Washington County NB, Granville, NY (Charter 7255)
Washington County NB, Granville, NY (Chartered 1904 - Open past 1935)
Town History
Granville is a town on the eastern border of Washington County, New York, abutting Rutland County, Vermont. The town was founded in 1780. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town population was 6,215 at the 2020 census. In 1870, the population was 4,063 with an early peak in 1910 at 6,434. That level would not be reached again until 2000 when the population was 6,456.
The town of Granville contains a village that also bears the name Granville. Granville is named for John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville. Granville has been called the "Colored Slate Capital of the World." Quarries in the town mine slate that comes in colors such as green, gray, gray black, purple, mottled green and purple, and red.
Granville had four National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, The National Bank of Granville (Charter 2294), Farmers National Bank (Charter 3154), Granville National Bank (Charter 4985), and Washington County NB (Charter 7255), and all four of those banks issued National Bank Notes.
Bank History
- Organized April 23, 1904
- Chartered May 13, 1904
- Opened for business June 23, 1904
- Absorbed 4985 Oct 19, 1931 (Granville National Bank, Granville, NY)
- Bank was Open past 1935
- Absorbed by The First National Bank of Glens Falls, NY, (Charter 980), on December 2, 1955
In April 1904, the Washington County National Bank of Granville was organized and would soon be in operation. The directors were James E. Goodman, John C. Thomson, Otis S. Simonds, George H. McDonald, Hugh Williams, Arthur Morrow, W.H. Wright, Charles Northrup, Frank Beecher, Frank W. Scott, and John Gilroy. The proposed site for the new bank was in the G.H. McDonald block, or in a new building to be erected adjoining Baldwin's drug store. This made the third bank for the village of Granville. In May 1904, the stockholders elected the following directors: Hon. James E. Goodman, John C. Thomson, Otis S. Simmonds, George H. McDonald, Hugh Williams, Arthur H. Morrow, M.F. Roberts, Charles S. Northrup, Frank Beecher, frank W. Scott, and John Gilroy. The directors elected the following officers: J.E. Goodman, president; A.H. Morrow, vice president; and J.C. Thomson, cashier. The bank began with a capital of $50,000.
On Tuesday, January 11, 1921, the stockholders elected the following directors: George McDonald, Arthur Morrow, Frank Beecher, Myron S. Roberts, Fred W. Hewitt, Daniel Nelson, John M. Hulett, Simeon M. Rising, Patrick J. Cullen, Michael J. Hayes, M. Waite Hicks. The officers elected were Fred W. Hewitt, president; Myron Roberts, vice president; Daniel Nelson, cashier.
In January 1931, the following directors were elected: Lee F. Phelps, P.J. Cullin, S.M. Rising, Frank Beecher, J.M. Hulett, G.H. McDonald, A.H. Morrow, A.H. Newton, John A. Williams, W.J. Norton, M. Waite Hicks. The officers elected were Lee F. Phelps, president; P.J. Cullen, vice president; Simeon M. Rising, cashier.
In September 1931, two Granville banks consolidated, the Washington County National Bank and the Granville National Bank. The business of the combined institution would be conducted from the offices of the Washington County National starting Wednesday, September 2d. Lee S. Phelps would be president of the consolidated bank. Patrick J. Cullin would be vice president and S.M. Rising, cashier. The officers of the Granville National Bank would cease their duties.
On Tuesday, January 12, 1932, at the annual meeting of the directors and shareholders, the following directors were re-elected: Lee F. Phelps, Patrick J. Cullin, Simeon M. Rising, M. Waite Hicks, John M. Hulett, Frank Beecher, William J. Norton, John A. Williams, Arthur H. Morrow, George H. McDonald, and A.W. Newton of Wallingford, Vermont. The officers elected were Lee F. Phelps, president; Patrick J. Cullin, vice president; Simeon M. Rising, cashier; Anna Williams and J. Easton Owens, assistant cashiers. On February 15, 1932, Harold J. Marshall of Council Bluffs, Iowa, began his duties as assistant for Lee F. Phelps, president of the Washington County Bank. Marshall was a graduate of Notre Dame University, specializing in banking securities and trust funds. Due to the merger of the Granville National Bank with the Washington County National, Granville had only one banking institution. Hundreds of new accounts had been opened in the last few weeks.
On Tuesday, January 9, 1934, at the annual meeting of the stockholders, the directors re-elected were: M. Waite hicks, Frank Beecher, A.W. Newton, W.J. Norton, John A. Williams, Simeon M. Rising, Lee F. Phelps, John M. Hulett, George H. McDonald, Arthur H. Morrow, and Patrick J. Cullin. The directors elected the following officers: Simeon M. Rising, chairman of the board; Lee F. Phelps, president; Patrick J. Cullin, vice president; Anna Williams, cashier; and J. Easton Owens, assistant cashier.
On Tuesday, January 14, 1947, at the annual stockholders' meeting, the following directors were elected: M. Waite Hicks, David J. McHenry, William J. Norton, A.H. Morrow, Dr. W.E. Owen, Dr. A.G. Barrett, Dr. W.S. Bennett, M.D. Goodfellow. The officers elected were M.D. Goodfellow, president; William J. Norton, vice president; J. Easton Owens, cashier; Miss Anna Williams, assistant cashier.
