National Bank, Huntsville, AL (Charter 1560)

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The old National Bank of Huntsville and later First National Bank of Huntsville at West Side Square & Fountain Circle Southwest, ca2023.
The old National Bank of Huntsville and later First National Bank of Huntsville at West Side Square & Fountain Circle Southwest, ca2023. Courtesy of Google Maps

National Bank, Huntsville, AL (Chartered 1865 - Liquidated 1889)

Town History

The Northern Bank of Alabama obsolete $20 signed by Theo. Lacy, Cashier and J.J. Donegan, President, dated Oct, 17, 1852. Identical "20" counters on lathe work are at the upper corners; oval portraits of President Andrew Jackson lower left corner and unknown officer in the lower right corner. In the center, two women are seated on a hill; one gestures to the town below.
The Northern Bank of Alabama obsolete $20 signed by Theo. Lacy, Cashier and J.J. Donegan, President, dated Oct, 17, 1852. Identical "20" counters on lathe work are at the upper corners; oval portraits of President Andrew Jackson lower left corner and unknown officer in the lower right corner. In the center, two women are seated on a hill; one gestures to the town below. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

Huntsville is a city in Madison County and Limestone County, Alabama, United States, with a small portion extending into Morgan County. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in the state.

Huntsville was founded within the Mississippi Territory in 1805 and became an incorporated town in 1811. When Alabama was admitted as a state in 1819, Huntsville was designated for a year as the first capital. Its major growth has taken place since World War II. During the war, the Army established Redstone Arsenal in the vicinity with a chemical weapons plant, and nearby related facilities. After the war, additional research was conducted at Redstone Arsenal on rockets, followed by adaptations for space exploration. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, the United States Army Aviation and Missile Command, and most recently the FBI's operational support headquarters all came to be located at nearby Redstone Arsenal.

The Huntsville Depot, completed in 1860, is the oldest extant railroad depot in Alabama and one of the oldest extant depots in the United States. The United States Space & Rocket Center features the United States Space Camp, Aviation Challenge, and the only Saturn V rocket designated a National Historic Landmark.

The city's population was 215,006 at the 2020 census. The Huntsville metropolitan area's population was 491,723 in 2020, making it the second most populous metropolitan area in the state after the Birmingham metropolitan area. In 1890 the population was 7,995, growing to 11,554 by 1930.

Huntsville had four National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and all four of those banks issued National Bank Notes. The banks were the National Bank of Huntsville (Charter 1560), the First National Bank (Charter 4067), Farmers and Merchants National Bank (Charter 4689), and the Henderson National Bank (Charter 8765).

Bank History

The Bank of the State of Alabama was created in 1824. In 1837 and 1838, a building was constructed by the State of Alabama to house "The Branch of the Bank of the State of Alabama at Huntsville," and cost the state $76,000. The commissioner upon completion said the building was not done extravagantly, nor with parsimony, but in a manner befitting the great State of Alabama. A requirement of the times was that the cashier live in the rooms above the counting room of the bank, presumably for the protection of the funds of the bank. An apartment at the rear of the bank building was erected for the cashier's house slaves. Stephen S. Ewing was the president and Theophilus Lacy the cashier of this branch State bank. In 1854, the state went out of the banking business and the branch of the Bank of the State of Alabama at Huntsville was succeeded by the Northern Bank of Alabama, a private corporation of which James J. Donegan was president and Theo. Lacy, cashier. 

An act approved the 10th of February 1852, by the Legislature of the State of Alabama incorporated a new State Bank to be located at Huntsville, called the "Northern Bank of Alabama."  Sufficient capital had not been subscribed by May 1853 such that approval was granted to open the books at the Banking House of the Branch of the Bank of the State of Alabama at Huntsville to accept subscriptions not exceeding $500,000 through the 5th of August.  The Commissioners were C.C. Clay, F.J. LeVert, John Read, Robert Fearn, J.J. Fackler, Stephen S. Ewing, F.T. Mastin, Luke Mathews, and Charles H. Patton.  F.J. LeVert was secretary.  Governor H.W. Collier authorized the bank to commence operations on August 15, 1853, the commissioners having deposited in gold and silver coin the sum of $107,000 in the vaults of the Branch Bank of the State of Alabama at Huntsville.

On Monday, January 8, 1855, the following gentlemen were elected directors of the Norther Bank of Alabama: George P. Beirne, J.L. Watkins, W.T. Blunt, Thomas Fearn, J.J. Donegan, Samuel Cruse, J.H. Mastin, J.F. LeVert, Dr. C.H. Patton, and F.T. Mastin.

The Northern Bank of Alabama was succeeded on July 28, 1865 by the National Bank of Huntsville with J.H. Mastin, president; W.C. Rehren, cashier; and James H. Mastin, James J. Donegan, George P. Beirne, and Joseph W. Burkeas, directors.

In 1889, the National Bank of Huntsville was succeeded by The First National Bank of Huntsville.

On July 3rd, 1889, the acting comptroller of the currency authorized the First National Bank of Huntsville to commence business. The officers were James R. Stevens, president and Joseph Martin, cashier. The bank opened for business on July 5th, with capital stock, all paid in, of $125,000. The bank occupied the building formerly used by the National Bank of Huntsville.

Official Bank Title(s)

1: The National Bank of Huntsville, AL

Bank Note Types Issued

Series of 1875 $5 bank note with pen signatures of Joseph Martin, Cashier and J.H. Mastin, President.
Series of 1875 $5 bank note with pen signatures of Joseph Martin, Cashier and J.H. Mastin, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

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

Series/Type Sheet/Denoms Serial#s Sheet Comments
Original Series 4x5 1 - 2450
Original Series 3x10-20 1 - 2120
Series 1875 4x5 1 - 1730
Series 1875 3x10-20 1 - 1514
1882 Brown Back 3x10-20 1 - 1033

Bank Presidents and Cashiers

Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1865 - 1889):

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

  • Huntsville, 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://spmc.org/bank-note-history-project
  • The Times-Picayune, New Orleans, LA, Tue., Feb. 17, 1852.
  • The Weekly Advertiser, Montgomery, AL, Wed., May 11, 1853.
  • The Weekly Advertiser, Montgomery, AL, Wed., Aug. 17, 1853.
  • The Democrat, Huntsville, AL, Thu., Jan. 11, 1855.
  • The Montgomery Advertiser, Montgomery, AL, Thu., Sep. 7, 1865.
  • The Weekly Advertiser, Montgomery, AL, Thu., June 13, 1889.
  • The Montgomery Advertiser, Montgomery, AL, July 4, 1889.
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