Tootle-Lemon National Bank/Tootle-Lacy NB, Saint Joseph, MO (Charter 6272)

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From a 1925 collage of St. Joseph banks: Tootle-Lacy National Bank and the Empire Trust Company.[1] Consolidation of the Tootle National Bank and the Empire Trust Company in 1960 resulted in the Tootle-Enright National Bank.

Tootle-Lemon National Bank/Tootle-Lacy NB, Saint Joseph, MO (Chartered 1902 - Closed (Merger) 1998)

Town History

St. Joseph is a city in Andrew and Buchanan counties and the county seat of Buchanan County, Missouri. Located on the Missouri River, it is the principal city of the St. Joseph Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Buchanan, Andrew, and DeKalb counties in Missouri and Doniphan County, Kansas. As of the 2020 census, St. Joseph had a total population of 72,473, making it the 8th most populous city in the state, and the 3rd most populous in Northwest Missouri. St. Joseph is located roughly 30 miles north of the Kansas City, Missouri, and approximately 125 miles south of Omaha, Nebraska. The city was named after the town's founder Joseph Robidoux and the biblical Saint Joseph. St. Joseph is home to Missouri Western State University.

St. Joseph was founded on the Missouri River by Joseph Robidoux, a local fur trader of French Canadian descent. It was officially incorporated in 1843. In its early days, it was a bustling outpost and rough frontier town, serving as a last supply point and jumping-off point for travelers on the Missouri River toward the "Wild West". It was the westernmost point in the United States accessible by rail until after the American Civil War. The main east–west downtown streets were named for Robidoux's eight children: Faraon, Jules, Francois (Francis), Felix, Edmond, Charles, Sylvanie, and Messanie. The street between Sylvanie and Messanie was named for his second wife, Angelique.

St. Joseph, or "St. Joe", as it was called by many, was a "Jumping-Off Point" for those migrants headed to the Oregon Territory in the mid-1800s. Such cities, including Independence, and St. Joseph, were where pioneers would stay and purchase supplies before they headed out in wagon trains across the Great Plains. The town was a very lively place.

Between April 3, 1860, and late October 1861, St. Joseph was one of the two endpoints of the Pony Express, which operated for a short period over the land then inaccessible by rail, to provide fast mail service. Today the Pony Express Museum hosts visitors in the former stables of the company. St. Joseph is identified by the slogan, "Where the Pony Express started and Jesse James ended."

Outlaw Jesse James lived here under the alias "Mr. Howard". The song, "Jesse James", includes the lines, "...that dirty little coward that shot Mr. Howard has laid poor Jesse in his grave." On April 3, 1882, James was killed at his home, originally located at 1318 Lafayette. It has been relocated next to the Patee House and still has the visible bullet hole from the fatal shot. It is now operated as the Jesse James Home Museum.

Saint Joseph had ten National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and all ten of those banks issued National Bank Notes.

Bank History

  • Organized May 17, 1902
  • Chartered May 24, 1902
  • Succeeded Tootle, Lemon & Co.
  • Bank was Open past 1935
  • For Bank History after 1935 see FDIC Bank History website
  • Merged with 9042 American National Bank of St. Joseph, Missouri, December 1963

Thomas E. Tootle and John S. Lemon had been connected with banking in St. Joseph many years. Mr. Tootle was president and Mr. Lemon a director of the old First National Bank which was organized in 1852 as the Farmers and Mechanics Saving Institution. Later the First National was converted into a state institution known as the Merchants Bank with Mr. Tootle as president and Mr. Lemon as a director. In 1886 a very attractive offer was made to the stockholders of the Merchants Bank and they accepted. However, Mr. Tootle and Lemon had been bankers too long to stay out and established a private bank in 1889 with James McCord and Samuel M. Nave, two leading wholesale merchants, as partners. The new bank, known as Tootle, Lemon and Company, was opened July 8, 1889. W.F. Norton was appointed cashier and Graham G. Lacy, assistant cashier.[2] In 1892, Milton Tootle Jr., son of Milton Tootle, pioneer wholesale merchant of St. Joseph, entered the bank as a partner upon reaching the age of 21 years. The same year Mr. Norton retired as cashier and Mr. Lacy was made cashier. The bank was located at first in the building at 118 North Fourth Street. Five years later the bank moved to 509-511 Felix Street. Residents remembered that location because there was a large spherical safe in the window which attracted much attention. E.H. Zimmerman was appointed assistant cashier in 1899, the year the building at Sixth and Francis Streets was opened. Thomas E. Tootle, Mr. McCord, and Mr. Nave retired from the firm in 1900. It continued as Tootle-Lemon & Co. with John S. Lemon, Milton Tootle, Jr., and Graham G. Lacy as partners.[3]

