Hartford National Bank & Trust Company Records

Collection

Identifier: 1995-0030

Staff Only

Scope and Content

The Archives of the Hartford National Bank & Trust Company, 1792-1976, consist of the records from Hartford National plus those from twenty banks and trust companies consolidated between 1910 and 1970. The “Family Tree”, in the Appendix, provides a useful outline of the Bank's development, 1792-1973, and shows how the consolidated banks fit into the central trunk of Hartford National.

The types of records included in the Archives are minute books, correspondence, ledgers, scrapbooks, photographs, signature books, clippings, compliances, currency and objects such as seals and printing plates.

CARD CATALOG

The card catalog is the key point of entry into the archives. Drawer #1 holds the cards for the records of the Hartford National Bank & Trust Co., 1792 to the present. The “Picture File”, located in the back of Drawer #1, covers graphic materials from the entire collection. Drawer #2 holds the cards for the records of the Merger Banks, some other Connecticut banks and miscellaneous topics such as state and local histories. The “Subject Authority File”, in the back of Drawer #2, lists all the subject headings that have been used in the card catalog. This file should be consulted whenever new additions are made to the collection in order to maintain the consistency of the headings.

INDIVIDUAL CARD ENTRY

Materials may be looked up subject, corporate author (name of bank) or by personal author (specific person). Subject cards are recognized by the use of capital letters for the particular word or phrase selected as the heading. The headings for corporate and personal author cards are typed in both upper and lower case.

The Main Entry card, usually corporate or personal author, is the card that will show the other headings under which this same entry may be found elsewhere in the catalog. The Main Entry with the subject cards make up the set of cards for any particular entry. See examples:

Box 22 Hartford Bank, 1792-1865

286 Personal checkbook of Sheldon Chapman, September 14, 1795—June 29, 1797

1. Checkbooks. 2. Customer Records.

I. Chapman, Sheldon. Main Entry Card

CHECKBOOKS

Box 22 Hartford Bank, 1792—1865

286 Personal Checkbook of Sheldon Chapman, September 14, 1795—

June 29, 1797. Subject Card

CUSTOMER RECORDS

Box 22 Hartford Bank, 1792—1865

286 Personal Checkbook of Sheldon Chapman, September 14, 1795—

June 29, 1797.

Subject Card

Chapman, Sheldon

Box 22 Hartford Bank, 1792—1865

286 Personal checkbook of Sheldon Chapman, September 14, 1795—

June 29, 1797.

Individual As Added Entry

Location numbers-- box, folder or item are shown in the upper left-hand corner of the catalog card. Folders numbered with a prefix “P” are materials in the “Picture File.” A box number without a folder number indicates the record is either an object, a small bound book or a bundle too large to fit conveniently into a folder yet small enough to store in a box. Oversized books and ledgers, too large to be boxed, are identified by the word “Item” followed by a number.

As of September 1976, the Archives consisted of 135 boxes, 1,933 folders (including the “Picture File”) and 270 items.

DEFINITIONS OF SOME SUBJECT HEADINGS

Financial Records

This heading is used to designate the routine accounting and bookkeeping transactions which include such materials as balance sheets, ledgers, journals, and operations statements. Records generated since 1900 are usually listed under their more specific titles. However, ambiguous terms were often used to describe the records from earlier periods, therefore, they have been grouped under the more general phrase of “financial records.”

Corporate Records

This heading refers to the materials which relate to bank ownership and management and include the following: charters, articles of association, by-laws, minute books, directors' records, capital stock records, stockholder records, dividend and earnings reports, examinations, audits, annual reports, consolidation proceedings, stock transfer records, agreements and contracts, insurance policies and deeds. Again, if the records were not easily identifiable they were simply listed under the general phrase of “corporate records”.

Customer Records

This heading may include signature books, checks, checkbooks, deposit books and correspondence.

Loan Records

This heading refers to the papers generated by a loan transaction and may include loan applications, insurance policies left as collateral, promissory notes, charged-off account records and related correspondence.

Dates

1792-1976

Access

The collection is open and available for research.

Restrictions on Use

Permission to publish from these Papers must be obtained in writing from both the University of Connecticut Libraries and the owner(s) of the copyright.

History

On 29 May 1792, the Hartford Bank was the first bank to be granted a charter in the State of Connecticut. Such notable persons as Noah Webster, John Trumbull and Jeremiah Wadsworth were among those who were instrumental in establishing the Bank. On 8 August 1792, the Hartford Bank opened for business at a location on the south side of Pearl Street just a short distance from Main. Throughout its long history it has been situated in the business center of Hartford and always within a block of the original site. In 1810, the Bank moved to its first permanent banking house, which was an impressive Greek revival building at 58 State Street, facing the north side of the State House. It remained in that location for the next one hundred years.

The Hartford Bank played a vital role in the growth of the insurance industry and contributed to the overall commercial development of the Connecticut River Valley. It successfully weathered the financial panics and crises of the nineteenth century when many other banks were failing. In 1865, it joined the national bank system and became known as the Hartford National Bank.

The merger of the Farmers and Mechanics National Bank, in 1910, marked the beginning of a series of consolidations which would bring financial as well as executive resources to the Hartford National Bank. After a merger with the Aetna National Bank, in 1915, the name was changed to the Hartford-Aetna National Bank, which had a capital of $2,000,000 and total resources of $14,865,000. It had moved, in 1911, to a spacious 11-story building on the corner of Main and Asylum Streets which still stands today.

The most significant consolidation occurred in 1927 when the Hartford-Aetna merged with the United States Security Trust Company. This move not only increased the capital and surplus to $4,000,000 each, but it also introduced executive leadership whose influence would be felt for decades to come. It was at this time that the Bank adopted its present name—the Hartford National Bank and Trust Company.

In 1928, the Hartford-Aetna Building (Main & Asylum) was sold and the Head Office was moved to the former quarters of the United States Security Trust Company, on the corner of Main and Pearl Streets. That building was replaced in 1967 by the 26—story HNB Building which the Bank occupies today.

By 1970, a total of twenty banks and trust companies had been consolidated into the Hartford National family and today their services cover the entire State of Connecticut.

CHRONOLOGY

1792 May 29
: Hartford Bank
August 8
: Hartford Bank
1810
: Moved to its first permanent banking house 58 State Street
1865
: national bank
1915
: Aetna National Bank
1927
: Hartford-Aetna
1927
: Hartford National Bank and Trust Company

Extent

350 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

On 29 May 29 1792, the Hartford Bank was the first bank to be granted a charter in the State of Connecticut. On 8 August 1792, the Hartford Bank opened for business at a location on the south side of Pearl Street just a short distance from Main. Throughout its long history it has been situated in the business center of Hartford and always within a block of the original site. In 1865, it joined the national bank system and became known as the Hartford National Bank. By 1970, a total of twenty banks and trust companies had been consolidated into the Hartford National family and today their services cover the entire State of Connecticut.

Acquisition Information

The records of the Hartford National Bank and Trust Company were donated along with the Hartford National Corporation Records to Archives & Special Collections by the Shawmut Corporation in November 1995, at the time of its merger with Fleet Bank (now Bank of America). Later in May 1996, Archives & Special Collections received a smaller shipment of records from Fleet Bank that were integrated with those received during the previous year.

General note

The inventory is a strict numerical listing of the collection by box, folder and item number. It is useful for replacing borrowed materials when the original location is unknown for some reason. It should not be used when attempting to locate all the records of a particular bank group since these may be scattered into several boxes which are not necessarily in consecutive order. (The card catalog is the finding tool, not the inventory.)