Ouachita National Bank in Monroe, LA (Charter 13655)
Ouachita National Bank in Monroe, LA (Chartered 1933 - Closed (Merger) 2001)
Town History
Monroe is the ninth-largest city in Louisiana, and is the parish seat and largest city of Ouachita Parish. With a 2020 census-tabulated population of 47,702, it is the principal city of the Monroe metropolitan statistical area, the second-largest metropolitan area in North Louisiana. In 1890 the population was 3,256, growing to 26,028 by 1930.
As governor of Louisiana, Esteban Rodríguez Miró had Fort Miro built in 1791. Fort Miro changed its name to Monroe to commemorate the first arrival of the steamboat James Monroe in the spring of 1820. The ship's arrival was the single event, in the minds of local residents, that transformed the outpost into a town.
Credit for the name is indirectly given to James Monroe of Virginia, the fifth President of the United States, for whom the ship was named. The steamboat is depicted in a mural at the main branch of the Ouachita Parish Public Library.
In 1913, Joseph A. Biedenharn, the first bottler of Coca-Cola, moved to Monroe from Vicksburg, Mississippi. Biedenharn and his son Malcolm were among the founders of Delta Air Lines, originally Delta Dusters. That company was founded in Tallulah, Louisiana in Madison Parish. It was based on products and processes developed by the Agriculture Experimental Station to dust crops from airplanes in order to combat the devastating effects that the boll weevil had on cotton crops. Biedenharn's home and gardens have been preserved and are now operated as the Biedenharn Museum and Gardens and are open to the public.
Monroe had six National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and all six of those banks issued National Bank Notes.
Bank History
- Organized December 30, 1932
- Chartered January 2, 1933
- Succeeded 8654 (Ouachita National Bank of Monroe, LA)
- Assumed circulation of 8654
- Bank was Open past 1935
- For Bank History after 1935 see FDIC Bank History website
- Merged into Bank One, N.A. in Chicago, IL, February 8, 2001
On January 2, 1933, a reorganization of the Ouachita National Bank, Monroe's oldest financial institution and one of the largest in northern Louisiana, was announced. The first board would consist of nine members with a few unfilled vacancies. Directors were Fred F. Millsaps, John J. Potts, Sig Masur, Joe Biedenharn, Paul Fudickar, Murray Hudson, Robert M. Breard, Jr., Charles W. Wallace and Albert Marx. Officers of the new institution would be F.F. Millsaps, president; Sig Masur, vice president; W.C. Oliver, vice president and cashier. The bank had deposits of approximately $3 million and capital stock of $500,000 with surplus of $100,000.[3]
On Monday, June 8, 1936, the West Monroe Branch of the Ouachita National Bank opened for business at 209 Trenton Street in the building formerly occupied by Brown-Hill Mercantile Co. Mr. J. Wheeler Mitchell and Mr. E.D. Cason were in charge.[4]
In January 1939, the directors were T.O. Bancroft, Henry Bernstein, Jr., J.A. Biedenharn, Robert M. Breard, Jr., Ben R. Downing, W.C. Faulk, Fred Fudickar, Murray Hudson, Albert Marx, Sig Masur, F.F. Millsaps, C.W. Wallace, and R.C. White. The officers were F.F. Millsaps, president; Sig Masur and Ben R. Downing, vice presidents; W.C. Oliver, vice president and cashier; T.C. Standifer, assistant cashier; and J.W. Mitchell, manager, West Monroe Branch. The bank reported total resources of $6,565,177.68 at the close of 1938.[5]
In January 1960, directors re-elected were T.O. Bancroft, Henry Bernstein, Jr., Henry Biedenharn, Jr., Charles E. Brown, Jeff Burnett, Jr., W.C. Faulk, Fred Fudickar, Murray Hudson, Albert Marx, Jack S. Masur, A. Petrus, W.J. Riley, Jr., George M. Rorex, C.B. Sherrouse, John Sherrouse, Jr., C.M. Strauss, R.L. Vanderpool, Jr., Benton M. Wakefield, Jr., and C.W. Wallace. Newly elected directors were Harold L. Woods, Sr., and Max L. Riley, both prominent petroleum industry leaders. Officers elected were R. L. Vanderpool, Jr., president; Benton M. Wakefield, Jr., George M. Rorex, Murray Hudson, F. Renfro, Jeff Burnett, Jr., Robert Cowden, J.H. Walker, James F. Benton, and Ben F. Marshall, vice presidents; T.C. Standifer, vice president and cashier; and Francis T. McLeland, J.B. Reitzell, Jennings Wilkins, Irvin A. Hodge, and Joyce T. Smith, assistant cashiers.[6]
In January 1988, the Ouachita National Bank in Monroe, a wholly owned subsidiary of Premier Bancorp, Inc. reported total assets at the close of 1987 of $504,741,000. R.L. Vanderpool, III, was president; R.L. Vanderpool, Jr., was chairman of the board; Ben F. Marshall, vice chairman; Amos W. Hood, Jr., executive vice president; James H. Napper II senior vice president and General Counsel, R.L. Vanderpool, III was president and CEO. Premier Bancorp, Inc. reported total assets at the close of 1987 of $4,348,963,000.[7]
In March 1989, the president of Premier Bank of Northeast Louisiana resigned effective March 31st citing internal conflict at the Monroe bank. R.L. "Lee" Vanderpool III, 38, former president of Ouachita National Bank (ONB), became president of Premier Bank of Northeast Louisiana on December 30th when it merged into Premier Bancorp. He had been with ONB for 12 years.[8]
- 12/30/1988 Changed Institution Name to Premier Bank National Association.
