Western Exchange Fire & Marine Insurance Company (Omaha, NE)

Episode Information

Episode UID
8670059890693
Episode Type
Suspension โ†’ Closure
Bank Type
state
Bank ID
867005989 hash
Start Date
September 26, 1857
Location
Omaha, Nebraska (41.259, -95.938)

Metadata

Model
gpt-5-mini (chosen from majority vote of a three-model LLM ensemble)
Short Digest
30cf079233c05ce5

Response Measures

None

Description

Articles state the institution 'suspended' in late Sept. 1857 and discuss it with other failed banks; permanence of closure not fully documented here.

Events (1)

1. September 26, 1857 Suspension
Cause
Bank Specific Adverse Info
Cause Details
Suspended amid a wave of local bank failures and alleged mismanagement/outsider ownership and frauds in Nebraska.
Newspaper Excerpt
The following banks have suspended in Nebraska: Nemaha Valley Bank, of Brownville. Fontenelle Bank, of Bellevue. Wesern Exchange, Fire and Marine Insurance Company, Omaha City.
Source
newspapers

Newspaper Articles (2)

Article from The New York Herald, October 10, 1857

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Article Text

NEBRASKA TERRITORY. ONE SOUND BANK IN THE WEST. [From the Nebraska City News, Sept. 26 The Platte Valley Bank is located at Nebraska City, and thus far it has withstood the financial breakdown, on each side of it, firmly and unfalteringly. Its issue is redeemed in gold every day of the week, (Sundays only excepted,) at tis counter in this city. We believe that the Platte Valley Bank cannot fail. Its circulation is small, it having drawn in its issues gradually for the last six months, and its vaults contain more than enough specie to redeem more than twice the amount of its circulation. Other banks have failed, and others will, but the ci izens of Nebraska City are determined that the Platte Valley shall not go down, and so hardly a day passes but what the officers are tesdered heavy specie deposits by the citizens. Oa the first day of the excitement created by the failures at Omaha City and Bellevue, over ten thousand dollars specie deposits were received. The following banks have suspended in Nebraska:Nemaha Valley Bank, of Brownville. Fontenelle Bank, of Bellevue. Wesern Exchange, Fire and Marine Insurance Company, Omaha City.


Article from Nebraska Advertiser, July 8, 1858

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Article Text

Banking in Nebraska. We are opposed to granting any more Bank Charters in Nebraska, and in favor of wiping out all heretofore granted, that have closed their doors; and, further, around those that have sustained themselves, we are in favor of throwing such guards, protections, or restrictions as will give confidence to the bill-holder. We are opposed in the first place to granting Bank Charters in Nebraska, because the United States law, passed July 1st, 1836, Section 1, which reads as follows, is yet in existence, and such grants, therefore would be unconstitutional. "Sec, 1. No act of any of the Territories of the United States incorporating any institution with Banking powers or privileges, hereafter to be passed, shall have any force or effect whatever until approved and confirmed by Congress." We are not prepared to say we are opposed to Banking in toto, and in every form, or by any principle whatever. There is perhaps, owing to the nature of the business of our country, a demand for something of the kind. But where and when they do exist, the most ample security should be given the bill-holder; and the Banker or Bankers should be money lenders not money borrowers. We are opposed to more Banks in Nebraska, because we have not the home capitol to engage in a legitimate safe, reliable and healthy system of Banking, and the consequence would be as has been, that non-resident operatives, unknown, unreliable men conduct affairs, and upon regular "wild cat" principles, and in the end the people are most shamfully swindled out of their hard earned means. As shedding further light and in substantiation of the forgoing idea, we give place to the following extract from a communication in the St. Louis Republican, written by a resident of this Territory evidently well posted. He says: "The Nemaha Valley Bank, located at Brownville, and which is suspended, is wholly ownedin the State of Illinois. A part of the Stock of Platte Valley Bank, located at Nebraska City, is owned in the Territory, the balance in Missouri and Illinois. The Fontenelle Bank of Bellvue, located at Belleve, which is hopeS lessly defunci and the grossest swindle of the whole is wholly owned in Illinois and Iowa. The Western Exchange Fire, and Marine Insurance commonly called the Western Exchange Bank,) iccated at Omaha City, and which is also suspended S is at present wholly owned at Galva, Iir linois, and was formerly owned in Iowa and Ill. The Bank of Nebraska, located at Omaha, is wholly owned in Iowa. The Bank of Florence, which has also suspended is also owned in Iowa. The Bank of De Soto, located at De Soto, is owned in Wisconsin, and the Bank of Tekamah, located at Tekamah, and which has recently suspended, is owned in Indiana and Missouri. These are all the d banks in the Territory--all others have no legal existence whatever. Here then are the facts-these institutions are not owned or controlled by the citizens of Nebraska, (except the controlling influence of one of them-the Platte Valley) d but are managed by the citizens of other states, and are made the vehicles of the grossest frauds upon community-and ]then the whole charge of fraud, corrupis tion and swindle, and all that is mean, to dishenest and dishonorable, is heaped on or the citizens of Nebraska! Is this fair ?