14967. City Bank (Buffalo, NY)

Bank Information

Episode Type
Suspension → Closure
Bank Type
state
Start Date
June 30, 1901
Location
Buffalo, New York (42.886, -78.878)

Metadata

Model
gpt-5-mini
Short Digest
7ed24a3b

Response Measures

None

Description

Comptroller of the Currency (Controller Dawes) took charge and a receiver was appointed; articles cite 'injudicious'/'bad loans' as cause. No mention of a depositor run or heavy withdrawals prior to suspension.

Events (2)

1. June 30, 1901 Receivership
Newspaper Excerpt
The appointment of a receiver for the City bank is a great shock to me. ... The Comptroller of the Currency takes charge. City Bank Will Not Open for Business To-day-Considered the First Commercial Institution in the City- Carrying of the Paper of a Number of Manufacturing and Lumber Companies Causes the Trouble.
Source
newspapers
2. June 30, 1901 Suspension
Cause
Bank Specific Adverse Info
Cause Details
Closed by Comptroller due to injudicious/bad loans; bank had been carrying paper of manufacturing and lumber companies objected to by federal examiners.
Newspaper Excerpt
A notice was posted on the door of the City Bank to-day to the effect that the bank is in the hands of the Controller of the Currency, and that it will not open its doors for business to-morrow morning.
Source
newspapers

Newspaper Articles (4)

Article from The Daily Morning Journal and Courier, July 1, 1901

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Article Text

BUFFALO BANK CLOSED THE COMPTROLLER OF THE CURRENCY TAKES CHARGE. City Bank Will Not Open for Business To-day-Considered the First Commercial Institution in the City--CarFying of the Paper of a Number of Manufacturing and Lumber Companics Causes the Trouble. Buffalo, June 30.-A. notice was poston the door of the City bank to-day at the bank was in the hands of the mptroller of the currency and that it buld not open its doors for business -morrow morning. The bank officials refused to-night to make a statement concerning the failure. The members of the board of directors profess ignorance of the causes that led to the declaration of Comptroller Dawes and President Cornwell of the City bank denied himself to everybody. The public has had no intimation of he bank's weakness and in financial nd business circles the opinion that he institution was in a prosperous nancial condition was general. The ty / bank has a large number of deeltors owing to the fact that it was /first commercial bank in the city offer interest to depositors on monthbalances. It catered to this class of customers and did a large collection usiness with eastside establishments. The directors of the bank while proessing ignorance and surprise at Comptroller Dawes' order, gave the inormation that the bank had been carrying the paper of a number of manuacturing and lumber companies for a Long time. These accounts were obected to by the federal bank examiners n several occasions and are still outstanding. James G. Barry, assistant cashier of he bank, who has been acting for John R. Boag, the cashier during the latter's absence owing to illness, said to-night: "The appointment of a receiver for the I City bank is a great shock to me. never suspected that anything like this was coming. From what I know of the bank's business it is perfectly solvent. In fact its business has been on the increase. During the last month or two there has been an increase of nearly $1,000,000 in deposits. We held the accounts of a large number of PanAmerican concessionaires and contractors." "It is true," Mr. Berry was asked, "that this failure has been brought on by the withdrawal of Pan-American accounts? "No: it is not true. There has been no withdrawal of accounts." "How do you think the depositors are likely to come out?" "They will get every cent of their money." "The comptroller's statement says his action was taken becase of injudicious loans?" "I am surprised at that. Some of our largest loans have been running for months and I have always considered them first class."


Article from New-York Tribune, July 1, 1901

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Article Text

BUFFALO BANK CLOSED. CITY BANK IN HANDS OF CONTROLLER OF CURRENCY-NO STATEMENT BY THOSE IN AUTHORITY. Buffalo, June 30.-A notice was posted on the door of the City Bank to-day to the effect that the bank is in the hands of the Controller of the Currency, and that it will not open its doors for business to-morrow morning. The bank officials refused to-night to make a statement concerning the failure. The members of the Board of Directors profess ignorance of the causes that led to the declaration of Controller Dawes, and President Cornwell of the City Bank denied himself to everybody. The public has had no intimation of the bank's weakness, and in financial and business circles the opinion that the institution was in a prosperous financial condition was general. The City Bank has a large number of depositors, owing to the fact that it was the first commercial bank in the city to offer interest to depositors on monthly balances. It catered to this class of customers, and did a large collection business with east side establishments. The directors or the bank, while professing ignorance and surprise at Controller Dawes's order, gave the information that the bank had been carrying the paper of a number of manufacturing and lumber companies for a long time. These accounts were objected to by the Federal bank examiners on several occasions, and are still outstanding. James G. Berry, assistant cashier of the bank, who has been acting for John R. Boag, the cashier, in the latter's absence owing to illness, said to-night: "The appointment of a receiver for the City Bank is a great shock to me. I never suspected that anything like this was coming. From what I know of the bank's business, it is perfectly solvent. In fact, its business has been on the increase. In the last month or two there has been an increase of nearly $1,000,000 in deposits. We held the accounts of a large number of PanAmerican concess'onares and contractors." "Is it true," Mr. Berry was asked, "that this failure was brought on by the withdrawal of Pan-American accounts?" "No, it is not true. There has been no withdrawal of accounts." "How do you think the depositors are likely to come out?" "They will get every cent of their money." "The controller's statement says his action was taken becanse of injudicious loans?" "I am surprised at that. Some of our largest loans have been running for months, and I have always considered them first class."


Article from Abilene Weekly Reflector, July 4, 1901

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Article Text

A Buffalo Bank Suspends. Buffalo, N. Y., July 1.-A notice was posted on the door of the City bank yesterday to the effect that the bank was in the hands of the comptroller of the currency and that it would not open its doors for business to-day. The bank officials refused to make a statement last night concern. ing the failure.


Article from Herald and News, July 4, 1901

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Article Text

Banking Failures. The Seventh National bank of New York city suspended payment Thursday. The brokerage firm of Henry Marquand & Co., which had intimate relations with the bank, failed the next day. The City bank of Buffalo was closed Saturday, by direction of the comptroller, on account of bad loans. Depositors will be paid in full.