South Texas Commercial NB, Houston, TX (Charter 10152)
South Texas Commercial NB, Houston, TX (Chartered 1912 - Open past 1935)
Town History
Houston is the most populous city in Texas, fourth-most populous city in the United States, most populous city in the Southern United States, as well as the sixth-most populous in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in 2020. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the seat of Harris County. The city of Houston was founded by land investors on August 30, 1836, at the confluence of Buffalo Bayou and White Oak Bayou (a point now known as Allen's Landing) and incorporated as a city on June 5, 1837. It is named after former General Sam Houston, who was president of the Republic of Texas and had won Texas's independence from Mexico at the Battle of San Jacinto 25 miles east of Allen's Landing. After briefly serving as the capital of the Texas Republic in the late 1830s, Houston grew steadily into a regional trading center for the remainder of the 19th century.
Since the late 19th century Houston's economy has had a broad industrial base in energy, manufacturing, aeronautics, and transportation. Leading in healthcare sectors and building oilfield equipment, Houston has the second-most Fortune 500 headquarters of any U.S. municipality within its city limits (after New York City). The Port of Houston ranks first in the United States in international waterborne tonnage handled and second in total cargo tonnage handled.
Nicknamed the "Bayou City", "Space City", "H-Town", and "the 713", Houston has become a global city, with strengths in culture, medicine, and research.
Houston had 22 National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and 21 of those banks issued National Bank Notes.
Bank History
- Organized February 10, 1912
- Chartered March 2, 1912
- Succeeded 3517 & 4350 (The South Texas National Bank of Houston and The Commercial National Bank of Houston)
- Bank was Open past 1935
On Saturday, January 20, 1912, announcement was made that the South Texas National Bank and the Commercial National Bank, both of Houston, would be consolidated probably in March upon completion of legal requirements. The new bank would have capital and resources larger than those of any banking institution in Texas and would be known as the South Texas Commercial National Bank of Houston, located in the present building of the South Texas National Bank. In order to accomplish the consolidation, the two existing banks would go into voluntary liquidation and the consolidated bank would immediately acquire substantially all their assets. The South Texas Commercial National Bank would be organized with paid-up capital of $1,000,000, a surplus of $500,000 and undivided profits of approximately $500,000, opening business with a working capital of about $2 million and total resources of about $15 million. Stockholders of both existing banks would have the privilege of subscribing for shares in the new bank equal to the number of shares held. The directors of the new bank, numbering 25, would consist of all of the directors of the two consolidating banks and would be as follows: James A. Baker, Conrad Bering, R. Lee Bluffer, Horace Bootle, C.H. Brynn, W.B. Chew, James D. Dawson, Charles Dillingham, E.K. Dillingham, John M. Dorrance, Thornwell Fay, Thomas J. Freeman, B.D. Harris, F.A. Hellman, O.T. Holi, R.S. Lovett, H.F. MacGregor, J.E. McAshan, C.H. Markham, J.V. Newhaus, Edwin B. Parker, S.C. Red, Daniel Ripley, Cleveland Sewall, J.J. Settegast, Jr. Officers would be Charles Dillingham, chairman of the board; W.B. Chew, president; B.D. Harris, active vice president and cashier; James A. Baker, John M. Dorrance, J.E. McAshan, Thornwell Fay, vice presidents; August de Zavala, P.J. Evershade, and Paul G. Taylor, assistant cashiers.
On March 2, 1912, the Treasury Department issued the charter for the South Texas Commercial National Bank. The six-story building of the Commercial National Bank at the corner of Main Street and Franklin Avenue was transferred to the new institution for a consideration of $425,000. The property of the South Texas National Bank, fronting on Main Street between Congress and Franklin Avenues, was transferred for a consideration of $314,000.
In January 1920, the directors were Jas. A. Baker, A.L. Beaty, R. Lee Blaffer, Luke C. Bradley, Ennis Cargill, James D. Dawson, E.K. Dillingham, John M. Dorrance, P.J. Evershade, Thornwell Fay, F.A. Heltmann, J.W. Hoopes, H.F. MacGregor, S.M. McAshan, J.V. Neuhaus, Edwin B. Parker, J.A. Pondrom, F.C. Proctor, S.C. Red, Daniel Ripley, and Cleveland Sewall. The officers were Jas. A. Baker, president; Daniel Ripley, Jno. M. Dorrance, F.A. Heitmann, J.A. Pondrom, S.M. McAshan, J.W. Hoopes, vice presidents; P.J. Evershade, cashier; Geo. Ellis, Jr., R.H. Hanna, and John Dreaper, assistant cashiers.
