89. Jefferson County Savings Bank (Birmingham, AL)

Bank Information

Episode Type
Suspension → Closure
Bank Type
savings bank
Start Date
November 19, 1919
Location
Birmingham, Alabama (33.521, -86.802)

Metadata

Model
gpt-5-mini
Short Digest
3e5a74a3

Response Measures

None

Description

The articles describe a prior failure of the Jefferson County Savings Bank (it failed several years ago) with the state bank commissioner and a receiver handling disposition and dividends. No contemporaneous run is mentioned. The bank is in receivership and paying dividends to creditors, indicating permanent closure rather than a temporary suspension and reopening.

Events (3)

1. November 19, 1919 Other
Newspaper Excerpt
The stockholders ... will raise $600,000 to pay off the savings depositors, and then take possession of the 26-story building ... State Bank Commissioner Green approved their plan and agreed to withdraw the property from the market pending the meeting of the stockholders to be held next month. FULL PAYMENT FOR SAVINGS ACCOUNTS Plan Worked Out to Pay All Depositors in Full Savings deposits held by the Jefferson County bank at the time of the failure amounted to about $600,000.
Source
newspapers
2. August 1, 1920 Receivership
Newspaper Excerpt
Announcement is made by W. W. Crawford, receiver of the Jefferson County Savings bank, that another 10 per cent dividend is to be paid. The dividend will go to all creditors of record, including savings depositors, and will be paid beginning tomorrow.
Source
newspapers
3. * Suspension
Cause Details
Article states the bank failed several years ago but gives no specific trigger or cause for the failure.
Newspaper Excerpt
Plans have been worked out whereby the depositors who had savings accounts with the Jefferson county bank when it failed several years ago will get what is due them in full
Source
newspapers

Newspaper Articles (2)

Article from The Birmingham Age-Herald, November 19, 1919

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Article Text

# FULL PAYMENT FOR SAVINGS ACCOUNTS Plan Worked Out to Pay All Depositors in Full Plans have been worked out whereby the depositors who had savings accounts with the Jefferson county bank when it failed several years ago will get what is due them in full and the stockholders will get the title to the building. This plan will be submitted to the stockholders at a meeting to be held at 3 o'clock in the afternoon on December 18, according to a call issued yesterday by Chairman J. L. Yancey. Savings deposits held by the Jefferson County bank at the time of the failure amounted to about $600,000. These are said to be the only outstanding liabilities against the bank, except a mortgage which is being carried. All deposits in the bank except those in the savings department have been paid, it is said. The stockholders, according to the plan submitted to State Bank Commissioner D. F. Green and approved by him a few days ago, will raise $600,000 to pay off the savings depositors, and then take possession of the 26-story building at Second avenue and Twenty-first street. For several years the building was operated without profit, but since the war ended and the business revival set in, every room has been occupied, most of them under leases running for terms of years, at rentals that will make a very substantial return on the investment. The state bank commissioner a year or more ago asked for bids for the property, but none were satisfactory and as a result it has not been sold. With the largely increased revenues, it is estimated that the interest on the mortgage debt can be taken care of, the principal paid off in a few years and still leave a reasonable dividend for the stockholders. After studying the proposition of the stockholders submitted to him while in Birmingham a day or two ago, State Bank Commissioner Green approved their plan and agreed to withdraw the property from the market pending the meeting of the stockholders to be held next month. The best offer for the Jefferson County Bank building, which is the tallest building outside of New York, with one exception, it is understood, was aprpoximately $1,000,000. The present rentals are said to be earning a substantial dividend on a much larger valuation.


Article from The Birmingham Age-Herald, August 1, 1920

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Article Text

Jefferson County Bank Declares Dividend Announcement is made by W. W. Crawford, receiver of the Jefferson County Savings bank, that another 10 per cent dividend is to be paid. The dividend will go to all creditors of record, including savings depositors, and will be paid beginning tomorrow. Creditors are asked to call at the vault department of the Jefferson County Savings bank, where they may receive their dividend any time after August 2.