First National Bank of Wallace records

First National Bank of Wallace records, 1892-1949

Overview of the Collection

Creator: First National Bank of Wallace (Idaho)
Title: First National Bank of Wallace records
Dates: 1892-1949 (inclusive)
18921949
Quantity: 26 cubic feet
Collection Number: MG 015
Summary: Correspondence, 1901-1909, and financial ledgers. Also, deeds, agreements, correspondence, and other legal and financial papers filed in the building's vault prior to 1891.
Repository: University of Idaho Library, Special Collections and Archives
Special Collections and Archives
University of Idaho Library
875 Perimeter Drive
MS 2350
Moscow, ID
83844-2350
Telephone: 2088850845
libspec@uidaho.edu
Access Restrictions: Collection is open for research.
Languages: English
Sponsor: Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The Wallace branch of the Agency Bank of Murray, under the direction of Charles Hussey, opened in 1887, and shortly before it failed in 1890 it changed its name to the Bank of Wallace. Patrick Clark of the Poorman Mine, along with several others, purchased all the assets of the bank except the building, and opened the Coeur d'Alene Bank on January 10, 1891. In July 1892 Horace Davenport was the bank's cashier.

The First National Bank of Wallace was organized on August 8, 1892 by Frank F. Johnson, Henry White, Horace M. Davenport, Richard Wilson, and Charles E. Bender. Other directors, besides Johnson and White, were Charles W. O'Neil, R.R. Neill, Richard Wilson, and Albert Johnson. The bank, which took over the building formerly occupied by the Hussey bank,, was the first national bank organized in Shoshone County. Several banks had been started in Wallace, but by 1893 the First National Bank was the only bank operating. It remained without competition until Bernard O'Neil started the State Bank of Commerce in 1904. M.J. Flohr, who had been connected with the bank since 1895, succeeded Davenport as cashier in 1903 and later became president of the bank.

The First National Bank continued to operate as an independent bank until 1972 when it became a branch of the newly organized First National Bank of North Idaho.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The records of the First National Bank of Wallace span the years 1892 to 1949, with the bulk of the material covering the years 1892 to 1935.

The records include incoming correspondence, a variety of financial ledgers, and personal papers which were deposited in the vault of the Bank of Murray and not claimed by their owners when the bank folded.

Several sets of journals, most notably the Reconcilements of Accounts and Computation of Reserve, have gaps in dates caused by missing volumes. Also, there is no correspondence for 1907.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The material in this record group divides easily into three series, correspondence, bound volumes, and Bank of Murray vault items.

The correspondence is all incoming and is arranged chronologically. Most letters deal with routine deposits and withdrawals, although a 1905 letter from Senator Weldon B. Heyburn discusses the need for a new hotel in Wallace.

The bound volumes were listed on an inventory, therefore it was easy to keep them in their original order. They include general ledgers, cash books, balance books, warranty registers, teller's cash books, bills receivable ledgers, reconcilement of accounts books and computation of reserve records. Most individual journals are arranged chronologically with the exception of the draft registers which are arranged by the bank drawn on; this accounts for the overlapping dates of the journals. Each register is in two volumes, one containing banks in New York and Chicago, and the other the remaining banks across the country. Another item in this series is a bundle of purchaser's applications for three different types of traveler's checks, American Express, American Banker's Association, and National City Bank of New York.

Since the vault material is not part of the First National Bank records it was placed at the end of the collection. It contains items such as mining deeds, powers of attorney, promissory notes, and correspondence which was apparently placed in the vault of the Bank of Murray for safe keeping and not called for when the bank closed its doors. When Frank Johnson opened his bank in the same building several years later he found these items. They are arranged alphabetically by the name on the envelope in which the material was originally deposited.

Acquisition Information

The early records of the First National Bank of Wallace were donated to the University of Idaho library in 1962 by former bank president M.J. Flohr.

Separated Materials

The only materials removed from the collection were an unused cash book and a September 1910 copy of Bradstreets.

