216. Farmers & Merchants Bank (Samson, AL)

Bank Information

Episode Type
Suspension → Closure
Bank Type
state
Start Date
December 1, 1929
Location
Samson, Alabama (31.113, -86.046)

Metadata

Model
gpt-5-mini
Short Digest
91505217a1760269

Response Measures

None

Description

The articles state the Farmers & Merchants Bank of Samson closed on December 1 (1929) and was a failed/closed institution; no article describes a depositor run on that specific bank. Subsequent heavy runs affected the First National Bank of Samson after the Farmers & Merchants failure. Cause of the Farmers & Merchants closure is not specified in the texts provided.

Events (1)

1. December 1, 1929 Suspension
Cause Details
Article states the bank failed/closed on December 1 but does not specify a trigger (no explicit run, rumor, or government action mentioned).
Newspaper Excerpt
the failure of the Farmers and Merchants Bank there on December 1st
Source
newspapers

Newspaper Articles (2)

Article from Geneva County Reaper, January 10, 1930

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Article Text

Second Samson Bank Closes Bringing the total of bank failures in Geneva county to three, Thursday afternoon the First National Bank of Samson closed its doors following a heavy run Wednesday and Thursday. It is supposed that the run was caused by the unrest following the failure of the Farmers and Merchants Bank there on December 1st and the robbery of the First National Bank a few days previous to its failure. Wilbur N. Morris was cashier of the defunct institution, and D. H. Morris, of Geneva, president. It is-understood that a movement is on foot by Geneva capitalists to establish a state bank in Samson in the very near future. The Bank of Slocomb was closed by order of the directors on November 19, this being the first of the three banks to close. "We want you to endorse a brand of our tobacco that you have been using for 50 years," Liggett-Myers and Co.) Next Capt. Stanley Nash and Alternate Captain Sessions Holland spoke. Election of captain and manager. Lewis Gay was elected captain and Julius Miller alternate captain, Leonard Cox, manager and Comer Grantham, assistant manager. Toastmaster Hitchcock then made a motion to give a rising vote of thanks for the banquet to the Booster's Club. The P. T. A. met Thursday afternoon for a business meeting. It was agreed that a part of the money in the treasury would be given over for library books for the elementary grades. The G Club initiated its new members Saturday afternoon and Saturday night after the basketball game. Those initiated were Angus Campbell, Neal Lowry, Earl Pledger, Wilburn Windham, Tillman Mahan, Leonard Cox and Dan McLeod. For the details of this évent, ask any boy mentioned above. The Senior II and III Classes presented the comedy, "Valley Farm," Thursday evening in the high school auditorium before an appreciative audience. Each character carried out his part well. Lewis Gay was unanimously elected captain of the football team at the bootball banquet Friday night. Geneva High School is confident that Gay is the one for the place and is expecting great things of him and his team for the season 1930. He succeeds Stanley Nash. Julius Miller was elected alternate captain, Leonard Cox, business manager, and Comer Grantham, assistant manager. The girls elected Annie Laurie Harris captain of their team; the boys elected Neal Lowry. Blon Pate was elected president of the Senoir I Class to take Edna Newsome's place. The new G Club members entertained with the following chapel program Friday morning: Devotional-Neal Lowry. Baby Show-All new members. Undressing Act-Angus Campbell. Song, "My Adeline," Earl Pledger and Leonard Cox. Demonstration of Mouthophonic phonograph, Wilburn Windham and Dan McLeod. Presentation of ring to Coach Hitchcock, Tillman Mahan. "Take-Off of Typical High School Girls," Clyde Cobb and Earl Pledger. Jokes-Leonard Cox. Song-"There Was a Little Donkey,' all. Master of ceremonies, Neal Lowry. Litso Club Program The Litso Club met January 3 in Mrs. Adair's room. The following program was given: 1. A description of the "Wild Bushman" of Africa, by Henry Draughon. 2. "A Cobra as a Bedfellow," a story of adventure, by Leonard Cox. 3. Aims for the Litso Club, by Annie Beth Clements. 4. New Year's Resolutions, by Lillian Craig. Phi Gamma Club Program The Phi Gamma Club held its regular meeting on Friday, January 3. The following program was presented by the different members of the club: 1. Psychology Test, Aline Abbott. 2. Salesman selling articles of value to members of the audience. 3. Master Mind Reader, Earle Pledger, who read the minds of Mary Fleming and Hollice Ogletree, thereby revealing many interesting facts. 4. Impersonation of Harry Ritch, with many interesting and clever tricks, Comer Grantham. After the program the president took charge and all business was attended to. The meeting closed with


Article from Geneva County Reaper, January 31, 1930

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Article Text

First New Bank for Samson Bank, Closed Its Doors Wed. Opened Monday at Noon Following closely the failure of the Dothan National Bank on day morning heavy run depositors, the First National Bank of Coffee Springs closed its doors morning shortly after opening for business. It said that the Coffee Springs bank cleared through the Dothan institution and that the latter's failure brought undue pressure on the Coffee Springs bank, thereby forcing them to close. B. Kelly was cashier of the defunct Coffee Springs bank and Crawford president. This makes the fourth bank failure Geneva county in little over months. The Bank of Slocomb closed on November 19, The Farmers Merchants Bank of Samson on December and The First National Bank of Samson on January The Samson Banking Company, State bank, opened its doors at SamMonday at noon, with capital of $25,000 and surplus of $10,000, all paid in. The new bank occupies the building formerly occupied by the defunct Farmers & Merchants Bank, of that city, which closed its doors two months ago. D. Watson, of Hartford, is the president of the new concern, while P. Watson, of Geneva, is vice president, and Henry Crenshaw, of Geneva, is to serve as cashier. Samson has been without bank for the past several weeks, following the failure of the First National Bank on January The Farmers & Merchants Bank was also closed on December first of 1929.