FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF WALLACE, IDAHO

Records, 1892-1949
26 cubic feet

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. They were processed by Judith Nielsen in May 1989.

ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY

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.

Sources:

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

SCOPE AND CONTENT

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.

ARRANGEMENT AND DESCRIPTION

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.

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

SERIES LIST

					Containers
I. Correspondence, 1901-1909	1
II. Bound Volumes, 1892-1949	o.s.
III. Bank of Murray Vault Items, 1882-1890	2

INVENTORY

FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF WALLACE

Box 	Folder 	Description					Items

I. Correspondence, 1901-1909

1	1	1901		1
	2	1902		43
	3	1903		69
	4	1904		53
	5	1905		68
	6	1906		124
	7	1908-1909		2

II. Bound Volumes, 1892-1949

o.s.	8-25	General Ledgers, 1892-1938	18
	26-48	Cash Books, 1892-1913	23
	49-58	Balance Books, 1892-1939	10
	59-66	Collection Registers, 1892-1917	8
	67-87	Draft Registers, 1892-1907	21
	88	Warrants and Securities, 1906-1949	1
	89-91	Warranty Registers, 1906-1924	3
	92-105	Bills Receivable, 1892-1945	14
	106-123	Teller's Cash Books, 1903-1934	18
	124-139	Reconcilement of Accounts, 1904-1940	16
	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, 1920-1929	3
	143	Ledger: Account with Capitol State Bank, Boise, 1903-1906; List of new and closed accounts, 1910-1914	1
	144-146	Clearances, 1907-1916	3
	147	Purchaser's Applications for Travelers Checks, 1924-1926.	500

III. Bank of Murray Vault Items, 1882-1890

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

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