In May 1902, the comptroller of the currency approved the application of the following persons to organize the Tootle-Lemon National Bank of St. Joseph with a capital of $200,00: Graham G. Lacy, John S. Lemon, Milton tootle, Jr., Eugene H. Zimmerman, W.T. Van Brunt and others.[4] E.H. Harriman of New York, railroad magnate, street railway operator and multi-millionaire,[5] added to his already large commercial and industrial interests in St. Joseph by taking a big block of the stock in the reorganized Tootle-Lemon Bank. On June 2 the Tootle-Lemon National Bank began business with a paid-up capital of $200,000 succeeding to the business of the firm of Tootle, Lemon & Co.[6] Aside from Mr. Harriman, the stockholders were John S. Lemon, Milton Tootle, Jr., Graham G. Lacy, Mrs. Kate M. Tootle, W.T. Van Brunt, and E.H. Zimmerman. John S. Lemon was president; Milton Tootle, Jr. and Graham G. Lacy, vice presidents; E.H. Zimmerman, cashier; and W.A. Evans, assistant cashier. Mr. Lemon, one of the founders of the institution, was a pioneer resident of St. Joseph. He did not devote much of his time to the business and Milton Tootle, Jr. and Graham G. Lacy were active in management.[7] Tootle-Lemon National Bank building was at Sixth and Francis Streets.[8] 

The Empire Trust Co. was organized in 1906 by J.N. Burnes, Jr., and associates and occupied the Rock Island building at the northwest corner of Sixth and Edmond Streets for many years until it purchased and occupied the old Commercial Bank building at the southeast corner of Sixth and Edmond.[9]

The evening of January 16, 1918, an order was received from the comptroller of the currency permitting the change of name to the Tootle-Lacy National Bank. The reason for the change was given in a statement by Milton Tootle, Jr., who said: "Mr. Lacy has been connected with our bank since its organization and is a large stockholder. The stockholders of the bank thought it only right and proper that his name should appear in the title to the bank. When Mr. H.Y. Lemon severed his connection with this bank last summer, the remaining officers of the bank acquired all of his interests. There is no other change either in the officers, directors or stockholders of the bank." The name of Lemon had been associated with the banking business since the early days of St. Joseph. John S. Lemon and Thomas E. Tootle were connected with both the Farmers and Mechanics Saving Institution, chartered in 1852, and the First National Bank with which it was merged in 1865. They established the private bank of Tootle, Lemon & Company in July 1889 and nationalized it in 1902. Hal Y. Lemon, son of founder John S. Lemon, was the last of the name connected with the bank moving to the Southwest Bank of Commerce in Kansas City in June 1917. The bank originally did business at 118 North Fourth Street, moving in 1894 to 509-11 Felix Street. In 1900 it moved to its home on the northwest corner of Sixth and Francis Streets.[10]

In January 1926, no changes were made in the officers of the Tootle-Lacy National Bank. The officers were Milton Tootle, Jr., president; Graham G. Lacy, and E.H. Zimmerman, vice presidents; B.R.D. Lacy, cashier; Milton Tootle III, assistant cashier.[11]

In 1939, the officers were Milton Tootle, Jr., president; Graham G. Lacy, E.H. Zimmerman, and Milton Tootle, III, vice president; R.E. Wales, cashier and Fred T. Burri, assistant cashier. In 1919 Milton Tootle III was appointed assistant cashier and in 1928 he was made vice president. The same year R.E. Wales was appointed assistant cashier and in 1934 B.R.D. Lacy was made vice president and R.E. Wales, cashier. The Tootle-Lacy National Bank would celebrate its 50th anniversary on Saturday, July 8th. On Friday, July 7th, a dinner was given at Hotel Robidoux by the bank with honored guest Graham G. Lacy, vice president since its founding.[12]

