First National Bank, Birmingham, AL (Charter 3185)

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Postcard of the First National Bank of Birmingham, Alabama, ca1900s.
Postcard of the First National Bank of Birmingham, Alabama, ca1900s. Courtesy of Adam Stroup

First National Bank, Birmingham, AL (Chartered 1884 - Closed (Merger) 1997)

Town History

Postcard with an interior view of the officers' quarters, First National Bank of Birmingham, Alabama. Capital was $1,000,000. Surplus and Profits $600,000.
Postcard with an interior view of the officers' quarters, First National Bank of Birmingham, Alabama.  Capital was $1,000,000.  Surplus and Profits $600,000. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

Birmingham is a city in the north central region of Alabama. It is the seat of Jefferson County, Alabama's most populous and fifth largest county by area. As of 2018, the Birmingham-Hoover metropolitan area had a population of 1,151,801, making it the most populous in Alabama and 49th-most populous in the United States. Birmingham serves as an important regional hub and is associated with the Deep South, Piedmont, and Appalachian regions of the nation.

Birmingham was founded in 1871, during the post-Civil War Reconstruction period, through the merger of three pre-existing farm towns, notably, former Elyton. It grew from there, annexing many more of its smaller neighbors, into an industrial and railroad transportation center with a focus on mining, the iron and steel industry, and railroading. Birmingham was named for Birmingham, England, UK; one of that nation's major industrial cities. Most of the original settlers who founded Birmingham were of English ancestry.

From its founding through the end of the 1960s, Birmingham was a primary industrial center of the South. The pace of Birmingham's growth during the period from 1881 through 1920 earned its nicknames The Magic City and The Pittsburgh of the South. Much like Pittsburgh, Birmingham's major industries were iron and steel production, plus a major component of the railroading industry, where both rails and railroad cars were manufactured in Birmingham. In the field of railroading, the two primary hubs of railroading in the Deep South were nearby Atlanta and Birmingham, beginning in the 1860s and continuing through to the present day. The economy diversified during the later half of the twentieth century. Though the manufacturing industry maintains a strong presence in Birmingham, other businesses and industries such as banking, telecommunications, transportation, electrical power transmission, medical care, college education, and insurance have risen in stature. Mining in the Birmingham area is no longer a major industry with the exception of coal mining. Birmingham ranks as one of the most important business centers in the Southeastern United States and is also one of the largest banking centers in the United States. In addition, the Birmingham area serves as headquarters to one Fortune 500 company: Regions Financial, along with five other Fortune 1000 companies.

In higher education, Birmingham has been the location of the University of Alabama School of Medicine (formerly the Medical College of Alabama) and the University of Alabama School of Dentistry since 1947. Since that time it has also obtained a campus of the University of Alabama, University of Alabama at Birmingham (founded circa 1969), one of three main campuses of the University of Alabama System. It is also home to three private institutions: Samford University, Birmingham-Southern College, and Miles College. Between these colleges and universities, the Birmingham area has major colleges of medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, law, engineering, and nursing. The city has three of the state's five law schools: Cumberland School of Law, Birmingham School of Law, and Miles Law School. Birmingham is also the headquarters of the Southeastern Conference, one of the major U.S. collegiate athletic conferences.

Birmingham had 10 National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and all 10 of those banks issued National Bank Notes.

Bank History

The old American-Traders National Bank building, Birmingham, Alabama ca2020. After the 1930 merger this building became the home of the First National Bank's trust department.
The old American-Traders National Bank building, Birmingham, Alabama ca2020. After the 1930 merger this building became the home of the First National Bank's trust department.

The City Bank of Birmingham succeeded T.L. Hudgins & Co. In January 1884, L. Hudgins was president and William Eron was cashier and the bank boasted capital of $100,000 and a surplus of $5,000.

The National Bank of Birmingham and the City Bank consolidated under the name of the First National Bank of Birmingham with $250,000 in capital and deposits of $750,000. The officers elected were President, William Berney; vice president, John C. Henley; cashier, W.J. Cameron; Assistant Cashier, E.W. Lynn. Around March 1, 1885 Mr. Berney resigned the presidency of the First National Bank and was presented a gold watch chain and charm by his companions in the bank. He had started as cashier of the National Bank of Birmingham and was president there from 1882 until the consolidation. He would organize and lead the Berney National Bank of Birmingham from 1886-1893.

In March 1901, the Berney National bank merged with the First National Bank of Birmingham. Mr. Walker Percy was president of the Berney National with Henry L. Badham, vice president and M.W. Crawford cashier. Crawford became an assistant cashier of the First National Bank joining N.E. Barker, president, J.H. Woodward, vice president, W.P.G. Harding, second vice president and J.H. Barr Cashier. Total deposits for the First National were over $3,518,501.69 making it the largest bank in the South with the exception of four banks in New Orleans and two in Louisville. The directors were T.T. Hillman, Robert Jemison, William A. Walker, E.M. Tutwiler, Erskine Ramsay, W.S. Brown, B.F. Moore, F.M. Jackson, F.D. Nabers, T.H. Molton, N.E. Barker and W.P.G. Harding. The stockholders ratified the consolidation on the morning of March 7, 1901 in the bank building located on the corner at First Avenue and Twentieth Street.