- 12/30/1988 Main Office moved to 451 Florida Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70801.
- 12/30/1988 Acquired Premier Bank - Acadiana, National Association (FDIC #9317) in Lafayette, LA.
- 12/30/1988 Acquired The Premier Bank of South Louisiana (FDIC #316) in Houma, LA.
- 12/30/1988 Acquired Premier Bank, National Association (FDIC #4309) in Baton Rouge, LA.
- 12/23/1993 Acquired Alerion Bank (FDIC #892) in New Orleans, LA.
- 04/30/1994 Acquired National Bank of Commerce of Lake Charles (FDIC #24364) in Lake Charles, LA.
- 06/24/1994 Acquired Ruston State Bank & Trust Company (FDIC #12615) in Ruston, LA.
- 06/24/1994 Acquired Heritage Bank of Natchitoches (FDIC #33138) in Natchitoches, LA.
- 06/24/1994 Acquired Heritage Bank of Morehouse (FDIC #16929) in Bastrop, LA.
- 06/24/1994 Acquired The D'Arbonne Bank and Trust Company (FDIC #23088) in Farmerville, LA.
- 08/25/1994 Acquired Red River Valley Bank (FDIC #20982) in Bossier City, LA.
- 08/26/1994 Acquired Oak Tree Federal Savings Bank (FDIC #33517) in New Orleans, LA as part of a government assisted merger.
- 11/30/1995 Acquired The Homer National Bank (FDIC #4304) in Homer, LA.
- 06/03/1996 Changed Institution Name to Bank One, Louisiana, National Association.
- 11/16/1998 Acquired Rapides Bank & Trust Company in Alexandria (FDIC #8523) in Alexandria, LA.
- 11/16/1998 Acquired Central Bank (FDIC #10527) in Monroe, LA.
- 11/16/1998 Acquired The First National Bank of Lake Charles (FDIC #4292) in Lake Charles, LA.
- 11/16/1998 Acquired The First National Bank of Lafayette (FDIC #4291) in Lafayette, LA.
- 11/16/1998 Acquired First National Bank of Commerce (FDIC #4298) in New Orleans, LA.
- 02/08/2001 Merged and became part of Bank One, National Association (FDIC #3618) in Chicago, IL.
Official Bank Title
1: The Ouachita National Bank in Monroe, LA
Bank Note Types Issued
A total of $92,470 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1933 and 1935. This consisted of a total of 7,586 notes (No large size and 7,586 small size notes).
This bank issued the following Types and Denominations of bank notes:
Series/Type Sheet/Denoms Serial#s Sheet Comments 1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 440 1929 Type 1 6x20 1 - 148 1929 Type 2 10 1 - 3285 1929 Type 2 20 1 - 773
Bank Presidents and Cashiers
Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1933 - 1935):
Presidents:
Cashiers:
Other Known Bank Note Signers
- No other known bank note signers for this bank
Bank Note History Links
Sources
- Monroe, LA, 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 News-Star, Monroe, LA, Wed., Oct. 30, 1935.
- ↑ Morning World, Monroe, LA, Sun., Feb. 7, 1960.
- ↑ The Times, Shreveport, LA, Tue., Jan. 3, 1933.
- ↑ Morning World, Monroe, LA, Sun., June 7, 1936.
- ↑ The Ouachita Citizen, West Monroe, LA, Fri., Jan. 6, 1939.
- ↑ Morning World, Monroe, LA, Fri., Jan. 22, 1960.
- ↑ The News-Star, Monroe, LA, Sun., Jan. 24, 1988.
- ↑ The Times, Shreveport, LA, Sun., Mar. 12, 1989.