In January 1925, the directors were Jas. A. Baker, Jas. A. Baker, Jr., R. Lee Blaffer, Luke C. Bradley, Ennis Cargill, W.B. Chew, E.K. Dillingham, John M. Dorrance, P.J. Evershade, Thornwell Fay, Herbert Godman, H.F. Gossell, M.M. Graves, F.A. Heltmann, S.M. McAshan, J.V. Newhaus, Edwin B. Parker, William S. Patton, John S. Radford, Jr., S.C. Red, Mrs. Daniel Ripley, W.R. Scott, C. Ed Settegast, Cleveland Sewall, H.C. Weiss, and K.E. Womack. There was only one change in the personnel of the directors. M.M. Graves was elected in the place of N.W. Rulston. The officers were Jas. A. Baker, president; S.M. McAshan, E.F. Gossett, P.J. Evershade, John M. Dorrance, and F.A. Heitmann, vice presidents; Wm. S. Patton, vice president and trust officer, Geo. Ellis Jr., and R.H. Hanna, assistant vice presidents; John Dreaper, assistant vice president and assistant trust officer; E.P. Stallings, and Ben W. Ralston, assistant cashier.
In January 1942, John Frank Austin, Jr., former cashier of the Frankston State Bank was named cashier of the South Texas Commercial National Bank of Houston. Austin would assume duties about February 1st had been with the Federal Reserve Bank at Dallas for two years and prior to that time was with the Texas Banking Commission as an examiner.
On Thursday night, October 22, 1942, R.L. Blaffer, 66, of Houston, who retired last year as chairman of the board of Humble Oil and Refining Company, died of a heart attack on a downtown street in Toronto, Canada. One of the organizers of the Humble Company and with a background in the oil industry dating to the opening of the Spindletop field near Beaumont in 1902, Blaffer was a frequent visitor to Wichita Falls in his executive capacity. Blaffer was chairman of the South Texas Commercial National Bank, a trustee of Rice Institute, director of Reed Roller Bit Company and a trustee of Kinkaid School.
Funeral services for Sam R. Lawder, Houston and Dallas banker for 31 years and retired president (1947) of the South Texas National Bank were held July 13, 1950 in Houston. Lawder was a native of Dallas and came to Houston in 1919 to become manager of the Federal Reserve Bank branch when it opened.
Official Bank Title(s)
1: South Texas Commercial National Bank of Houston, TX
Bank Note Types Issued
A total of $11,508,210 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1912 and 1935. This consisted of a total of 1,285,890 notes (1,042,848 large size and 243,042 small size notes).
This bank issued the following Types and Denominations of bank notes:
Series/Type Sheet/Denoms Serial#s Sheet Comments 1902 Date Back 4x5 1 - 56500 1902 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 46000 1902 Plain Back 4x5 56501 - 151635 1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 46001 - 109077 1929 Type 1 6x5 1 - 22154 1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 10737 1929 Type 1 6x20 1 - 4781 1929 Type 1 6x50 1 - 1873 1929 Type 1 6x100 1 - 962
Bank Presidents and Cashiers
Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1912 - 1935):
Presidents:
- William Bartlett Chew Sr., 1912-1913
- Captain James Addison Baker, Jr., 1914-1926
- Samuel Maurice McAshan, 1927-1935
Cashiers:
- Beverley Dabney Harris, 1912-1913
- Samuel Maurice McAshan, 1914-1915
- Paul J. Evershade, 1916-1920
- E. F. Gossett, 1921-1923
- Earle P. Stallings, 1924-1935
Other Bank Note Signers
- John Andrew Pondrom, Vice President 1915-1921
- Paul J. Evershade, Vice President 1922-1927
- Samuel Maurice McAshan, Vice President 1916...1926
- There are currently no known Assistant Cashier bank note signers for this bank.
Wiki Links
- Texas Bank Note History
- General information on Houston (Wikipedia)
- General information on Harris County (Wikipedia)
- General information on Texas (Wikipedia)
Sources
- Houston, TX, 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 Galveston Daily News, Galveston, TX, Sun., Jan. 21, 1912.
- The Houston Post, Houston, TX, Sun., Mar. 3, 1912.
- The Houston Post, Houston, TX, Mon., Mar. 4, 1912.
- The Houston Post, Houston, TX, Fri., Jan. 9, 1920.
- The Galveston Daily News, Galveston, TX, Wed., Jan. 14, 1925.
- Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, TX, Fri., Jan. 16, 1942.
- Wichita Falls Times, Wichita Falls, TX, Fri., Oct. 23, 1942.
- The Hamlin Herald, Hamlin, TX, Fri., Jan. 20, 1950.
- Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, TX, Wed., July 12, 1950.