4414. Fifth National Bank (Chicago, IL)

Bank Information

Episode Type
Run Only
Bank Type
national
Bank ID
320
Charter Number
320
Start Date
February 12, 1874
Location
Chicago, Illinois (41.850, -87.650)

Metadata

Model
gpt-5-mini
Short Digest
0e998193

Response Measures

Accommodated withdrawals, Public signal of financial health

Description

No suspension or closure recorded. Article 1 (1874) praises Fifth National for continuing to pay currency during the panic; Article 2 (1890) describes a small flurry/attempted run after the Peters assignment but the bank paid out more than was withdrawn and remained solvent. Thus this is a run-only episode (minor run, bank stayed open).

Events (4)

1. March 15, 1864 Chartered
Source
historical_nic
2. February 12, 1874 Other
Newspaper Excerpt
the First National, the Commercial National, the Morchants' National, the Corn Exchange National, the Fifth National ... continued to pay currency on the demand-checks of their depositors throughout the whole panic
Source
newspapers
3. December 30, 1882 Voluntary Liquidation
Source
historical_nic
4. October 19, 1890 Run
Cause
Local Shock
Cause Details
Withdrawals prompted by the failure/assignment of the Peters firm (Peters' assignment) which raised fears but did not indicate bank insolvency.
Measures
Officers paid deposits; bank officers stated the bank was solidly solvent and no further trouble anticipated.
Newspaper Excerpt
It was expected that the Fifth National bank would be called upon today to submit to another run, but such proved not to be the case. There was a little furry of small depositors about 9 o'clock, but while the amount drawn was about $200 the amount paid during the same time exceeded $2,000.
Source
newspapers

Newspaper Articles (2)

Article from Chicago Daily Tribune, February 13, 1874

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Article Text

MONEY AND COMMERCE. MONETARY. THURSDAY EVENING, Feb. 12. Notwithstanding the large amount of money absorbed in carrying grain and provisions in this market, the supply of loanable funds in the market is greater than finds employment. It is frooly offered on domand lonns nt 8 por cont, and on time loans at 10 ; but there seems scarcoly any inducement to put the rates of money lower than these figures. In this market, when a borrower wants money at all, he wants it bad enough to pay 10 or 8 per cent for it, and the difference of 1, or oven 2, por cont on short time loans would not be sufficient to induco him to embark in any onterpriso which be otherwise would not. In the Eastern markets it is different. Speculators BOOKER up 1001x0 ] U 01 [vop which fluctuato less in price than Western prodnote, and when the rate of interest ou money gets below the average rato of dividends on cortain stocks it is borrowed to carry the stocks or speculate in them. In this market, however, the supply of money, be it over 60 abundant, soldom puts the rate of money below 8 per cent on domand and 10 per cont on sixty or ninety days. What is not used at these ratos either lies idlo or Is sent East, where the Now York banks pay 4 per cent on current balances. Now York exchange continues weak at 75c por $1,000 discount. Currency shipments to the country are still pretty large. CHICAGO BANKS DISCUSSED IN LONDON. It scems that the Chicago banks are doomed to be belied in regard to the position they took during the panio last fall. Hero in the West, even our rivals, Cincinnati and St. Louis, were honorable enough to acknowledge that, while the banks in every other large city in the United States stopped currency payments, the Chicago banks continued to pay currency on demand of their depositors throughout the panic. The New York papers, however, with the exception of the Now York Journal of Commerce, ignored the fact, and said that all the banks in the United States suspended currency payments. An article on " The Panio," in Harper's Monthly Magazine, boldly asserted the falsehood that the Chicago banks suspended, as well as all others in the West. But now comes the most unconscionable misrepresentation of all, from the mouth of Mr. R. Potter, the President of the Grand Trunk RailGrand only JO " 1V 10 AUM Trunk Railway Company in London, reported in the Times of that city, Jan. 23, Mr. Potter dolivered bis report of the working and financial condition of the road. In this he took occasion to Bay that he sailed for America in September, and whon he arrived found that a great commercial storm had commenced, which swept over the whole country, reducing the value of almost overything. He then," BAYS the Times' report, described the state of things during the whole panic, both in New York and Chicago. For a whole mouth,' said Mr. Pottor, 'there 1008 only one bank that continued business in Chicago, and that was their Canadian bank, to which the American people brought their capital. If Mr. Potter is interested in the Canadian bank which has a branch in this city, he would this Sumplin Sujop 10 Suides 10J oppronold en was honorable to bring it into notice, But to tell in London a wholesale falsehood for the sake of giving his bank a prestige to which it was not entitled by any of the circumstances of the case, and in SO doing to misrepresent rival bank in the city, was not only dishonorable every in Mr. Potter, but doubly 80 from the prominent position ho occupies as President of a trunk line of railroad. If Mr. Pot- great tor had not been in Chicago during his visit to America, there might be some excuse for his statemoute, on the ground that he had heard such reports. But Mr. Potter was in Chicago, and must have known, if he know anything about Chicago during the pauic, that the First National, the Commercial National, the Morchants' National, the Corn Exchange National, the Fifth National, the Northwestern National, the Merchants' Savinga, Loan & Trust Company and several others, continued to pay currency on the demand-checks of their depositors throughout the whole panie, or and that, in order to do this, they brought


Article from Telegram-Herald, October 19, 1890

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Article Text

THE WORSTREACHED And Matters Resume Again Their Normal Condition IN THE GREAT PETERS FAILURE. The Firm of Lemon & Peters Peters Made a straightaway Sale of Mis Interest Before the Assign. meal-41 Chicago, The worst seems to have been reached in the matter of the Peters' assignment, and people begin to breathe freer. It was expected that the Fifth National bank would be called upon today to submit to another run, but such proved not to be the case. There was a little furry of small depositors about 9 o'clock, but while the amount drawn was about $200 the amount paid induring the same time exceeded $2,000. Things have assumed their normal condition and no further trouble is anticipated by the officers of the bank. As announced in yesterday's TELEGRAMHERALD, the bank is solidiy solvent, S. M. Lemon, of the firm of Lemon & Peters, returned from a trip to Manistee yesterday noon. Mr. Lemon was seen by the TELEGRAM.HERALD, and said that he had seen Mr. Peters, and that gentleman declared that his re.l. son for assigning when the did was simply to subserve the best interests of this creditors. "In what way?' "Well, Mr. Peters Fays that he had become interested in a multifarious lot 01 enterprises and that so many of them were so mismanaged by the partners to whom he was, perforce, obliged to entrust them, that there was no other course left if he wished to avoid utter ruin for himself and others." "And now?" "He claims that his assets are far greater than his liabilities and that be will we able to pay all his indebtedness and get on his feet again. Hesaysthat the affairs ot the Peters Salt and Lumber are in condition and that concern had Company that perfect nothing whatever to do with the failure. That was caused by the mismanagement of others. As to his assets, I can not state." "Were you hit at all?" "No, sir. Before Mr. Peters made his assignment, he executed a bona fide sale, no mortgage, but & sale of his 111terest, in the firm of Lemon & Peters, to C. M. Davidson, cashier of the Detroit National Bank; the consideration. $40,000. This, of course, only amount, to us to a change of partners without impairing the finances of the firm. We are solvent and will continue doing business as heretofore. The mills and salt blocks at Manistee are running as usual, with Mr. Peters placed in charge by the court."