Bibliography

Aldrich, Clara Elizabeth. History of Banking in Idaho. Thesis (MBA). Seattle, University of Washington, 1940

Barrett, Glen. Idaho Banking. Boise, Boise State University Press, 1976

Illustrated History of North Idaho. s.l., Western Historical Publishing, 1903

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series I: Correspondence, 1901-1909Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
1	1	1 item	1901
1	2	43 items	1902
1	3	69 items	1903
1	4	53 items	1904
1	5	68 items	1905
1	6	124 items	1906
1	7	2 items	1908-1909

Series II: Bound Volumes, 1892-1949Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
OS	8-25	General Ledgers 18 items	1892-1938
OS	26-48	Cash Books 23 items	1892-1913
OS	49-58	Balance Books 10 items	1892-1939
OS	59-66	Collection Registers 8 items	1892-1917
OS	67-87	Draft Registers 21 items	1892-1907
OS	88	Warrants and Securities 1 item	1906-1949
OS	89-91	Warranty Registers 3 items	1906-1924
OS	92105	Bills Receivable 14 items	1892-1945
OS	106-123	Teller's Cash Books 18 items	1903-1934
OS	124-139	Reconcilement of Accounts 16 items	1904-1940
OS	140-142	Computation of Reserve to be carried with the Federal Reserve Bank by all member banks not located in reserve or central reserve cities 3 items	1920-1929
OS	143	Ledger: Account with Capitol State Bank, Boise, 1903-1906; List of new and closed accounts, 1910-1914 1 item	1903-1914
OS	144-146	Clearances 3 items	1907-1916
OS	147	Purchaser's Applications for Travelers Checks 500 items	1924-1926

Series III: Bank of Murray Vault Items, 1882-1890Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
2	148	Baker, J.D. and P. Foley. Contract 1 item	1884
2	149	Baldwin, Bruce and Brundage. Promissory Notes 25 items	1886
2	150	Barroll, E.R. and J.R. Marks. Agreement 1 item	1888
2	151	Bartlow, Isadore H. Deeds 2 items	1885
2	152	Beeman, Nelson. Correspondence & Financial items 3 items	1884
2	153	Bennington, J. & Ed Zeiger. Agreement 1 item	1885
2	154	Boss, James E. Deed 1 item	1888
2	155	Brill, Alfred. Legal Notices 2 items	1886
2	156	Burke, John M. Promissory Note 1 item	1886
2	157	Byrnett, G. Stock Certificates 29 items	1884
2	158	Byrnet, George N. Legal & Financial Papers 4 items	1884
2	159	Calavan, James. Agreement 1 item	1885
2	160	Campbell, A.R. Deed 1 item	1884
2	161	Chase, J.F. Sargent Affidavit 1 item	1887
2	162	Clark, Charles. Receipt 1 item	1888
2	163	Cole, D.M. Deed & Power of Attorney 2 items	1884
2	164	Cooper, John vs. N.S. Kellogg. Deeds 4 items	1886
2	165	Cunningham, Samuel. Correspondence & Financial 3 items	1882
2	166	Davis, W.R. Agreement 2 items	1884
2	167	Denver, W. McK. & Sylvanius Collett. Deed 1 item	1884
2	168	Downs, John. Financial 1 item	1885
2	169	Doyle, W.E. Insurance Receipt 1 item	1887
2	170	Everson, Louis, Power of Attorney 1 item	1886
2	171	Finn, Dan. Financial Correspondence 1 item	circa 1880s
2	172	Hanley, T.F. Bond of Clarence Cunningham 1 item	1888
2	173	Harris, W.E. Deed 1 item	1885
2	174	Hathaway, C.M. Promissory Note 1 item	1884
2	175	Herrman, John. Location Notices 5 items	1885-1886
2	176	Hogan, Thomas S. Deed 1 item	1886
2	177	Jackson, Charles. Deeds 7 items	1887-1890
2	178	Johnson, Robert J. Stock Certificate 1 item	1888
2	179	King, William. Receipt 1 item	1884
2	180	Klein, Eugene. Vernon Notes 7 items	1884-1885
2	181	Levi, Alexander B. Power of Attorney 1 item	1884
2	182	Linn, A. Agreements 2 items	1884
2	183	Lowe, R.R. Deed 2 items	1884
2	184	McDonald, Davis & Williamson. Financial 22 items	1884
2	185	McLelland, T.E. Bond 2 items	1885
2	186	Mead, Charles. Deeds 8 items	1889-1890
2	187	O'Brien, D. Deed 1 item	1890
2	188	Parker, William. Correspondence 21 items	1884-1885
2	189	Porter, W.J. Agreement 1 item	1885
2	190	Ryal, John C. Deeds 8 items	1884-1885
2	191	Scofield, A.L. Letter from George H. Knight 1 item	1890
2	192	Scowden, Leo A. Stock Certificate & Deed 1 item	1886-1887
2	193	Scrofford, A.D. Promissory Note 1 item	1884
2	194	Stevens, James & W.T. Dolman. Contract 1 item	1884
2	195	White, G.W. Deeds 9 items	1884

Series IV: Miscellaneous, 1932-1943Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
2	196	Checkbook	1932-1943

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