Taylor National Bank, Taylor, TX (Charter 3859)

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Postcard, ca1920s, Taylor National Bank of Taylor, Texas
Postcard, ca1920s, Taylor National Bank of Taylor, Texas. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

Taylor National Bank, Taylor, TX (Chartered 1888 - Closed 1931)

Town History

Photo of the old Taylor National Bank building
The old Taylor National Bank building at the corner of Main and Second Streets, ca2022. Courtesy of Google Maps

Taylor is a city in Williamson County, Texas, located approximately 35 miles northeast of the capital, Austin. The population at the 2020 Census was 16,267, up from 15,191 as of 2010. In 1890 the population was 2,584, growing to 7,463 by 1930.

In 1876, the Texas Land Company auctioned lots in anticipation of the arrival of the International-Great Northern Railroad when Taylor was founded that year. The city was named after Edward Moses Taylor, a railroad official, under the name Taylorsville, which officially became Taylor in 1892. Immigrants from Moravia and Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) and other Slavic states, as well as from Germany and Austria, helped establish the town. It soon became a busy shipping point for cattle, grain, and cotton.

By 1878, the town had 1,000 residents and 32 businesses, 29 of which were destroyed by fire in 1879. Recovery was rapid, however, and more substantial buildings were constructed. In 1882, the Taylor, Bastrop and Houston Railway (later part of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad) reached the community, and machine shops and a roundhouse served both rail lines. In 1882, the town was incorporated with a mayor-council form of city government, and in 1883, a public school system replaced a number of private schools.

Taylor had three National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, The First National Bank/First-Taylor National Bank (Charter 3027), The Taylor National Bank, (Charter 3859), and The City National Bank of Taylor, and all three of those banks issued National Bank Notes.

Bank History

A stock certificate for the Taylor National Bank
Stock certificate dated April 17, 1888 issued to D. Murphy and signed by C. Mendel, Cashier and C.H. Booth, Vice President
  • Organized March 12, 1888
  • Chartered March 26, 1888
  • Closed July 27, 1931
  • Consolidated with 3027 July 27, 1931 (First National Bank/First-Taylor NB, Taylor, TX)
  • Circulation assumed by 3027 (First National Bank/First-Taylor NB, Taylor, TX)

In 1888 Joseph Speidell, C.H. Booth and Curren Mendel organized the Taylor National Bank. They placed the banking house on the corner of 2nd and Main Streets. Mr. Speidel was the first president while Mr. Booth served as vice president and Mr. Mendel as cashier. Mr. Booth's son, Mendel (G.M. Booth), also entered the bank when it was founded as assistant cashier and bookkeeper and later would serve as president.[1]

In January 1919, all officers were re-elected as follows: G.M. Booth, president; T.E. Burns and S.G. Yakey, vice presidents; A.E. Ake and A.F. Voss, assistant cashiers.[2]

In January 1920, there were several changes at the elections held this week by the Taylor banks. At the Taylor National, C.H. Booth, Jr., who recently returned from France where he served as a Captain, became a vice president. Arthur Ake who had been assistant cashier was elected cashier.[3]

In January 1928, officers elected during the annual election were G.M. Booth, president; Arthur E. Ake, first vice president; C.H. Booth, Jr., vice president and cashier; T.E. Burns, S.G. Yakey and Joe Stasny, vice presidents; H.F. Weghorst, D.L. Thompson, and Andrew Priesmeyer, assistant cashiers; T.E. Burns, Joe Stasny, Arthur E. Ake, G.M. Booth, C.H. Booth, Jr., and S.G. Yakey, directors.[4]

In January 1931, officers were G.M. Booth, president; C.H. Booth, Jr., J.W. Armstrong, S.G. Yakey, and Fritz Fuchs, vice presidents; A.F. Priesmeyer, assistant cashier; and G.M. Booth, C.H. Booth, Jr., J.W. Armstrong, and Fritz Fuchs, directors.[5]

On Monday, April 27, 1931, the Taylor National and the First National banks voluntarily consolidated, making one of the largest and strongest financial institutions in Central Texas with combined resources amounting to a million and a half dollars. The combined institution would be known as the First Taylor National Bank of Taylor. Plans for consolidation had be contemplated for a number of years. The First Taylor National Bank planned to occupy the building used by the Taylor National Bank due to the fact that the building is more modern and up-to-date, having recently been extensively remodeled. Officers of the First Taylor National Bank were named as follows, G.M. Booth, chairman of the board; S.G. Gernert, president; S.G. Yakey, J.W. Armstrong, vice presidents; Alf Weidenbaum, cashier; A.J. Priesmeyer, Ben F. Holub, and D.L. Thomson, assistant cashiers. The directors were G.M. Booth, S.G. Gernert, S.G. Yakey, Harris A. Melasky, and J.W. Armstrong.[6]

Official Bank Title

1: The Taylor National Bank, Taylor, TX

Bank Note Types Issued

1902 Date Back $50 bank note with pen signatures of Arthur E. Ake, Cashier and C.H. Booth, Jr., Vice President
1902 Date Back $50 bank note with pen signatures of Arthur E. Ake, Cashier and C.H. Booth, Jr., Vice President. Courtesy of the NBNCensus.com
1929 Type 1 $50 bank note with printed signatures of C.H. Booth, Jr., Cashier and G.M. Booth, President
1929 Type 1 $50 bank note with printed signatures of C.H. Booth, Jr., Cashier and G.M. Booth, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

A total of $507,050 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1888 and 1931. This consisted of a total of 16,308 notes (15,708 large size and 600 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 3x10-20 1 - 2680
1882 Brown Back 50-100 1 - 282
1902 Red Seal 50-100 1 - 250
1902 Date Back 50-100 1 - 600
1902 Date Back 3x50-100 1 - 500
1902 Plain Back 3x50-100 501 - 681
1929 Type 1 6x50 1 - 90
1929 Type 1 6x100 1 - 10

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1888 - 1931):

Presidents:

Cashiers:

Other Known Bank Note Signers

  • No other known bank note signers for this bank

Bank Note History Links

Sources

  • Taylor, TX, 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
  1. The Taylor Daily Press, Taylor, TX, Tue., Apr. 27, 1948.
  2. The Taylor Daily Press, Taylor, TX, Fri., Jan. 31, 1919.
  3. The Austin American, Austin, TX, Fri., Jan. 16, 1920.
  4. The Austin American, Austin, TX, Tue., Jan. 17, 1928.
  5. Austin American-Statesman, Austin, TX, Thu., Jan. 15, 1931.
  6. The Taylor Daily Press, Taylor, TX, Mon, Apr. 27, 1931.