On June 30, 1949, Milton Tootle, III, president, announced the Tootle-Lacy National Bank was purchasing the building at Sixth and Francis Streets and adjoining property west to the alley on Francis Street from the Tootle Estate for $150,000. The quarter-block purchase included the bank building which also housed the Tootle Estate offices and those of Brown, Douglas and brown, lawyers, and the two-story brick building immediately west on Francis Street. The office immediately to the west on the first floor was remodeled for use of the bank. The other first floor space was occupied by the Fabric Shop. Second floor offices of the building were occupied by the St. Joseph Clearing House Association, Walter Boschen and Curzen Kinder, architects, the transit department of the Tootle-Lacy bank, Weakley Insurance Co., Howard Hull and Co., accountants, and Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. The bank building was built for the bank which moved into it in 1899, but had since been remodeled. Its construction was of Silver Dale Limestone from the quarries at Silver Dale, Kansas. The bank had purchased the bank accounts of the Missouri Valley Trust Company and the board felt justified in the purchase due to the expanding banking business.[13]

On February 1, 1955, Tootle-Lacy National Bank would change its name to Tootle National Bank. The action was voted by stockholders during the annual meeting on Tuesday, January 11th. In years prior to World War I, the firm was known as the Tootle-Lemon National Bank and the name Lemon could still be seen carved in the stone exterior and would remain for reasons of sentiment. Milton Tootle, IV. and Gilbert Tootle, sons of the president, were new directors. The former was vice president and cashier and the latter was an assistant vice president. There were seven directors; others who were re-elected were H.N. Stevenson, E.D. Plummer, R.L. Douglas, R.E. Wales, and Milton Tootle. All officers were re-elected. In addition to Mr. Tootle, Milton Tootle, IV, and Gilbert Tootle, they were R.E. Wales, executive vice president; E.H. Schopp, Fred T. Burri, E.L. Crume, vice presidents; C.F. Burri, assistant vice president; Paul Abersold, assistant cashier; A.E. LaBouff, assistant cashier and auditor; Robert E. Douglas, Trust officer; Miss Phoebe Buzzard and Robert Coil, assistant cashiers.[14] Mr. Graham G. Lacy was a vice president in 1918 and at the time of his death on June 14, 1952, he held the position of chairman of the board. The Lacy family was no longer connected with the bank having disposed of all of its stock.[15]

On Wednesday, September 6, 1959, announcement was made of the consolidation of the Tootle National Bank and the Empire Trust Company. The Empire Trust Co. was chartered October 23, 1905 with resources of about $74,000. When it celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1955, the resources had grown to approximately $12,300,000. The Empire Trust Co. went into business at the southeast corner of Fourth and Francis Streets. James N. Burnes was the first president. In 1906 the bank was moved to 114 South Sixth Street. Control was purchased in 1919 from the Burnes interests by the interests represented by W.F. Enright. At that time L.C. Hamilton was president, having become the second president of the bank in 1913. Mr. Enright's father, C.F. Enright, was Missouri state bank commissioner in Governor Gardner's administration. C.E. Wright became president in 1924 and Mr. Enright succeeded Mr. Wright as the fourth president in 1935. The building, erected in 1884 had usually been occupied by a bank. Before the Empire Trust Co. was there, the occupant was the American Exchange Bank and before that was the Merchants Bank and then the Commercial Bank. In 1957 the Commercial building next door was razed and in 1958 the trust company opened a new drive-in facility on the ground where the Commercial building had stood.[16]

Advertisement from January[17] 1960 for the Tootle-Enright National Bank of St. Joseph, Missouri.

On Monday, February 1, 1960, the new Tootle-Enright National Bank opened in the Tootle Bank Building which had undergone many changes in preparation for the consolidation. Moving of various items of equipment occurred over the week end. Tootle-Enright National would have 17 directors. From the Empire Trust Co., the directors were Harold P. Dugdale, W. Fairleigh Enright, W.F. Enright, Jr., M.J. Garvey, David W. Hopkins, C.R. Martin, Robert G. Maxwell, Harold E. Roll, and George A. Swafford. From Tootle National Bank, the directors were Milton Tootle, R.E. Wales, Milton Tootle IV, R.L. Douglas, E.D. Plummer, Gilbert Tootle, H.N. Stevenson, and Douglas A. Merrifield. A major change was planned for the main lobby and at the end of the work the entire building, including the basement, would have been remodeled.[18]

