15075. Champlain Bank (Ellenburg, NY)

Bank Information

Episode Type
Suspension → Closure
Bank Type
state
Start Date
January 21, 1848
Location
Ellenburg, New York (44.894, -73.837)

Metadata

Model
gpt-5-mini
Short Digest
31ef6d30

Response Measures

None

Description

Contemporary newspapers list Champlain Bank of Ellenburg among failed banks (Jan 1848) and describe it as a kiting concern owned by Moses Y. Beach & Son with no real office — indicating bank-specific fraud/insolvency and permanent failure rather than a mere run. No article describes a depositor run or a reopening; classify as suspension leading to closure.

Events (1)

1. January 21, 1848 Suspension
Cause
Bank Specific Adverse Info
Cause Details
Reported failure and fraudulent kiting operations; bank described as having no real existence and being operated from New York by Moses Y. Beach & Son; president allegedly a farmer who never signed notes (fraud/insolvency).
Newspaper Excerpt
Champlain Bank, Ellenburg.
Source
newspapers

Newspaper Articles (2)

Article from Wisconsin Tribune, January 21, 1848

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Article Text

THE BANK PANIC. For a few weeks our exchanges have been filled with articles upon the failures of a large number of Banks in the states of New York and Pennsylvania. The Territorial papers in particular, that are opposed to the Banking system, have mounted this hobby for the purpose of creating in the minds of the members of the Convention now in session, a hostility towards all banks, in hopes thereby to get incorporated into the Constitution an article precluding the possibility of a Bank charter in Wisconsin. In the list of reported failures we discovered the names of several banks in whose responsibility we had the utmost confidence, and therefore concluded to defer any remarks upon the subject until the facts could be ascertained, well knowing that there are persons base enough to cry down the reputation of Banks for no other purpose than to enrich themselves by buying up their bills at a great discount. The following are the names of the banks in New York which are reported to be broken or about to break: Agricultural Bank, Herkimer. Albany Exchange Bank, Albany. American Bank, Mayville, Bank of Albion, Albion. Bank of Attica, Buffalo. Bank of Corning, Corning. Bank of Dansville, Dansville. Bank of Watertown, Watertown. Spa. Central Ballston Spa Bank, Ballston Bank, Cherry Valley. Champlain Bank, Ellenburg. Commercial Bank, Rochester. Delaware Bank, Delhi. Exchange Bank of Genesee, Alexander. Farmers' Bank, Hudson. Farmers' & Drovers' Bank, Somers. Farmers' & Mechanics' Bank of Genesee. Bank of Waterville, Waterville. Bank of Lowville, Lowville. Bank of Silver Creek, Silver Creek. Bank of Syracuse, Syracuse. White Plains Bank, White Plains. Farmers' & Mechanics' Bank, Rochester. Fort Plain Bank, Fort Plain. Genesee County Bank, Le Roy. Middletown Bank, Orange County. Northern Bank, Madrid. Pine Plains Bank, Pine Plains. Lowell Bank, Newburgh, Washington County Bank, Peeksville. With regard to the solvency of the banks of that state, the New York Express of the 4th inst. remarks, " The excitement in relation to this state money is nearly passed over. The respectable bankers in Wall street are buying all the bills of the state that are offered this morning, at 11 to 2 per cent, except the Atlas and James Banks, which are at a quarter discount. All that they purchased last week was promptly redeemed at Albany, and that there is no cause whatever for alarm. The result has shown that the excitement was got up for the very object of making money at the expense of the public: the timid and the ignorant have been induced to part with their money at from 3 to 5 per cent. discount, the pur. chasers of which have turned it into spe. cie in twelve hours, by sending it to Albany. Bill holders should bear in mind that the present system of banking is far preferable to any former plan. For every dollar put in circulation, there must be a dollar in state stock deposited with the Comptroller. If, therefore, the State of New York is solvent and good, the notes must be paid, and that too, without delay." Tribune the follow


Article from Bloomington Herald, February 12, 1848

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Article Text

BANKING IN NEW YORK Four or five of the free banks in the State of New York have failed. We learn by the Journal of Commerce that the panic had entirely subsided and business had recovered its wonted composure. We gather from Controller Flagg's report, and the facts as stated by him that the Cham plain bank, owned by Moses Y. Beach & Son, is a kiting concern entirely unworthy of the public confidence. This institution has no real existence; but the President of the bank lives at Ellenborough in Clinton county and is a farmer, never having signed any of the bills as President; but that this business was done by H. D. Beach as his attorney. The President's name is McLean. The notes of said bank have all been signed in the city of New York, where the office is kept and all the business transacted-there not being any office or banking house at Ellenborough. We may as well here remark that Moses Y. Beach & Son are the proprietors of the New York Sun, and that they have been for years connected with irresponsible banks in different parts of the country. The morals of those men are sufficiently seen in the columns of their paper. They have been always fore. most in the advocacy of annexation of every frauaulent nature, and last fall commenced the project of annexing Cuba. They were the owners of the Plainfield (N. J.) bank, and several kiting concerns in Pennsylvania. By this time it ought to be a sufficient reason for the public to reject the bills of a bank, when it is known that they have any interest in it, whatever.