Second National Bank of Helena, Mont. records

Second National Bank of Helena, Mont. records, 1881-1896

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Second National Bank of Helena, Mont.
Title: Second National Bank of Helena, Mont. records
Dates: 1881-1896 (inclusive)
18811896
Quantity: 17 linear feet of shelf space
Collection Number: MC 113 (collection)
Summary: The Second National Bank of Helena, Montana, headed by Erastus D. Edgerton, opened in 1882 and merged with the Helena National Bank in 1893 as a result of the financial panic. Collection (1881-1896) includes correspondence, court papers, financial records, legal documents, organizational records, and miscellany.
Repository: Montana Historical Society, Library & Archives
Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT
59620-1201
Telephone: 4064442681
Fax: 4064445297
mhslibrary@mt.gov
Access Restrictions: Collection 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 Second National Bank of Helena, Mont. was organized at a meeting held on June 3, 1882, by a group of the city's businessmen, including Erastus D. Edgerton, Decius S. Wade, John Kinna, John B. Sanford, Cornelius L. Vawter, Charles K. Cole, and Christian Kenck. When the new general banking house opened for business in August at 7 N. Main Street, its capital totaled $75,000. The bank moved to 56 N. Main in 1888. E.D. Edgerton was elected as the bank's first president, an office he held until the closing of the Second National Bank in 1893. Throughout these years, several of the bank's organizers served as vice presidents, including Wade, Sanford, and Cole. Cashiers included Alonzo E. Bunker and George B. Child. The Second National Bank was involved through loans and investments in real estate, agriculture, small businesses, and mining. During the difficult economic times of the early 1890s, the Second National Bank struggled to stay solvent. According to President Edgerton, the bank's problems stemmed from the fact that the capitalization of the bank was only $75,000 while "other banks had 8 to 9 times more." Even though business was good, expenses were high, and it was determined not "altogether profitable" to continue the bank's operation. During the panic of 1893, a merger of the Second National Bank with the Helena National Bank was arranged with a stock exchange offered to stockholders. The merger became effective on October 1st, with Edgerton serving as the president of the newly organized Helena National Bank.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

This collection contains incoming and outgoing correspondence, court papers, legal documents, organizational materials, and numerous volumes of financial records documenting the daily operations of the Second National Bank of Helena. The materials also supply information concerning the economy of Helena and the developing system of governmental regulation of national banks. Also included is some correspondence of the Western Newspaper Union of St. Paul, contained in a letterpress book used by Alonzo E. Bunker.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collection. In some cases permission for use may require additional authorization from the copyright owners. For more information contact an archivist.

Preferred Citation

Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Research Center, Archives, Helena, Montana.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Arranged by series

Location of Collection

5:8-4

Acquisition Information

Acquisition information available upon request

Separated Materials

Maps transferred to Library. See inventory below for more information.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection

Incoming Correspondence Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
1 / 1	A (correspondents include J.R. Alden; American Bankers' Supply Company; American Desk and Seating Company; Louis Anderson; Atlantic Grocery; M.L. Austin; Julius Austrian and Son; Automatic Bank Punch Company)	1883-1893
1 / 2	Bank of Colfax [Wash.]; Bank of Glendive; Bank of Independence; Bank of North Seattle; Bank of Oregon City; Bank of St. Vincent [Minnesota]	1883-1891
1 / 3	Bozeman National Bank	1882-1885
1 / 4	[__] Bunker [mother of A.E. Bunker]	1883
1 / 5	B (correspondents include Benjamin D. Bacon; L. Bailey; E.G. Bailey; G.M. Baire; Fred F. Bancroft; H.B. Barkley; E.T. Barnum Wire and Iron Works; Eugene Baumgartner; Berg Brothers; Biebinger and Harrington; J.F. Boyle; C.A. Broadwater; Lyman B. Brooks; David G. Browne; Buck and Hunt)	1883-1891
1 / 6	C (correspondents include Caldwell, Hamilton and Company; Campbell G. Powell; W.H. Cary; W.F. Chadwick; Oliver J. Chapman; Chicago and Grand Trunk Railway; Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway; Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton; City Bank, Ltd.; R.H. Clendenin; B.K. Collier; Consolidated Time Lock Company; Continental Collection Union; Cramer and Company; E.F. Crane; C.L. Cross Company; Culver, Page, Hoyne and Company; Cumberland Mining and Smelting Company; D.W. Curtiss)	1882-1891
1 / 7	D-E (correspondents include William DeBenson, Warren DeCamp, Dennison and Brown, J. Dewing and Company, Chauncey Dodge, Moses Doggett, A.J. Douds, George J. Douglas, D. Durkee, Dyas and Murray, John Edgerton, S.C. Edgerton, W.R. Edwards, John H. Elder, Ellis and Berendes, Emerson and Turnbull, Emery County Bank, Equitable Life Assurance Society, A.M. Esler)	1882-1891
1 / 8	First National Bank of Billings; First National Bank of Butte; First National Bank of Livingston; First National Bank of White Sulphur Springs	1883-1891
1 / 9	B.F. Fish	1883-1885
1 / 10	F (correspondents include Fairbanks Morse and Company; F.B. Fairfax; Farmers National Bank; M.T. Fergan; Fenno and Manning; The Financial News; R.H. Floyd-Jones; Jirah I. Foote)	1883-1891
1 / 11	F.R. Grisnold	1883-1884
1 / 12	G-H (correspondents include John Gallagher; Gallatin Valley National Bank; W.W. Gaskill; Frank J. Gaugler; German National Bank; William Glassman; Charles H. Green; Patrick Griffin; W.E. Tierney and Company General Merchandisers; John Hancock; A.S. Hatch and Company; George M. Hutch and Brothers; Henrietta National Bank; Hugh Heron; C.H. Hildreth and Company; Hopkins and Company; Henry Hutchinson, M.D.)	1883-1891
1 / 13	I-K (correspondents include Idaho Trading Company; Mary Ingersoll; Isdell and Pattee; I.L. Israel and Company; M.W. Johnson; Johnson, Smith and Harrison; H.A. Jones; Randall H. Kemp; Mrs. Frank Kempsey; J. Knauber and Company; Knauth, Nachod and Kuhne; Knoblauch and Company; B.J. Kuehn)	1882-1894
1 / 14	L (correspondents include John Lamey; Fred E. Lawrence; H.E. Lawrence; Lewis and Clark County; Lindsay and Company; W.W. Livingston and Company; Livingston National Bank; Lockey's Land, Insurance, Abstract and Loan Office; E. Longyear; Jim S. Luce; M.A. Lynch; Lynde and Company)	1883-1892
1 / 15	John R. Miller	1884
1 / 16	M (correspondents include William Mann; Daniel Marshall and Company; James Mason; Matthews and Sayre; A.S. McDonald; N. McAfee; Max McKnight; Y.E. McKoin; H.C. McNally; Meagher County; Edward Mellor and Company; Mercantile Cigar Factory; Merchants Bank of Glendive; Merchants National Bank; E.M. Miller; Montana and Idaho Mining and Reduction Company; Montana Smelting Company; John Moore; John Morris Company; C.W. Munson)	1883-1885
1 / 17	N (correspondents include National Bank of Illinois; National Wire and Iron Company; Nebraska National Bank; William Neill; New York Life Insurance Company; W.A. Newton and Company; Nicolai and Michaelis; Northern Pacific Railroad Company; Northwestern Stamp Works)	1882-1893
1 / 18	Omaha and Grant Smelting and Refining Company	1887-1889
1 / 20	M.H. Parker	1884-1885
1 / 21	P (correspondents include W.H. Parkison; Benjamin G. Peck; Merritt Peckham; John Peterson; Pioneer Press; Pittsburgh Mining Company; Preston, Kean and Company)	1882-1890
1 / 22	R (correspondents include Charles Rader; Railway and Bankers; N.A. Ramsey; Rand, McNally and Company; J.L. Randall; Henry Raymond; Reading Hardware Company; A. Redding; A.W. Reed and Company; C.H. Reed; George W. Reed and Company; Reid, Murdoch and Fischer; William Rennie; The Republican and News; George M. Reynolds; Rice County Journal; Corporation of Riverside; Rocky Mountain Husbandman; H.P. Rolfe)	1882-1891
1 / 23	W.B. Settle	1883-1885
1 / 24	S (correspondents include Lethbridge and Sawyer; Second National Bank; F.B. Scott; Security Bank of Minnesota; Sharp Brothers; Sherwin and Schermerhorn; J.M. Sligh, M.D.; Joseph Smyser; Joseph Stead; S.T. Suit, Fruit Grower and Distiller)	1883-1893
1 / 25	Third National Bank of New York	1883-1885
1 / 26	T (correspondents include Charles T. Tallmadge; J.M.D. Taylor; John W. Thompson; Toston Smelting Company; James Travis)	1883-1893
1 / 27	United States Controller of the Currency	1882-1892
1 / 28	U-V (correspondents include Union Bank Note Company; United States Assay Office; United States National Bank; Vandercook and Company)	1882-1893
1 / 29	W-Z (correspondents include John Ward; Charles L. Webster and Company Publishers; Wells Fargo and Company; Werner Printing and Lithographing Company; Western Bank Note Engraving Company; Western Commercial Agency Company; Western Newspaper Union; Williamsburgh Savings Bank; Charles Wilson; Winslow Lanier and Company; L.L. Wood; Ziegler Brothers)	1882

