Second National Bank of Allegheny, PA (Charter 776)
Second National Bank/Second NB of Allegheny/Second NB, Allegheny, PA (Chartered 1865 - Liquidated 1931)
Town History
Allegheny City was a municipality that existed in Pennsylvania from 1788 until it was annexed by Pittsburgh in 1907. It was located north across the Allegheny River from downtown Pittsburgh, with its southwest border formed by the Ohio River, and is known today as the North Side. The area of Allegheny City included the present Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Allegheny Center, Allegheny West, Brighton Heights, California-Kirkbride, Central Northside, Chateau, East Allegheny, Fineview, Manchester, Marshall-Shadeland, North Shore, Northview Heights, Perry North, Perry South, Spring Garden, Spring Hill–City View, Summer Hill, and Troy Hill.
The City of Allegheny was laid out in 1788 according to a plan by John Redick. The lots were sold in Philadelphia by the State government or given as payment to Revolutionary War veterans. It was incorporated as a borough in 1828 and as a city in 1840. Prior to the 1850s, most of the area was still largely farmland, but was subdivided into residential lots, first for the growing German population and later for Croat immigrants. It was commonly referred to as "Deutschtown," derived from the German word Deutsch, referring to the language and ethnicity.
Allegheny City annexed adjoining municipalities such as the boroughs of Manchester, Spring Garden and Duquesne, and the areas that became Brighton Heights, Observatory Hill, Perry Hilltop, Summer Hill, Spring Hill and Troy Hill.
The annexation of Allegheny City by Pittsburgh began in 1906 and was effected in 1907, authorized by the U.S. Supreme Court in a landmark decision Hunter v. City of Pittsburgh that year. It was approved by the United States Government in 1911. The annexation was controversial at the time, as an overwhelming majority of Allegheny City residents were opposed to the merger. Previous Pennsylvania law had directed that a majority of the voters in each merging municipality had to approve an annexation agreement. In 1906, the State Assembly passed a new law that authorized annexations if a majority of the total voters in both combined municipalities approved the merger. The annexation was rejected by the residents of Allegheny City by a 2:1 margin, but was approved by much more populous Pittsburgh residents, and the annexation bill passed into law. Allegheny City residents tried unsuccessfully for years to have the annexation overturned in court.
The population of Allegheny City in 1860 was 53,180, increasing to 129,896 in 1900.
Allegheny had five National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and all five of those banks issued National Bank Notes.
Bank History
- Organized January 6, 1865
- Chartered February 2, 1865
- 1: Assumed 198 and its circulation by consolidation January 11, 1915 (First National Bank, Allegheny, PA)
- 3: Liquidated July 24, 1931
- 3: Absorbed by 252 (Second NB/First-Second NB/FNB, Pittsburgh, PA)
On February 2, 1865, the Comptroller of the Currency, Hugh McCulloch, authorized the Second National Bank of Allegheny City, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania to commence business.
In 1867, the directors were John Brown, Jr., James Lockhart, William Smith, L. McIntosh, H. McNeill, A. Groetzinger, and N.N. Voeghtley. John Brown, Jr. was presdient and J.N. Davidson was cashier. The bank was located at No. 25 Diamond Street, Allegheny, Pennsylvania.
On January 9, 1900, the following directors were elected: George P. Lang, A. Glendenning, A. Alston, J.N. Davidson, George B. Hill, Samuel C. Greer and William Witherow.
On January 13, 1914, the directors elected were J.N. Davidson, Edward G. Lang, H. Buhl, Jr., C.H. Hetzel, James W. Groves, R.H. Boggs, John A. Fairman. The last three were new members of the board. At the First National Bank of Allegheny, the directors were John Thompson, W.D. Henry, W.L. Guckert, Thomas, W. Irwin, James B. Sipe, J. Bruce Orr, William M. Scaife, G.A. Herman, Hay Walker, Jr., and William N. Orr.
In January 1915, the board elected the following officers: J.N. Davidson, president; W.L. Guckert, vice president; Edward G. Lang, vice president; A.K. Grubbs cashier; J.H. Davidson, assistant cashier; Howard Evans, assistant cashier. Noticed was published that the First National Bank of Allegheny was in voluntary liquidation for the purpose of consolidating with the Second National Bank of Allegheny. The business of the consolidated institution would be conducted from the First National Bank Building.
