10076. Exchange Bank (Breckenridge, MO)

Bank Information

Episode Type
Suspension → Closure
Bank Type
state
Start Date
December 19, 1931
Location
Breckenridge, Missouri (39.762, -93.804)

Metadata

Model
gpt-5-mini
Short Digest
b2dcc0c3

Response Measures

None

Description

Exchange Bank of Breckenridge closed its doors in mid-December 1931 (reported Dec 19 and followed up Dec 23 and Dec 25). Articles cite inability to collect loans, shrinking deposits, and general local gossip/rumors hurting banks; no clear report of a depositor run on the Exchange Bank itself (only concern about a possible run on the Savings Bank). State banking department to appoint a receiver, so closure with receivership is indicated.

Events (3)

1. December 19, 1931 Suspension
Cause
Bank Specific Adverse Info
Cause Details
Inability to collect loans and shrinking deposits; statement showed loans of $117,084 and deposits $89,277; bank capital depleted so bank closed.
Newspaper Excerpt
JEFFERSON CITY Dec. was notified today the closing of the Exchange Bank of Breckenridge, Caldwell County. No reason for the closing given.
Source
newspapers
2. December 23, 1931 Other
Newspaper Excerpt
Gossip has undoubtedly hurt the banks. ... The Exchange Bank of Breckenridge doors Saturday under circumstances that very similar to those surrounding the Farmers Bank of Braymer.
Source
newspapers
3. December 25, 1931 Other
Newspaper Excerpt
A receiver for the bank will be appointed by the state banking department within the next week or ten days.
Source
newspapers

Newspaper Articles (4)

Article from St. Joseph News-Press, December 19, 1931

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Article Text

BRECKENRIDGE BANK QUITS No Reason Given for Closing in Caldwell County. JEFFERSON CITY Dec. was notified today the closing of the Exchange Bank of Breckenridge, Caldwell County. No reason for the closing given. Devinia president of the bank and A. B. cashier. The statement showed loans of $117,084. deposits $89,277. bills $24,628 surplus $4,842 bank capital stock $21,500.


Article from The Braymer Bee, December 23, 1931

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Article Text

FARMERS BANK CLOSED Shrinking Deposits and Inability Collect on Loans Causes Braymer's First Failure Braymer other cities and have experienced in few years bank Following considerable period during time officers and exerted heroic efforts stem the falling poor Bank closed its The taken board of directors and the the failure of to but unable to realize in the bank' need for There "run" on the the gradual for dinary by their the declin stock the inabil to products of the week until bank forced to Those know most posordinary efforts of them that has never flinched the And all the comment that an kind heard no discordant There has had between Bank I'll all assets but any ful not and they closing has had effect on other cashier First statement on hand cash exchange pay demand deposit could be Fred and Farrar, Bank of Braymer. made practically the Deposits in both banks have been in of excess There no has there in the community. But there understanding and a feeling of closer unity. The Exchange Bank of Breckenridge doors Satur day under circumstances that very similar to those surrounding the Farmers Bank of Braymer And our friends Breckenridge took the misfortune believing that in the long run there will no great but there the school monies are tied up. for time at least. The Farmers Bank will. in probability through the usual form official liquidation. The State Finance Department will have but as this written no representative of the Department has arrived. Gossip has undoubtedly hurt the banks. There comes to us today information that rumors are being broadcasted repeated in the country north and in more remote districts