Banks of Harrisburg - Harrisburg, PA

Bank Information

Episode Type: Suspension → Reopening
Bank Type: state
Start Date: May 20, 1837
Location: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania (40.276, -76.885)

Metadata

Model: gpt-5-mini
Short Digest: c220e5f3

Response Measures

None

Description

Newspaper (May 20, 1837) reports the Banks of Harrisburg suspended specie payments along with major city banks. No run is described; suspension presented as temporary/short-lived, so classified as suspension_reopening. Bank type not specified in text.

Events (1)

1. May 20, 1837 Suspension

Cause: Macro News
Cause Details: Coordinated suspension of specie payments by banks in major commercial cities amid the 1837 financial crisis/excitement; adopted as part of wider panic measures.
Newspaper Excerpt: the banks of Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, Harrisburg, Middletown and Northumberland, have suspended specie payments.
Source: newspapers

Newspaper Articles (1)

1. May 20, 1837 The Columbia Democrat Bloomsburg, PA

Article from The Columbia Democrat, May 20, 1837

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Article Text

SUSPENSION OF SPECIE PAYMENTS. We learn by our last mails, that the banks of Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, Harrisburg, Middletown and Northumberland, have suspended specie payments. It is supposed, however, that the adoption of this course was a measure of persecution only, and that the suspension will be of temporary duration. While the Banks in the commercial cities generally, refuse specie payments, the Northumberland Bank deems it advisable to pay out for the If purposes of change.' This course will preserve the institution safe and sound, and accommodate the public with change, until the present excitement blows over which will, we are confident, be in a short time.