New First National Bank of Birmingham officers after consolidation with the American-Traders National Bank in 1930. Shown from left to right are Oscar Wells, chairman of the board, W. Webb Crawford, vice chairman of the board, Keehn W. Berry, Executive vice president and Gen. J.C. Persons, president.
New First National Bank of Birmingham officers after consolidation with the American-Traders National Bank in 1930. Shown from left to right are Oscar Wells, chairman of the board, W. Webb Crawford, vice chairman of the board, Keehn W. Berry, Executive vice president and Gen. J.C. Persons, president.

On June 23, 1930, stockholders of the First National Bank met to to consider the plan for consolidation with the American-Traders National Bank of Birmingham. Approval was received and the newly organized First National Bank opened on July 1, 1930 with capital and surplus of ten million dollars and total assets of approximately $72 million. The day before money, securities and records were transferred from the American-Traders building under strong guard of police. The vehicles used for the transfer were drawn by horses instead of motor trucks, this to ensure any get-away by bandits would be more difficult, if not impossible. Oscar Wells was now chairman, with W.W. Crawford, vice chairman; J.C. Persons, president; and K.W. Berry, vice president.

The main banking room of the American-Traders National became available on July 11, 1930, with savings department moving into the First National and the space was quickly remodeled to accommodate the Trust Department of the First National Bank of Birmingham. The Trust Department had Charles F. Zukoski as vice president and trust officer and Sumner E. Thomas as vice president and corporate trust officer plus four assistant trust officers.

Affiliated with the First National Bank were: The First National Company of Birmingham; Leeds-American National Bank; Fairfield-American National Bank; Tarrant-American Savings Bank; North Birmingham American Bank; and the Woodlawn-American National Bank.

In May 1935, The Woodlawn-American National Bank, The Leeds-American National Bank and The Fairfield-American National Bank, as well as the Tarrant-American Savings Bank and North-Birmingham Savings Bank were liquidated, ending their association with the First National Bank of Birmingham and becoming branch banks of the latter.

Two 1935 Advertisements from The First National Bank of Birmingham showing the affiliation ended with consolidation of the local banks under the First National Bank as branch offices. Note the addition of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation logo in the later ad.
Two 1935 Advertisements from The First National Bank of Birmingham showing the affiliation ended with consolidation of the local banks under the First National Bank as branch offices. Note the addition of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation logo in the later ad.

Official Bank Title

1: The First National Bank of Birmingham, AL

Bank Note Types Issued

1902 Red Seal $10 bank note with printed signatures of J.H. Barr, Cashier and W.P.G. Harding, President.
1902 Red Seal $10 bank note with printed signatures of J.H. Barr, Cashier and W.P.G. Harding, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com
1902 Date Back $20 bank note with printed signatures of Thomas Hopkins, Cashier and J.H. Barr, President.
1902 Date Back $20 bank note with printed signatures of Thomas Hopkins, Cashier and J.H. Barr, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com
1929 Type 1 $10 bank note with printed signatures of F.S. Foster, Cashier and Oscar Wells, President.
1929 Type 1 $10 bank note with printed signatures of F.S. Foster, Cashier and Oscar Wells, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com
1929 Type 2 $20 bank note with printed signatures of F.S. Foster, Cashier and John C. Persons, President.
1929 Type 2 $20 bank note with printed signatures of F.S. Foster, Cashier and John C. Persons, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

A total of $41,002,920 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1884 and 1997. This consisted of a total of 4,948,757 notes (3,003,836 large size and 1,944,921 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 - 12068
1902 Red Seal 3x10-20 1 - 38500
1902 Date Back 4x5 1 - 115000
1902 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 87400
1902 Plain Back 4x5 115001 - 424771
1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 87401 - 275620
1929 Type 1 6x5 1 - 172042
1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 101360
1929 Type 1 6x20 1 - 34040
1929 Type 2 5 1 - 48830
1929 Type 2 10 1 - 40249
1929 Type 2 20 1 - 11190

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1884 - 1997):

Presidents:

Cashiers:

Other Bank Note Signers

  • There are currently no known Vice President or Assistant Cashier bank note signers for this bank.

Wiki Links

Sources

  • Birmingham, AL, 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://bbdata.banknotehistory.com
  • Birmingham Iron Age, Birmingham, AL, Thu., Jan. 3, 1884.
  • The Pulaski Citizen, Pulaski, TN, Thu., Apr. 3, 1884.
  • Huntsville Independent, Huntsville, AL, Thu., May 1, 1884.
  • The Selma Times, Selma, AL, Wed., May 14, 1884.
  • The Montgomery Advertiser, Montgomery, AL, Tue., Mar. 3, 1885.
  • The Birmingham News, Birmingham, AL, Fri., Feb. 1, 1901.
  • The Birmingham News, Birmingham, AL, Thu., Mar. 7, 1901.
  • The Birmingham News, Birmingham, AL, Mon., Apr. 8, 1901.
  • The Birmingham News, Birmingham, AL, Tue., July 1, 1930.
  • The Huntsville Times, Huntsville, AL, Tue., July 1, 1930.
  • The Birmingham News, Birmingham, AL, Mon., July 21, 1930.
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