outside of Braymer. In another article this on written before we knew of the embarrassment of Farmers Bank we attention to the attitude of the attorney general in this matHerewith publish the wording of the section of the of Missouri which has to with such reports. section reads: "Sec 4120. Making derogatory to any bank penalty. "Any who shall make utter. circulate transmit other or others true In the financial of any bank banking house, banking company trust surety company, guarantee title company financial institution in with intent to injure any such financial institution, or who shall counsel. aid, induce another originate, utter transmit circulate such statement rumor with like shall guilty of misdemeanor. and upon conviction thereof, shall be fined sum to exceed or imprisoned in the county for period not exceeding one year, or both such fine and imprisonment. (R. A Telegram Kansas Mo. 12-22-31 Fred Cashier, First National Bank, Braymer, Mo. Sorry to hear closing Farmers Bank. strong position of your bank and its high standing feel this will have no effect on your business, but arise where we can be of assistance want you to know that we stand ready cooperate in way Fred Brady. Vice-President Commerce Trust Company. Mr. Shelby, an examiner for the State Department, arrived this merning have charge of affairs Farmers Bank time receiver appoint Bank Braymer received today from the First Bank of offering NOT FOR ADVERTISING kidnapping the which inferred that the staged for purposes. of always that population which the anything In The part of should be ample proof of the and feel to the hundred and the those of the and juice' by the Power MASONS ELECT of night Geo M Reisch elected Master and TO HOSPITAL hospital Chillicothe last closing the DISMISSED TODAY They SHOP TALKS FROM THE STORE good friend with for strained honey, put in new gallon pails. Each weighs nearly eleven and at $1.10 per bucket are passing along the most wholesome food possible to obtain anywhere We know of 6-horse engine of the old which may bought traded at fraction of original The engine has ways kept under shelter good condition It burns oline is ready Who wishes to steal with which wood, to save one from stealing coal? A Ford sedan. that in better condition than we really thought Some one needing more than may easiest might possibly contrade We know of lovely buffet with large, bevel plate mirror This piece of high class furniture. good looking scarcemarred Forty dollars the price, but owner longer needs and we think that $20.00 would buy now. We could use few bushels hickory nuts walnuts. Tell what you have to spare. We are just little bit surprised that the right grown has not snapped up the one call where the man needs the services of gentlemanly fellow in exchange for his board lodgings. This man will have occasional day's work for which wages would be paid. We want to trade either single barrel Remington shot gun sixteen shot. 22 calibre. repeating rifle for stove wood. Tell us which you want and when you can get to town with the wood. If the roads become passable during the two we will brought to town fifteen loads of wood. This can be delivto almost any of town part without extra cost, can get the for the wood before town. Some of the wood green: other is from trees cut year A good friend who does not know where get them, needs load of Please call us you can spare state when the oats can be brought to town. GLASSES $1 DOWN, $1 A WEEK Guaranteed to correct. Dr. Palm will be at Wilson's store, in Braymer, Saturday. December 26th. Terms confidential; no charge for credit. announcement has been made, but we suppose good many of the business houses will not be open on Christmas. EASTERN STAR Regular meeting Braymer chapter Monday night. Installation of officers. Come. Mary Minnis, Sec.


