Sagadahoc County, ME Bank Note History

Original Series $20 bank note issued by Bath National Bank of Bath, ME signed by F. Partridge, Cashier and F. Clark, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

The National Banks, Bankers and Bank Notes of Sagadahoc County, ME (1863-1935)

'Hometown' National Bank Notes showing the bank's name, and signed by local bank officers, were issued by most National Banks during the National Bank Note Era (1863-1935). Sagadahoc county had nine National Banks in operation between 1863 and 1935, and all nine of those banks issued National Bank Notes.

Sagadahoc County was initially part of York and, later, Lincoln County before being set off and incorporated in 1854. The name comes from the "Sagadahoc River", an early name for the Kennebec River.

National Banks of Sagadahoc County

The Sagadahock House just before the Bath City fire of January 28, 1894. The Lincoln National Bank was located in the left, corner. To its right was the Hallett drugstore run by Fred C. Cox and Augustus Harris; the stationery store of John O. Shaw; J. Lufkin Douglas' clothing store, and the Marine National Bank. The Lincoln Bank had been on this site since 1812, and the Marine Bank had its headquarters at the Sagadahock House since its formation in 1864.

Bath

First National Bank (Charter 61) (1863-1882) (Liquidated/Succeeded by 2743)
Bath National Bank (Charter 494) (1864-1936) (Consolidated with Canal National Bank of Portland, May 1965)
Lincoln National Bank (Charter 761) (1865-1910) (Liquidated/Succeeded by 2743)
Marine National Bank (Charter 782) (1865-1910) (Absorbed/Succeeded by 761)
Sagadahock National Bank (Charter 1041) (1865-1894) (Liquidated)
First National Bank (Charter 2743) (1882-1936) (Consolidated with First National Bank of Portland as part of a three-way merger which also included the Thomaston National Bank, June 1960)

Bowdoinham

National Village Bank (Charter 944) (1865-1890) (Liquidated)

Richmond

First National Bank (Charter 662) (1864-1916) (Acquired becoming the Richmond branch of the Augusta Trust Company)
Richmond National Bank (Charter 909) (1865-1910) (Liquidated)

Prominent Bankers

Col. Samuel Donnell Bailey (Charter 782; Member, Society of the Cincinnati)
James Crommett Ledyard (Charter 761; Maine State legislator)
Noble Maxwell (Charter 662; Maine State Legislator)
William Dexter Mussenden (Charter 61 and 2743; President, Maine Bankers' Association)
Oliver Moses (Charter 61; Bath Shipbuilder, owner, merchant, and banker)
Arthur Sewall (Charter 494; William Jennings Bryan's vice presidential running mate in 1896)

National Bank Notes

1882 Brown Back $5 bank note from the Lincoln National Bank of Bath with pen signatures of F.H. Low, Cashier and Charles Davenport, President. Courtesy of Lyn Knight Auctions, www.lynknight.com

1882 Brown Back $5 bank note from the Marine National Bank of Bath with pen signatures of H.A. Duncan, Cashier and S.D. Bailey, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

1882 Brown Back $5 bank note from the First National Bank of Bath (Charter 2743) with pen signatures of W.D. Mussenden, Cashier and J.R. Kelley, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

1882 Brown Back $5 bank note from the Sagadahock National Bank with pen signatures of Henry Eames, Cashier and Franklin Reed, President. Courtesy of Lyn Knight Auctions, www.lynknight.com

1882 Brown Back $10 bank note from the National Village Bank of Bowdoinham with pen signatures of H.P. Kendall, Cashier and John Coombs, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

1882 Brown Back $20 bank note from the First National Bank of Richmond with pen signatures of J.M. Odiorne, Cashier and C.H.T.J. Southard, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

1902 Red Seal $5 bank note from the First National Bank of Bath with stamped signatures of William S. Shorey, Cashier and E.W. Hyde, President. This is a Replacement note. Courtesy of the NBNCensus.com

1902 Red Seal $20 bank note from the Richmond National Bank with SN 5 and pen signatures of William H. Stuart, Cashier and George H. Theobald, President. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

National Bank Ephemera

Lincoln National Bank of Bath stock certificate for one share issued to Sarah Watson Fisher on September 1, 1908 with signatures of F.H. Low, Cashier and Geo. P. Davenport, President. The charter date of the Lincoln Bank, June 15, 1813, and Lincoln National Bank, June 3, 1864, are shown. Courtesy of Heritage Auctions, www.ha.com

Wiki Links

Sources

Bath Historical Society web site
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