Morgan County NB of New Decatur/Albany/Decatur, AL (Charter 6380)

Needed: a contemporary postcard or photo of the bank.

Morgan County National Bank of New Decatur/Albany/Decatur, AL (Chartered 1902 - Open past 1935)

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. Eventually, the hostilities between the two cities began to die down, and the need for a common bridge over the Tennessee River united them. On August 28, 1923, a measure to consolidate the two cities failed due to tax inequities. On February 4, 1927, the two cities finally merged into one, taking the original name of Decatur.

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, The First National Bank of Decatur (Charter 3699) and The City National Bank of Decatur. 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).

New Decatur/Albany/Decatur had two National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, The Morgan County National Bank of New Decatur (Charter 6380) and The Central National Bank of New Decatur (Charter 10423). Both of those banks issued National Bank Notes with town names of New Decatur, Albany and finally Decatur.

Bank History

Organized July 12, 1902
Chartered August 14, 1902
Opened for business September 8, 1902
1: Succeeded Bibb, Hoff & Co. (Private Bank)
Bank was Open past 1935

In 1895, Mr. George A. Hoff, associated with W.A. Bibb, founded the banking house of Bibb & Hoff. In 1892 Mr. Hoff was elected mayor of New Decatur and was re-elected for a second term. Hoff was a native of New Albany, Indiana and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin. In 1889 he moved from Waterloo, Iowa, having been engaged in the mercantile business there with his father, to New Decatur.

The banking house of Bibb and Hoff changed into a national bank with capital stock of $50,000 and a title of The Morgan County National Bank of New Decatur. The Bibb and Hoff Bank conducted a general banking business for several years and owing to the great increase in the volume of business, it changed into a national bank. The following were the officers: W.A. Bibb, president; Hon. W.E. Skeggs, vice president; and G.A Hoff, cashier. The directors were W.E. Skeggs, Henry B. Scott, B. W. Malone, James E. Penney, A.C. Hartshorne of Freehold, New Jersey, G.A Hoff, and W.A. Bibb.

At the annual shareholders meeting on January 14, 1930, the following were elected directors: H.B. Beard, F.A. Bloodworth, H.R. Davis, J.N. Gibson, Atlee H. Hoff, S.H. Malone, J.P. Matlock, J.E. Penney, Chas. T. Rountree, Wm. E. Skeggs, and E.W. Strother. Of the board, Messrs. J.E. Penney and Wm. E. Skeggs had served as directors since the organization of the bank in 1902 at which time there were seven directors with capital stock of $50,000 owned by 13 shareholders. The current capital stock was $200,000 with 155 shareholders. The officers elected were Atlee H. Hoff, chairman of the board; F.A. Bloodworth, president; Wm. E. Skeggs, vice president; E.E. Graves, cashier; and T.E. Williams, assistant cashier.

On August 21, 1953, the name of Morgan County National Bank was changed to First National Bank of Decatur. The change was planned in connection with a major relocation and expansion project and was approved by R.M. Gidney, Comptroller of the Currency. Bank President A.L. Johnson reported that plans for construction of the new building at the corner of Fourth Ave. and Moulton St. were progressing rapidly.

First National Bank of Decatur was an affiliate of Alabama Bancorporation. In 1982 notice of a merger with AmSouth Bank under the charter of the The First National Bank of Birmingham was filed with the comptroller of the currency. The First National Bank of Decatur became an affiliate of AmSouth Bancorporation.

Official Bank Title(s)

1: The Morgan County National Bank of New Decatur, AL

2: The Morgan County National Bank of (3/16/1917), Albany, AL

3: The Morgan County National Bank of (3/26/1928), Decatur, AL

Bank Note Types Issued

1902 Plain Back $5 bank note with the second title and stamped signatures of Atlee H. Hoff, Cashier and F.A. Bloodworth, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

1929 Type 2 $5 bank note with the third title and printed signatures of T.E. Williams, Cashier and Atlee H. Hoff, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

A total of $2,640,600 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1902 and 1935. This consisted of a total of 390,876 notes (254,136 large size and 136,740 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 - 2375	First Title
1: 1902 Red Seal	3x10-20	1 - 1613	First Title
1: 1902 Date Back	4x5	1 - 4500	First Title
1: 1902 Date Back	3x10-20	1 - 3540	First Title
1: 1902 Plain Back	4x5	4501 - 5575	First Title
1: 1902 Plain Back	3x10-20	3541 - 4298	First Title
2: 1902 Plain Back	4x5	1 - 25656	Second Title
2: 1902 Plain Back	3x10-20	1 - 16963	Second Title
3: 1902 Plain Back	4x5	1 - 7054	Third Title
3: 1929 Type 1	6x5	1 - 16176	Third Title
3: 1929 Type 2	5	1 - 39684	Third Title

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1902 - 1936):

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

New Decatur/Albany/Decatur, AL, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Decatur/Albany/Decatur,_Alabama
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
Chattanooga Daily Times, Chattanooga, TN, Tue., Aug. 29, 1916.
The Decatur Daily, Decatur, AL, Wed., Jan. 15, 1930.
The Decatur Daily, Decatur, AL, Thu., Aug. 21, 1958.
The Anniston Star, Anniston, AL, Wed., Nov. 10, 1982.