Article from The Breckenridge Bulletin, December 25, 1931

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NOT the least of the misfortune that come to this community just now, is the probable loss from our business circle of such men as E. E. Divinia and A. B. Cleaveland who have always been prominent leaders in every public interest. AT the present time there seems to be no fear of a "run" on the Savings Bank. Saturday Mr. Hart received a telegram from a large city bank asking him to draw on that bank for any immediate needs that may be apparent. WE notice that the two men who can smile the easiest are C. L. Taylor and Russell Place. The former had gone through a bank failure just before coming to Breckenridge in which he lost heavily in Mount Moriah and Mr. Place came from Daviess county in which there were thirteen bank failures within a year. PROBABLY no one thing shows the fine optimistic feeling of our business men as does the double page of expressions of good will and Christmas cheer extended to their friends at this holiday season. Look these greetings over and note that they are the message of your best friends to you at this time. IT takes trying times like these to bring out the real character and manhood of a community. Breckenridge business men are standing the test. Bravely they are taking their losses, extending to each other their best support and standing together in the darkest hour. To this the managers of the Savings Bank will heartily testify. NEVER before has it been impressed upon this community how much we are all dependent upon each other. The present business calamity seems to have drawn us closer together and made stronger the bonds of friendship. We have learned again the lesson of interdependence. We are still our brother's keeper. No one of us can fail without affecting, to some extent, his neighbors in business. Personally, we are proud of the loyal character and manly spirit that has been manifest the last few days. With many it has been hard to smile, but the smile always broke through the cloud of gloom. The weakling can sit down and bury himself in gloom and dispair, but it takes a MAN to face disappointment and losses and smile while turning his face toward the coming dawn. THIS is the last time the Bulletin will come into the home of its readers this year. Our next issue will be dated January 1, 1932. Christmas with its round of joys and pleasures will have come and gone. The Bulletin wishes all its readers a very Merry Christmas. To many, some of the joys that had been planned for the Christmas season will be clouded to some extent by recent losses and disappointments because of the bank failure. Still the real Christmas spirit does not depend upon material things. After all it is the sentiment and not the commercial value of the gift that is most worth while, and the love and friendships still endure. It is the brave heart that can smile in times of adversity. There never was a night so dark but that there came a bright dawn and a sunny day following. Other troubles have come and they always have passed. So will this one. Then let us all look up, smile and be Merry this Christmas tide. THE first real failure has come to Breckenridge. We had come to believe that Breckenridge was immune to business failures. Other cities had seen business houses close their doors, banks break, often several in the same town. All that was merely bad news to us from other communities, but did effect us. So it was a real shock that went over our community Saturday morning when the news became current the Exchange Bank had closed its doors. There was a meeting of a number of business men Friday evening at which Mr. Divinia broke the disheartening news and made a face to face talk setting forth the condition of the bank and the causes for the depletion of its funds. Is was evident that the speaker was laboring under a heavy load of dispondency and that the load that he, with others in the bank, had carried for weeks, was weighing him down. A few moments after the breaking up of the meeting, Mr. Divinia lost consciousness and was taken to his home in a coma from which he did not emerge until about noon the next day. He carried the burden on his heart until the limit of endurance. The break was inevitable. ACCORDING to the almanac winter began officially Tuesday, which was the shortest day of the year. According to an old saying: "when the days begin to lengthen the cold begins to strengthen." But Tuesday was more like spring than winter. Still there is time enough yet for a severe winter. WE are glad to note that the substitution of X-mas for Christmas is not so prevalent this year as usual. Just how or why this monstrocity crept into usage has never been explained. It is not found in the dictionary or any book so far as we have learned. Just why Christians should wish to take Christ out of this the most widely celebrated christian holiday cannot be understood. Mohammedans, pagans and Jews may, of course, prefer to obliterate the name of Christ if possible, but why should christians join them in their endeavor to paganize our literature? We recently scanned the ads in a Sunday edition of the Kansas City Star and found X-mas used only a few times until we came to the twopage spread of the Katz stores in which Christmas did not appear at all-always X-mas. The Katz Bros. are Jews-"Christ killers"-of course they prefer to eliminate Christ from their ads. We can excuse those Jews, but not a christian who joins the Jews in their anti-Christ activities. Let us cease to deny Christ while we presumably honor his natal day now so universally celebrated. UNION Roy Damerall returned home from the Wesley hospital Saturday from an operation. He and his wife will stay at his fathers, Mr. and Mrs. William Damerall until he will be able to get around. Lee Damerall is going to saw wood for Blynn Proctor Monday. Several from this community attended the Rebecca program and supper Friday night at Ludlow. James Skinner and wife and her two boys and sister went to Chillicothe Saturday afternoon. Mr. and Mrs. Theo Bales went to Braymer Wednesday. Mrs. John McCoskrie returned from Kansas City Saturday. Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Bealer and son, Ted were visitors with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Theo Bales Sunday afternoon. Mr. and Mrs. Lyle Fields went to Chillicothe Wednesday. then are 2,000 magnolia trees and 1,800 dogwood trees in Mountain Lake sancutary. More than a million trees, shrubs and flowers have transformed this waste of sand into one of the levellest spots in the world.


Article from The Breckenridge Bulletin, December 25, 1931

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EXCHANGE BANK CLOSES DOORS (continued from first page) A bank, like any other institution, cannot meet its obligations very long when those who owe the bank fail to pay. Considerable concern was manifest by the community as to the closing of the Exchange Bank causing a "run" on the Savings Bank, but be it said to the credit of the people of this community, very few drew their deposits from the Savings Bank and most of them were small depositors. President Hart, of the Savings Bank, was kept busy Saturday receiving callers, former patrons of the Exchange Bank who pledged their patronage and support in this crisis. No criticism or denunciation is heard against Messrs. Cleaveland and Divinia, whose honesty and high integrity is well established in this community, but for whom much sympathy is openly expressed. Both these men put every dollar they had into the bank in their efforts to protect their patrons. Mr. Divinia, who had about $850, put it into the bank in the last few weeks for the purpose of holding up the cash deposits, and that amount is now in the bank vault along with other deposits. Neither is there any reflection upon Waitman Maddux who has made a host of friends by his courteous treatment while an employe of the bank. While the stock holders will lose all. there is no doubt but that depositors will receive a large proportion of their claims. If the real estate could be disposed of at its real value there would probably be no loss to depositors. A receiver for the bank will be appointed by the state banking department within the next week or ten days.