The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-02
Hampton No Longer
Town, but a Twentieth
Century City.
ANN SIX Al TON THE
.ORDER OF THE DAY
Facts ard Figures Concerning the
Oldest. Largest and Strongest
Financial Institution on the
Peninsula Of Virginia.
Modern Banking
House.
by FRANK $. wooDsoN.

DY FRANK $. WOODsON.
\ Special From Staff Correspondent
HAMPTON, VA. February 1.-Hamp-
4 ton Is often referred to as one OF the 4
very oldest towns In the State, and Ms
Ia Is in the matter of years since it,
first became n town; but II anybody IA
Journeys hlther in the expectation OF
i ending an notwithstanding town, orr y
/. town with obsolete habits. or a town
4 following tho business and Industrial
methods OF dead and buried Centuries
4 a great mistake will DO made. ts5 7ss
The tourist and the prospector Will
4 lind here on the shores of the loveliest
sheet OF water on tho Atlantic coast
a wide-awake, notwithstanding little X
,city. full Of life and energy and md busi-
Eess and industrial hustle; busy COM
munity, with capital and push to make
things go. SIT 81 81
financially Strong.
4 Hampton Is indeed a city. having
= from one to two thousand more peo-s
3 pie within It's present corporate limits
q than are necessary to make a town
& become a city under the laws OF 4:Vir-3sg
iginia. and when the suburbs that ex
4 l{tend into Elizabeth City county are
& annexed rs they Will be within the
next month. Hamptonwill be a city Of
Is.o0V inhabitants, and better gov
= Eetnea. more moral and more indus. e
Fl itrious city has not a place on the map
g Eof Virginia or of the South.
& Hampton has long been one sof tho
banking towns of the State
i and to-day its banks are In better
1 shape and arc Edoinggmore good busi-
[ A ness than ever before in the history OF
A the place. The people are prosperous.
Industries are numerous. all branches
OF business are Furnishing. and banks
arc kea.t busy all the time.
eldest nnd largest Bank.
The Oldest and largest bank in the Il
q city is the Banko Hampton. Indeed
d there is not a bank in the State that
4 may be said to be stronger True, there
j are some in the larger cities that ars
! more largely capitalized. have larger
4 deposit accounts and larger loan and &
1 discount lines, but when good manage
| .nent conservative and enlightened
business methods and the high stand sg
ing of Its officers and directors ara
considered. 1t may be truthfully said
that there Is not a financial institu-
ton in Virginia that Is stronger than
the Bank OF Hampton. ss.55s
The great speculative Influences
that have wrought ruin tosfinanctal In
situations In various parts OF the coun-
: try have never in the remotest degree
tainted the pure atmosphere about this
Dank or Its management.
a Strong Combination.
The Bank of Hampton was estab-
lished In the year 1885,. On the first o. q
July, 1909 schmelz Bro others. bankersf
Of Hampton and Newport News. brought
the controlling interest In the institu-ss
n ton and Increased The capital stock
from $4,000 to 100000. They trans
ferred their private int erest In their
I'll Hampton Bank to the Bank of Hamp-1
"a ton, thus consolidating two Sis of the +
strongest banking institutions on tho
Peninsula. &
At that time Mr.. Henry L. schmelz,
of the Schmelz Brothers., became the
president Of the Bank OF Hampton
Il and at the same time Mr.. Frank W.
Darling. one of the weasthiest and 4
most active and successful business
IS men In the community. was elected
vice-president, and Mr.. Nelson S.
Groome. a progressive business man
and an accomplished and experienced
bank man.. was elected cashier. These
officers still remain at the helm. The
az board of directors Is composed OF suc-a.
- cessful, progressive and enterprising
- business men. who have the best ms
~ terests Of Hampton and the entire
Is Peninsula at heart They are Henry
he Lane Schmelz, George a. Schmelz.s ~
s. W, Darling, Jacob Heffelhnger, A.
"a Howe, wv. Richardson. j. II. Lee
20 j. B. Lake. u G. Robinson 10 ohm b.
n Kimberly and Nelson S. Groome. esS
N. A City Builder. s!s
as Under the splendid management OF
he these officers and directors II is need
on less to say that the Bank Of Hampton
ilu has had more to do tina n any other one
&c &c Institution In building up Hampton.S
ais It has always been managed in a con-
zee servative manner, guarding we'll the
1T interest of its stockholders and deposit
on tors, and at the same time showing
,or a progressiyeness that has made 1T tho
inr pride OF the town and the surrounding
res sec lions. :s{3 Sg55 ss$
en This twentieth century management
In healthy increase in the banks business.
les and 1t stands, as 1t has long stood, as Al
sc monument to the enterprise, no T. only
as or Its officers and directory, but Of the
~ progressive business men OF Hampton
ist generally.
ais The Bank OF Hampton is now. ass ltS
ny has always been most intimate lya cons
IN, IN nected with every movement 70 the
y. good OF the city. and as an agency for
hs, mess and Industrial advantages 4 OF it's
'Se home town. in particular, and the Pes
S Sea keassa
hhee connections In Il q Their sectiops 1t Y has
h he made its own sections fayorably known
na far and near deed. through out tho
~ ~ whole country--and Its spirit OF enter
~ prlseGhas had nm insp iring eff ect upon
y, az the busy people OF this commnn IT..
he s a Magnificent Home. s$E
Tho splendid new banking h usal ut
the corner o IL IL Ing and Queen Streets
lis Is the handsonlest business building ns
res Hamp ON, and yvou be arr orna IrlentS M
res a. town tlve times the size or lis lovely
an little city, 1T Is modern three STORY
he stone and brick building. erected AZ gas
In cost OF $8S.o00. and Is OF beautifu ls ar.
we chitectuTal design. &. 81 3sss
'er. Is a modern OF flce buttons eQ''lp
Continued on Twelfth Pagesl