National Bank Notes of Duluth

There are still a few national currency bank notes with Duluth bank names floating around, mostly held by collectors. This type of currency was eliminated in the 1930s. The note above is from Northern National Bank of Duluth and was issued in 1908. In the portrait is U.S. Treasury Secretary Hugh McCulloch, who also named the streets in Duluth’s Lakeside neighborhood, including one after himself. (More on McCulloch in the comments.)

American Exchange Bank of Duluth, issued in 1909. Portrait: President Benjamin Harrison.

Minnesota National Bank of Duluth, issued in 1920. Portrait: President William McKinley

Northern National Bank of Duluth, series of 1929. Portrait: Founding Father Benjamin Franklin.

Minnesota National Bank of Duluth, series of 1929. Portrait: Founding Father Alexander Hamilton.

First and American Bank of Duluth, series of 1929. Portrait: President Andrew Jackson.

Western National Bank of Duluth, series of 1929. Portrait: President Andrew Jackson.

Pioneer National Bank of Duluth, series of 1929. Portrait: President Abraham Lincoln.

1 Comment

Tony D.

about 5 years ago

Here's another Hugh McCulloch/Duluth connection, from Duluth's Historic Parks: 

In 1871 Hugh McCulloch, a business associate of Philadelphia financier Jay Cooke and the U.S. treasury secretary from 1865 to 1869, purchased a large parcel of land between today’s Fortieth and Fifty-fourth Avenues East from the lakeshore to today’s Colorado Avenue (originally Summit Street) from lumberman John D. Howard. (Prior to Howard, the property belonged to Francis Dermay, a Michigan militiaman who received the land as bounty for his service in the War of 1812.) McCulloch was then living in England, where he and Cooke established the banking firm of Jay Cooke, McCulloch & Co. From his London office, he platted his Minnesota township and, obviously inspired by his newly adopted town, named its streets and public squares for English noblemen and landmarks as well as prominent members of Cooke’s banks, including himself. He called his township New London.
New London is known today as Lakeside.

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