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Commercial Bank of Vancouver, Washington Records, 1888-1911

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Commercial Bank of Vancouver, Washington
Title
Commercial Bank of Vancouver, Washington Records
Dates
1888-1911 (inclusive)
Quantity
66 containers., (9 linear feet of shelf space.)
Collection Number
Cage 18
Summary
Correspondence, minute and account books, and ledgers of the Commercial Bank of Vancouver. Correspondents include Samuel M. Beard, President.
Repository
Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu
Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research use.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Historical Note

The Commercial Bank of Vancouver, Washington, was organized under territorial law in 1888 and continued in operation until December, 1910, when it closed amid controversy and suspicion. The bank's primary area of service was retail trade and small manufacturing in the Vancouver-Portland area. It also undertook considerable investment in land, some of a speculative nature. This combination of policies proved somewhat unstable throughout the bank's history, and, as a consequence, there arose differing views among the management. This resulted at times in rather drastic corrective measures such as the reduction of the capital stock or changes among the officers and directors.

The early years were dominated by Samuel M. Beard, for many years Cashier and then President until 1906. It was he who seem to have been the author of the investment policies of the bank. (Other business activities of S. M. Beard are documented in the papers and records of the Beard Fruit Company and the Vancouver Creamery Company in the Washington State University Library.) His successor, H. C. Phillip, continued these policies, which by 1910 were proving disastrous. Sensing the bank to be in difficulty, the state bank examiner, J. L. Mohundro, intervened and attempted to reorganize the bank and keep it operating. Feeling that the officers of the bank had deceived him, the examiner finally applied for a receiver and the bank went into a very involved liquidation, In addition, the President and Cashier were indicted for concealing the financial condition of the bank as well as illegally accepting deposits. After two trials, the President was acquitted, the Cashier's case was dropped, and the state bank examiner's office had its powers clarified by the legislature.

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Content Description

Correspondence, minute and account books, and ledgers of the Commercial Bank of Vancouver, 1888-1911.

The papers of the Commercial Bank of Vancouver at Washington State University are far from complete. There are, however, enough to document the general policies, practices and problemS of the bank. In addition, the papers are more than sufficient as a representative sample which could be used to illustrate some of the banking practices of the early 20th century in Washington State. However, their incompleteness leaves considerable portions of the specific history of the Commercial Bank in doubt, especially the complicated series of events surrounding the closing of the bank.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

[Item Description]. Cage 18, Guide to the Commercial Bank of Vancouver, Washington Records. Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

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Administrative Information

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Detailed Description of the Collection

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

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Banks and banking--Washington (State)--Vancouver--Records and correspondence.

Personal Names

  • Beard, Samuel M. (creator)

Corporate Names

  • Commercial Bank of Vancouver --Archives (creator)

Finding aid prepared by MASC staff
2012

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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