First National Bank, Eldora, IA (Charter 5140)

Colorized postcard of the First National Bank building ca. 1910.

First National Bank, Eldora, IA (Chartered 1898 - Receivership 1932)

Town History

Photo of the First National Bank building in 2013. Courtesy of Google Maps

Eldora is located in Hardin County in north central Iowa.

Eldora was platted in 1853. It was incorporated on July 1, 1895.

The name Eldora was given to the town by a local mother in honor of her dead infant daughter. It is derived from the Spanish name for "the gilded".

During the National Bank Note Era, the population of Eldora was 2,233 in 1900, rising to 3,200 in 1930. It's highest population was 3,225 in 1960, and the current population is estimated at 2,621 (2018).

For more information on the town of Eldora, see their Wikipedia page.

Bank History

• Organized Aug 22, 1898
• Chartered Sep 12, 1898
• Succeeded City State Bank
• Receivership Aug 10, 1932

Official Bank Title(s)

1: The First National Bank of Eldora, IA

Bank Note Types Issued

1902 Plain Back $10 bank note with stamped signatures of A. W. Crossan, Cashier and W. E. Rathbone, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

1929 Type 1 $5 bank note with printed signatures of A. W. Crossan, Cashier and W. E. Rathbone, President. Courtesy of Lyn Knight Currency Auctions, www.lynknight.com

A total of $492,570 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1898 and 1932. This consisted of a total of 43,362 notes (34,284 large size and 9,078 small size notes).

This bank issued the following Types and Denominations of bank notes:

Series/Type	Sheet/Denoms	Serial#s
1882 Brown Back	3x10-20	1 - 1600
1882 Date Back	3x10-20	1 - 2500
1882 Value Back	3x10-20	2501 - 3017
1902 Plain Back	3x10-20	1 - 3954
1929 Type 1	6x5	1 - 1022
1929 Type 1	6x10	1 - 426
1929 Type 1	6x20	1 - 65

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

First National Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1898 - 1932):

Presidents:

• J. H. Bales, 1898-1907
• W. J. Murray, 1908-1921
• W. E. Rathbone, 1922-1931

Cashiers:

• W. J. Murray, 1898-1907
• W. E. Rathbone, 1908-1910
• A. W. Crossan, 1911-1931

Other Bank Note Signers

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

References

• Eldora, IA, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eldora,_Iowa
• 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