On Tuesday, January 8, 1952, at the annual meeting of the stockholders, the directors elected were: M. Waite Hicks, David J. McHenry, William J. Norton, A.H. Morrow, Dr. W.E. Owen, Dr. A.G. Barrett, Dr. W.S. Bennett, and M.D. Goodfellow. The directors elected the following officers: M.D. Goodfellow, president; William J. Norton, vice president; J. Easton Owens, cashier; Anna Williams, cashier; and R.E. Jones, assistant cashier.
On November 16, 1955, shareholders of the First National Bank of Glens Falls and the Washington County National Bank of Granville voted to consolidated the resources of the two institutions, according to H.C. brown, president of the First National. The plan of consolidation was dated October 10, 1955 and was previously approved by a majority of the directors of both institutions. The plan provided for the exchange of 3 3/4 shares of the First National stock for each share of the Washington County National stock. After the proposed consolidation, the capital of the continuing institution, the First National Bank of Glens Falls, would be 1,187,500 divided into 47,500 shares, each of $25 par value. The surplus would be $1,187,500 and its undivided profits in excess of $970,000.
The consolidation became effective at the close of business December 2d, when H.C. Brown, president of the First National and M.D. Goodfellow, president of the Granville bank, completed consolidation papers of the two institutions. The Granville bank was the third branch added to the First National in an effort to give complete, progressive banking service to Glens Falls and the surrounding area. The Bolton Landing branch was obtained on November 9, 1940, when the local bank purchased the then Bolton National Bank. The South Glens Falls branch office was built by the parent bank and opened on February 17, 1951 and was the first bank in the area to feature drive-in banking service. The First National Bank of Glens Falls now served the tri-county area of Warren, Washington and Saratoga Counties.
The First National Bank had been serving the area for 102 years, having been established in 1853, originally as the Commercial Bank of Glens Falls. It was first located in the Sherwood Building in "Bank Square" on the west side of Glen Street where then stood the building owned by the Braydon and Chapman music store. The original building burned in the fire of 1864. The new building was then used by the First National Bank until its present marble structure was erected in 1915 at Glen Street and Lapham Place. Mr. Brown was the 7th president to serve the 102 year old institution, succeeding Maurice Hoopes upon his retirement in 1942. The officers at the main bank where: H.C. Brown, president; W.M. Bowden, vice president; C.A. Scriver, vice president and cashier; F.O. Ducharme, assistant vice president; P.E. Lavine, J.W. Dean, F.T. O'Neil, J.E. Barnes, and P.E. McCarthy, assistant cashiers; R.J. Dehais, comptroller; B.W. Francis and R.N. Hinds, trust officers. At the Washington County Branch at Granville: Maynard D. Goodfellow, vice president; J. Easton Owens and Robert E. Jones, assistant cashiers.
Official Bank Title(s)
1: The Washington County National Bank of Granville, NY
Bank Note Types Issued
A total of $863,840 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1904 and 1935. This consisted of a total of 73,841 notes (55,980 large size and 17,861 small size notes).
This bank issued the following Types and Denominations of bank notes:
Series/Type Sheet/Denoms Serial#s Sheet Comments 1902 Red Seal 3x10-20 1 - 1472 1902 Date Back 3x10-20 1 - 5040 1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 5041 - 12523 1929 Type 1 6x5 1 - 832 1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 832 1929 Type 1 6x20 1 - 420 1929 Type 2 5 1 - 3462 1929 Type 2 10 1 - 1640 1929 Type 2 20 1 - 255
Bank Presidents and Cashiers
Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1904 - 1935):
Presidents:
- James E. Goodman, 1904-1908
- Frederick William Hewitt, 1909-1921
- Myron Frank Roberts, 1922-1922
- Lee Francis Phelps, 1924-1935
Cashiers:
- John C. Thomson, 1904-1909
- Fred Wolcott Davies, 1910-1914
- Daniel D. Nelson, 1915-1924
- Simeon Marshall Rising 4th, 1926-1932
- Anna Williams, 1933-1935
Other Known Bank Note Signers
Bank Note History Links
Sources
- Granville, NY, 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 Post-Star, Glens Falls, NY, Mon., Apr. 25, 1904.
- The Post-Star, Glens Falls, NY, Thu., May 5, 1904.
- The Post-Star, Glens Falls, NY, Wed., Jan. 12, 1921.
- The Poultney Journal, Poultney, VT, Fri., Jan. 23, 1931.
- Rutland Daily Herald, Rutland, VT, Wed., Sep. 2, 1931.
- Rutland Daily Herald, Rutland, VT, Fri., Jan. 15, 1932.
- Rutland Daily Herald, Rutland, VT, Tue., Feb. 16, 1932.
- Rutland Daily Herald, Rutland, VT, Thu., Jan. 11, 1934.
- The Post-Star, Glens Falls, NY, Thu., Jan. 16, 1947.
- The Troy Record, Troy, NY, Wed., Jan. 9, 1952.
- The Post-Star, Glens Falls, NY, Thu., Nov. 17, 1955.
- The Post-Star, Glens Falls, NY, Wed., Dec. 7, 1955.