John M. Wallace, of Chicago, coming to
Greeley, saw the need for a national bank.
The need became a reality and the charter
was applied for on February 27, 1884,
with the endorsement of the Honorable
James B. Belford, Colorado's representative
in Congress. The charter was granted May
6, 1884, for a period of 20 years, and
was renewed March 15, 1904, and again
in 1924 for a further period of twenty
years. The bank opened its doors for business
on June 10, 1884 with a paid in capital
of $80,000 in the handsome brick building
shown.
|
Initial home of the First National Bank
1884 (Town & Country News 9/26/1974)
from the Archives City of Greeley Museums.
|
This
was the first bank organized in Weld County under
the "National Bank Act" and thereby became in name
as well as in fact "The First National Bank of Greeley
Colorado", and the First National Bank in Weld County.
At that time Weld County embraced all the land now
known as Weld, Morgan, Logan, Sedgwick, Phillips,
and parts of Yuma and Washington counties. Thirty
five years later there were sixth-nine banks in that
territory. The seal adopted by the bank at its organization
shows a farmer irrigating his fields. Weld County's
development which was based on irrigation, justifies
the seal.
The
Board of Directors in 1884 included H. M. DeVotie,
J. L. Ewing, D. B. Wyatt, E. R. Thayer. John M. Wallace
was president and Brainard Harper was cashier.
|
The First National Bank building was remodeled
and enlarged in 1885 and is shown in the
era of the gas light at its location of
Main and Monroe which had been renamed
to 8th Street and 9th Avenue.
|
The bank building assumed a new modernized
appearance in 1919. The entrance was moved
from the corner to the Eight street and
the face of the building was redesigned
by Robert K. Fuller, architect and James
B. Jackson builder. The new building consists
of a basement and two floors; the first
floor consists of the bank proper and
store rooms, the second floor of offices.
In the basement are the heating plant,
engineer's room, storage rooms, and two
large burglar and fireproof vaults. One
vault will be used for the storage of
the bank's older records and books; the
other will utilized for the storage of
old trunks and valuable packages too large
for the vaults above.
From the Archives City of Greeley Museums
|
|
On
the first floor is the banking room proper, many windowed,
flooded with Colorado sunshine, a truly glorious workshop
for business. The banking quarters occupy a space
one hundred and fifteen feet long by forty-three feet
wide. Walls of dull apricot, shading to deep cream
tones, with an effective frieze of dull gold and violet,
the handiwork of skilled artist; the woodwork, dull
mahogany with satin wood inlay; deep cream-colored
French Tavernelle Clair marble in dado and counters;
floors of gray Tennessee marble-all these combine
to present an interior of beauty and blended harmony.
Opening off the main lobby at the right are the officers'
desks and private consultation rooms. On the left
is a retiring room for ladies, equipped with comfortable
chairs, writing desks, telephone. farther down on
the side on the lobby is a patron's room for the convenience
of customers. Beyond are the teller's departments,
which extend across the east, south, and west sides
of the lobby. In
the rear of the teller's departments is the bookkeepers'
room so planned that it catches every ray of light
and comfort. Next come the three large burglar- and
fireproof vaults, constructed of cement and steel
under specifications of adept vault builders, so that
they meet the approval of the largest surety companies
in the world. These vaults have the peculiar and additional
security of being accessible to daily inspection on
all sides. The walls between the several vaults are
constructed of the same burglar- and fire-proof materials
as the outer walls. The smallest of the vaults is
for money and securities; a second, opening from the
bookkeepers' room, is the books of the bank; the largest
is for the safe-deposit boxes of the customers. In
connection with the latter are private booths, and
the bank furnishes an attendant to serve the customer's
convenience. On farther are the directors' rooms and
the toilets. There is also a room for the use of clerks
and lawyers for the handling of deeds, conveyances,
etc., and for the transaction of the bank's trust
department business. From the Archives
City of Greeley Museums
The First National Bank building as it
appeared with the clock on the corner
as I remember it in the 1950s as I was
growing up in Greeley. Graybeal's Jewlery
store was located on the southwest corner
of the building.From the
Archives City of Greeley Museums
|
|
First National Bank check June 2, 1899, signed by
James Canlin with revenue stamp.
First National Bank Charter 3178, 1902 PB $20, signed
by J. M. B. Petrikin & J. S. Davis
Since treasure number appears but the geographic letter
does not,
it was printed between March 14, 1924 and August 22,
1925.
First National Bank Charter 3178, 1929 T-1 $10, signed
by J. M. B. Petrikin & J. S. Davis
First National Bank Charter 3178, 1929 T-2 $20, signed
by J. M. B. Petrikin & J. S. Davis
Known Notes National
Bank Notes, CD
3.0 |
|
Date |
Type |
Grade |
Serial No. |
$5 |
1902 |
DB |
F |
4058 |
$10 |
1902 |
DB |
F/VF |
4297 |
$10 |
1902 |
DB |
VG |
4846 |
$5 |
1902 |
PB |
VG/F |
10353 |
$5 |
1902 |
PB |
EF |
10611 |
$5 |
1902 |
PB |
F |
14379 |
$5 |
1902 |
PB |
G |
14851 |
$5 |
1902 |
PB |
VF |
16032 |
$5 |
1902 |
PB |
F |
22358 |
$10 |
1902 |
PB |
VF |
11550 |
$10 |
1902 |
PB |
VF |
12162 |
$10 |
1902 |
PB |
XF |
14090 |
$10 |
1902 |
PB |
F |
14686 |
$20 |
1902 |
PB |
F |
8009 |
$20 |
1902 |
PB |
VG |
10368 |
$20 |
1902 |
PB |
VF |
11571 |
$20 |
1902 |
PB |
VG |
13488 |
$20 |
1902 |
PB |
F |
14412 |
|
Known Notes National
Bank Notes, CD
3.0 |
|
Date |
Type |
Grade |
# Known |
$5 |
1929 |
T-1 |
VG - XF |
5 |
$10 |
1929 |
T-1 |
VG - VF/XF |
11 |
$20 |
1929 |
T-1 |
F - VF |
4 |
$10 |
1929 |
T-2 |
VG - F |
2 |
$20 |
1929 |
T-2 |
VG - VF |
6 |
First National Bank |
President |
Dates |
John M. Wallace |
1884 - 1894 |
Asa Sterling |
1894 - 1919 |
J. M. B. Petrikin |
1919 - 1954 |
|
|
Cashier |
Dates |
Brainard S. Harper |
?1884 - 1894 |
A. J. Park |
was cashier 1897 |
J. M. B. Petrikin |
1900 - 1915 |
J. S. Davis |
1915 - >1933 |
|
National
Bank notes from the First National Bank of Greeley
are listed as scarce (15 large size and 26 small notes
are known). The bank issued $5, $10 and $20 notes
of second charter, brown backs; third charter $ 10
and $20 red seal notes and $5, $10 and $20 date back
and plain back large size notes. They also issued
$5, $10 and $20 type one and type two notes of 1929.
In 1935 there was $6,100 in large size notes and $93,900
total outstanding notes.
|