First National Bank, Decatur, AL (Charter 3699)

A 1906 advertisement for the First National Bank of Decatur located at 508 Bank Street, Decatur, Alabama.

First National Bank, Decatur, AL (Chartered 1887 - Liquidated 1913)

Town History

Decatur is the largest city and county seat of Morgan County (with a portion also in Limestone County) in the U.S. state of Alabama. The city, nicknamed "The River City", is located in Northern Alabama on the banks of Wheeler Lake, along the Tennessee River. The population in 2010 was 55,683. Decatur is also the core city of the two-county large Decatur, Alabama metropolitan area which had an estimated population of 153,374 in 2013.

Initially the area was known as "Rhodes Ferry Landing", named for Dr. Henry W. Rhodes, an early landowner who operated a ferry that crossed the Tennessee River in the 1810s at the present-day location of Rhodes Ferry Park. The city was incorporated as Decatur in 1821. It was named in honor of Stephen Decatur; after he was killed in a duel in 1820, President Monroe directed that the Alabama town be named for him.

Because of its location on the Tennessee River at the strategically important crossing of two major railroads, Decatur was the site of several encounters during the American Civil War. New Decatur, Alabama was a city that rose out of the ashes of former Decatur west of the railroad tracks. New Decatur was founded in 1887 and incorporated in 1889. However, residents of the older Decatur resented the new town, founded and occupied by people who moved down from northern states. Animosity built until New Decatur renamed their town Albany, after Albany, N.Y., in September 1916.

The Old State Bank, on the edge of downtown, is the oldest bank building in the State of Alabama, being 173 years old.

Decatur had two National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and both of those banks issued National Bank Notes. Decatur also had two Obsolete Banks that issued Obsolete Bank Notes during the Obsolete Bank Note Era (1782-1866).

Bank History

The old First National Bank building, Decatur, Alabama, ca2020. Courtesy of Google Maps

Organized Apr 25, 1887
Chartered May 5, 1887
Succeeded Bank of Decatur
Suspended Aug 10, 1893
Resumed Sep 18, 1893
Liquidated Jun 21, 1913
Succeeded by 10336 (City National Bank/First NB, Decatur, AL)

In July 1906, the Officers were Col. C.C. Harris, president; John L. Brock, vice president; W.W. Littlejohn, cashier; and W.B. Shackelford, assistant cashier. The directores were L.M. Falk, Capitalist; C.E. Frost, Cashier, First National Bank of Athens, Ala.; W.A. Frost, Banker, Capitalist and Newspaper Man, Shelbyville, Tenn.; Jno. L. Brock and W.R. Spight, Wholesale Grocery Firm of Brock & Spight, Decatur; Col. C.C. Harris and J.M. Shofner. The bank had capital of $50,000, stockholders' liabilities of $50,000, and profits of $30,000.

In January 1913, Col. C.C. Harris, for 28 years president of the First National Bank of Decatur, retired from the bank, and was succeeded by C.E. Frost of Athens, who had been a director in this bank for the past ten years. The new president of the bank had been the cashier of the First National Bank at Athens, and there was no man who stood higher in financial circles. By this change in the official family of the bank John D. Wyker, one of the most substantial business men of Decatur, was elected to the board of directors. The stock of Col. Harris was purchased by W.A. Frost and associates, who would continue the same policy that has identified this bank with the upbuilding of the Decaturs. The policy of the bank, heretofore, had been not to recognize any imaginary line between the two cities, but to work for the welfare and advancement of both. Good feeling prevails among the outgoing and incoming officials, and the best wishes for the success of the institution were made. The bank had promoted big things in the past and expected to do bigger things in the future towards the upbuilding of the Decaturs.

Official Bank Title(s)

1: The First National Bank of Decatur, AL

Bank Note Types Issued

1882 Brown Back $20 Proof. Courtesy of Smithsonian Institution

A total of $510,470 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1887 and 1913. This consisted of a total of 58,440 notes (58,440 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
1882 Brown Back	3x10-20	1 - 3773
1902 Red Seal	4x5	1 - 900
1902 Red Seal	4x10	1 - 425
1902 Date Back	4x5	1 - 4683
1902 Date Back	4x10	1 - 4829

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1887 - 1913):

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

Decatur, 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
New Decatur Advertiser, New Decatur, AL, Thu., July 05, 1906.
The Decatur Daily, Decatur, AL, Fri., Jan. 3, 1913.