bank. All business of the two banks would be transacted in the future at the banking quarters of the National Bank of Wilkes which had long been recognized as one of the strongest and most progressive banks in Georgia. The National Bank of Wilkes was capitalized at $50,000 with a surplus of $115,000 and deposits of $700,000. Officers of the bank were J.A. Moss, president; Boyce Ficklen, Sr., vice president; F.H. Ficklen, cashier. The directors were J.A. Moss, Boyce Ficklen, Sr., J.M. Pitner, F.H. Ficklen, W.L. Johnson, and W.L. Sutton.

In April 1928, the officers were James A. Moss of Tignall, president; Boyce Ficklen, Sr. of Washington, vice president; F.H. Ficklen, cashier. These men with the following constituted the board of directors: W.L. Sutton of Danburg; J.G. Fanning and James M. Pitnir of Washington. Boyce Ficklen, Jr., George F. Armstrong and Miss Susie Hill were assistant cashier and George Smith and Miss Sarah McMekin, tellers. Henry Rogers was superintendent of the building.

In January 1929, the National Bank of Wilkes held its annual meeting. Mr. Boyce Ficklen, Sr. was elected president. James M. Pitner was elected vice president. Boyce Ficklen, Jr., assistant cashier, was elected to the board to fill the vacancy caused by the death of J.A. Moss. He also was president of the Bank of Tignall. F.H. Ficklen was cashier and G.F. Armstrong and Miss Susie Hill were assistant cashiers. The directors were Boyce Ficklen, Sr., Boyce Ficklen, Jr., F.H. Ficklen, J.M. Pitner, and J.G. Fanning all of Washington; and W.L. Sutton of Danburg.

On Tuesday, December 23, 1930, a notice on the door of the National Bank of Wilkes said the institution had been closed pending a meeting of the board of directors. The bank was capitalized at $50,000 and assets were reported at $400,000.

On Friday, January 9, 1931, consolidation of the Wilkes County Forum with the Washington News Reporter was announced by Editors Boyce Ficklen, Sr., and J.E. Stoddard. At the same time it was announced that Mrs. Boyce Ficklen, Jr., had purchased an equal interest in the News-Reporter with Stoddard and would be actively identified with the paper after February 1st. It was not a new departure for a Washington woman to undertake active management of a weekly newspaper. In 1802 the old Washington Gazette was published by Mrs. Sarah Hillhouse for a number of years with pronounced success. According to history, Mrs. Hillhouse was the first woman editor of a newspaper in Georgia, at least, if not in the nation. Mrs. Ficklen was well-known in club work in Georgia, having served two years as department president of the American Legion auxiliary and was past national president of that large patriotic organization.

In June 1931, it was announced that suit would be commenced within the next few days by W.K. Howard, receiver of the National Bank of Wilkes which closed a few days before Christmas. The suit against the directors of the bank alleged negligent handing of the affairs of the bank especially in connection with some loans which were said to be excessive under the law. The suit would be filed in Federal Court at Augusta, returnable to the October term of court. The directors of the bank were Boyce Ficklen, Sr., F.H. Ficklen, Boyce Ficklen, Jr., J.G. Fanning, W.L. Sutton, and J.M Pitner.

Early Friday morning, January 25, 1935, the National Bank of Wilkes and the building was demolished by fire. The third story and roof were a total loss, the second story was partially burned; both first and second floor occupants suffered water and smoke damage. The fire was under control before arrival of fire-fighters from Thomson and Athens. In June 1935, the receiver of the National Bank of Wilkes announced that he would pay a 10% dividend to depositors as soon as checks could be made out. This would make the total dividend of 37 1/2% paid by the bank which closed in December 1930. On March 1st L.D. Ware, cashier of the Bank of Tignall, bought the National Bank of Wilkes building, real estate and fixtures at a public sale for $3,000. The building was damaged by a recent fire.

In December 1936, Irving Fanning of Washington, Georgia succeeded Mr. Lewis as receiver of the Hancock National Bank, Sparta, and the National Bank of Wilkes in Washington.

On November 4, 1938, a fifth and final dividend of 6.3% was declared by Receiver L.E. Settles of the closed National Bank of Wilkes. Total payments to depositors of the bank in liquidation since December 23, 1930 have been less that 50%.

Early on January 3, 1939, Fielding Hill Ficklen, 64, prominent Washington businessman and civic leader, and for many years The Constitution's news correspondent in Washington died after a heart attack. Mr. Ficklen, a native and lifelong resident of Wilkes County, was an 1898 graduate of Emory College at Oxford, where he was member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Upon his graduation he became editor of the Washington Reporter, and since his newspaper days served as correspondent for The Constitution and other Georgia, newspapers. Ficklen, long active in civic, religious and business affairs, had served as mayor and as a member of Washington City council. He was a member and past president of the Washington Kiwanis Club, and a former steward and Sunday school superintendent in the Methodist church. He was for 20 years cashier of the National Bank of Wilkes before entering the insurance business about eight years ago. Surviving were his wife, Mrs. Celeste Bounds Ficklen; his mother, Mrs. Boyce Ficklen Sr.; two daughters, Mrs. Marvin H. Harper, of Jubblepore, India, and Mrs. Marion H. Barnett, of Washington; five sons, Fielding H. Ficklen Jr., Warrenton, W. Meriwether Ficklen of Atlanta, and Edward Bounds, Albert T. and Osborn B. Ficklen of Washington; three sisters, Mrs. Grier Martin of Atlanta, and Misses Emmie and Frances Ficklen of Washington; and one brother, Boyce Ficklen, Jr., of Atlanta.

Official Bank Title

1: The National Bank of Wilkes at Washington, GA

Bank Note Types Issued

1902 Plain Back $10 bank note with stamped signatures of F.H. Ficklen, Cashier and Boyce Ficklen, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

Needed: a picture of a small size bank note.

A total of $854,300 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1907 and 1931. This consisted of a total of 85,430 notes (78,896 large size and 6,534 small size notes).

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

Series/Type	Sheet/Denoms	Serial#s	Sheet Comments
1902 Red Seal	4x10	1 - 500
1902 Date Back	4x10	1 - 6050
1902 Plain Back	4x10	6051 - 19224
1929 Type 1	6x10	1 - 1089

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1907 - 1931):

Presidents:

• James Alexander Moss, 1908-1927
• Boyce Ficklen, Sr., 1929-1929

Cashiers:

• Fielding Hill Ficklen, 1908-1929

Other Known Bank Note Signers

• No other known bank note signers for this bank

Bank Note History Links

• National Bank of Wilkes, Washington, GA History (NB Lookup)
• Georgia Bank Note History (BNH Wiki)

Sources

• Washington, GA, 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