Outgoing Correspondence Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
2 / 1	Letterpress book (includes correspondence of Western Newspaper Union of St. Paul)	1881
2 / 2	Letterpress book	1883-1884
3 / 1-2	Letterpress book	1884-1886
4 / 1-2	Letterpress book	1886-1888
5 / 1-2	Letterpress book	1888-1889
6 / 1-2	Letterpress book	1889-1890 1890-1891
7 / 1-3	Letterpress book	1891-1893
8 / 1-2	Letterpress book	1893
8 / 3	Letterpress book: notices	1893
8 / 4	Miscellaneous	1882-1893

Interoffice Correspondence Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
9 / 1	Miscellaneous	1883-1891

Court Papers Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
9 / 2	Second National Bank v. Charles F. Blake; James C. Gibson v. Second National Bank; Margaret Ann Farrell v. James Farrell	1891, undated

Financial Records Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
9 / 3	Bradstreet Mercantile Agency reports	1891-1893
Volume
1	Certificates of deposit	1886-1889
2	Certificates of deposit register	1883-1892
Box/Folder
9 / 4-6	Clearings books	1885 1890-1891 1890-1893
Volume
3	Collection register	1882-1893
Box/Folder
9 / 7	"Collections and D.B.'s Paid" (1 book)	1882-1885
9 / 8	Credit book	1885-1888
Volume
4	Credit book	1888-1893
5	Depositors' daily balances	1882-1886
6	Depositors' daily balances	1886-1888
7	Depositors' daily balances	1888-1889
8	Depositors' daily balances	1889-1892
9	Depositors' daily balances	1892-1894
10	Discount register	1882-1895
11	Draft register	1882-1886
12	General daily balances	1882-1885
13	General daily balances	1885-1887
14	General daily balances	1887-1889
15	General daily balances	1889-1892
16	General daily balances	1892-1894
Box/Folder
10 / 1	Individual account books (5 books)	1882-1884
10 / 2	Individual account books (6 books)	1885-1887
10 / 3	Individual account books (3 books)	1889-1890
10 / 4	Individual account books: E.D. Edgerton	1882-1884
10 / 5	Individual account books: E.D. Edgerton and Company Bankers, Marysville	n.d.
10 / 6	Insurance policies	1883-1889
10 / 7	Insurance policies: assigned to Second National Bank	1883-1884
10 / 8	Insurance policies: E.D. Edgerton	1888
10 / 9	Interest tables	undated
Volume
17	Invoices	1882-1890
18	Invoices (includes taxes)	1890-1893
19	Invoices: E.D. Edgerton household and business	1882-1892
Box/Folder
10 / 10	Jefferson County warrants	1882-1888
Volume
20	Journal A	1882-1884
21	Journal B	1885-1886
22	Journal C	1886-1888
23	Journal D	1888-1889
24	Journal E	1889-1890
25	Journal F	1890-1891
26	Journal G	1891-1892
27	Journal H	1892-1893
28	Journal I	1893-1894
29	Ledger: general and individual A	1882-1888
30	Ledger: general C	1888-1895
31	Ledger: individual B	1885-1888
32	Index to individual ledger B	1885-1888
33	Ledger: individual C	1889-1891
34	Index to individual ledger C	1889-1891
35	Ledger: individual D	1892-1893
Box/Folder
10 / 11-13	Note registers	1884-1886
11 / 1	Note registers	1887
Volume
36	Remittance register	1882-1890
37	Remittance register	1890-1893
Box/Folder
11 / 2	Reports of condition	1882-1892
11 / 3	Reports of earnings and dividends	1882-1893
11 / 4	Reports of semi-annual returns	1883, 1891
11 / 5-6	Savings journals	1884-1894
Volume
38	Savings ledger B	1889-1896
39	Index to savings ledger B	1889-1896
Box/Folder
11 / 7	Statements of other banks	1883-1893
11 / 8	Taxes	1895
11 / 9	Teller's cash book	1887-1890
Volume
40	Tickler	1891-1893
Box/Folder
11 / 10	United States Treasury	1884-1892
11 / 11	Miscellaneous	1882-1893

Legal Documents Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
12 / 1	Leases; bonds; garnishment; etc.	1883-1890 undated
12 / 2	E.D. Edgerton indentures; agreements; powers of attorney	1881-1892
12 / 3	Edgerton and Carter articles of agreement, etc.	1882-1883 undated
12 / 4	Roger McCaffery escrow	1887

Maps Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
12 / 5	List of maps transferred to the Library

Organizational Records Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
12 / 6	List of directors; certificate of organization; articles of association	1882
12 / 7	Minute book (includes bylaws)	1882-1894
12 / 8	Proxies; election notices	1887-1888
12 / 9	Stock certificate book	1882-1892

Miscellany Return to Top

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
13 / 1	Advertisements; cards; etc.	undated
13 / 2	Cipher code book for First National Bank of Butte	undated
13 / 3	National Bank Act	1882
13 / 4	Reports of other banks	1882-1890
13 / 5	Savings department signature book	undated

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