In December 1963, the American National Bank and the Tootle-Enright National Bank were combining assets and liabilities of both into one firm, the new American National Bank of St. Joseph. The American National Bank would offer temporary drive-in, drive-up service at Fifth and Jules. Plans for permanent motor banking convenience were also under way. The American National with combined assets of over $83,000,000 would be better able to serve companies both large and small in their need for low bank rate loans. The full staff of both banks would continue to serve their customers as before with facilities located at Sixth and Francis or at Seventh and Felix.[19]

On Friday, December 31, 1971, three vice presidents of the American National Bank retired: Everett L. Crume, correspondent bank officer; Charles F. Burri, commercial loans; and H. Marshall Nauman, real estate. Mr. Crume started 54 years ago with the Tootle-Lemon National Bank; Mr. Burri, 49 years ago with the Missouri Valley Trust Co.; Mr. Nauman, 47 years ago with the Empire Trust Co. Consolidations in 1964 brought them under the same roof with the consolidation of Tootle-Enright National Bank and the American National Bank, the name was American National Bank.[20]

Official Bank Titles

1: The Tootle-Lemon National Bank of St. Joseph, MO

2: The Tootle-Lacy National Bank of Saint Joseph, MO (1/18/1918)

Bank Note Types Issued

1902 Red Seal $5 bank note with pen signatures of E.H. Zimmerman, Cashier and Graham G. Lacy, Vice President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com
1902 Plain Back $5 bank note with printed signatures of B.R.D. Lacy, Cashier and Milton Tootle Jr., President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

A total of $2,223,780 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1902 and 1935. This consisted of a total of 343,344 notes (343,344 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
1: 1902 Red Seal 4x5 1 - 7830
1: 1902 Red Seal 3x10-20 1 - 7468
1: 1902 Date Back 4x5 1 - 12415
1: 1902 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 8934
1: 1902 Plain Back 4x5 12416 - 13665
1: 1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 8935 - 9434
2: 1902 Plain Back 4x5 1 - 47439

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1902 - 1935):

Presidents:

Cashiers:

Other Known Bank Note Signers

Bank Note History Links

Sources

  • Saint Joseph, MO, 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. ↑ St. Joseph Gazette, St. Joseph, MO, Sun., Apr. 12, 1925.
  2. ↑ St. Joseph Gazette, St. Joseph, MO, Sat., July 6, 1889.
  3. ↑ St. Joseph News-Press, St. Joseph, MO, Sun., July 2, 1939.
  4. ↑ Skidmore Standard, Skidmore, MO, Tue., May 20, 1902.
  5. ↑ St. Joseph News-Press, St. Joseph, MO, Sun., July 27, 1902.
  6. ↑ The Laclede County Sentinel, Lebanon, MO, Fri., June 6, 1902.
  7. ↑ St. Joseph News-Press, St. Joseph, MO, Sun., July 27, 1902.
  8. ↑ St. Joseph News-Press, St. Joseph, MO, Thu., Dec. 4, 1902.
  9. ↑ St. Joseph Gazette, St. Joseph, MO, Sun., Apr. 12, 1925.
  10. ↑ St. Joseph Gazette, St. Joseph, MO, Thu., Jan. 17, 1918.
  11. ↑ St. Joseph News-Press, St. Joseph, MO, Wed., Jan. 13, 1926.
  12. ↑ St. Joseph News-Press, St. Joseph, MO, Sun., July 2, 1939.
  13. ↑ St. Joseph Gazette, St. Joseph, MO, Fri., July 1, 1949.
  14. ↑ St. Joseph News-Press, St. Joseph, MO, Tue., Jan. 11, 1955.
  15. ↑ St. Joseph News-Press, St. Joseph, MO, Sun., Jan. 30, 1955.
  16. ↑ St. Joseph News-Press, St. Joseph, MO, Wed., Sep. 16, 1959.
  17. ↑ St. Joseph Gazette, St. Joseph, MO, Tue., Jan. 26, 1960.
  18. ↑ St. Joseph News-Press, St. Joseph, MO, Wed., Jan. 27, 1960.
  19. ↑ St. Joseph News-Press, St. Joseph, MO, Wed., Dec. 11, 1963.
  20. ↑ St. Joseph News-Press, St. Joseph, MO, Sun., Jan. 2, 1972.
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