On February 14, 1930, Josiah Newton Davidson, 87, president of the Columbia Plate Glass Company, and until recently, president of the Second National Bank of Allegheny and vice president of the Dollar Savings & Trust Company, died in his home at 4909 Ellsworth Avenue. Mr. Davidson was born in old Allegheny on June 15, 1842. He entered the banking business in 1863, as an employee of the Merchants & Farmers Bank of which he became cashier when he was 22. He was elected president of the Second National Bank of Allegheny in 1882 and retained that position until 1928. He organized the Dollar Savings & Trust Company in 1890 and was elected vice president, an office he held until 1927. Mr. Davidson was a director of Polk Institution for the Feeble Minded for 5 Years, treasurer of Allegheny General Hospital for 30 years, and a trustee of the Fourth United Presbyterian Church of Allegheny for 50 of the 65 years he was a member of the church. He also was a director of the Standard Underground Cable Company.
On June 20, 1931, President W.L Guckert announced the consolidation with the First National Bank at Pittsburgh and move of banking operations to the Federal Street Branch of the First National. The purpose was to extentd increased banking facilities to the business interests of the North Side District. No change in personnel was planned. On June 15th, The First National reported Capital and Surplus in excess of 13.5 million and assets of over $100 million. Mr. Guckert became a vice president of the First National and was in charge of the Federal Street Branch with A.K. Grubbs, cashier and Ernest Dietrich, assistant cashier. The consolidation added about $10 million to the resources of the First National. The advisory board for the Federal Street Branch consisted of W.D. Cotterrel, W.L. Guckert, Edward G. Lang, J.F. McCandless, J. Boyd McKown, J. Bruce Orr, Frank F. Brooks, and Clyde C. Taylor.
Official Bank Title(s)
1: The Second National Bank of Allegheny, PA
2: The Second National Bank of Allegheny [12/20/1917], Pittsburgh, PA
3: The Second National Bank of (5/12/1930), Pittsburgh, PA
Bank Note Types Issued
A total of $5,279,860 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1865 and 1931. This consisted of a total of 611,842 notes (524,536 large size and 87,306 small size notes).
This bank issued the following Types and Denominations of bank notes:
Series/Type Sheet/Denoms Serial#s Sheet Comments 1: Original Series 3x1-2 1 - 1050 1: Original Series 4x5 1 - 3250 1: Original Series 3x10-20 1 - 3400 1: Original Series 50-100 1 - 100 1: Series 1875 3x10-20 1 - 3171 1: 1882 Brown Back 3x10-20 1 - 6902 1: 1902 Red Seal 3x10-20 1 - 5900 1: 1902 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 14500 1: 1902 DB/PB 3x10-20 14501 - 15500 Type uncertain 1: 1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 15501 - 19500 1: 1902 Plain Back 4x5 1 - 6000 2: 1902 Plain Back 4x5 1 - 51253 2: 1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 1 - 30658 2: 1929 Type 1 6x5 1 - 4106 2: 1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 2623 2: 1929 Type 1 6x20 1 - 642 3: 1929 Type 1 6x5 1 - 7180
Bank Presidents and Cashiers
Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1865 - 1931):
Presidents:
- Nicholas Voegtly, Jr., 1865-1865
- John Brown, Jr. , 1865-1872
- James Lockhart, 1873-1883
- Josiah Newton Davidson, 1884-1927
- William L. Guckert, 1928-1930
Cashiers:
- Nicholas H. Voegtly III, 1865-1865
- Josiah Newton Davidson, 1865-1883
- Alexander Swift Cameron, 1884-1912
- Alfred Kimes Grubbs, 1913-1930
Other Bank Note Signers
- There are currently no known Vice President or Assistant Cashier bank note signers for this bank.
Wiki Links
- Pennsylvania Bank Note History
- General information on Allegheny (Wikipedia)
- General information on Allegheny County (Wikipedia)
- General information on Pennsylvania (Wikipedia)
Sources
- Allegheny, PA, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegheny,_Pennsylvania
- 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 Pittsburgh Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA, Tue., Feb. 14, 1865.
- Pittsburgh and Allegheny County Business Almanac 1867, p. 234.
- The Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA, Tue., Jan. 9, 1900.
- Pittsburgh Daily Post, Pittsburgh, PA, Wed., Jan. 14, 1914.
- Pittsburgh Daily Post, Pittsburgh, PA, Tue., Jan. 19, 1915.
- The Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA, Mon., Feb. 17, 1930.
- The Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA, Sat., June 20, 1931.
- The Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA, Mon., June 22, 1931.
- The Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA, Wed., Oct. 7, 1931.