Bank of the Manhattan Company

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The Bank of the Manhattan Company (established 1799) is the earliest of the predecessor institutions that eventually formed the current JPMorgan Chase.

[edit] History

As background, the first corporate bank in New York, organized by Alexander Hamilton in 1784, was chartered in 1792 as the Bank of New York. This bank and the federal bank monopolized the banking industry in the city and state until opposition led by Aaron Burr successfully fought for banking privileges through a clause in a charter for his Manhattan Company, which was established to supply much-needed pure water to the City of New York.

On April 17, 1799, the Manhattan Company appointed a committee "to consider the most proper means of employing the capital of the Company" and elected to open an office of discount and deposit. The "Bank" of the Manhattan Company began business on September 1, 1799, in a house at 40 Wall Street. In 1808 the company sold its waterworks to the city and turned completely to banking.

The Bank started paying dividends in July 1800, and in 1853 the Manhattan Company became one of the original 52 members of the New York Clearing House Association. The Bank acquired Chase National Bank in 1955 to become Chase Manhattan, and then was acquired by Chemical Bank in 1996, who retained the Chase name, to form what was then the largest bank holding company in the United States. In December 2000, the bank acquired J.P. Morgan & Co. to form JPMorgan Chase & Co.