American Bank

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The American Bank & and Trust Co. was first located on
 3rd Avenue. Around 1914, it moved to the Frederick
Hotel building, leasing a prime first-floor spot
at the northwest corner of 4th
Avenue and 10th Street.

James E. Casto | Submittted

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Built at a cost of $400,000, Huntington’s Frederick Hotel welcomed its
 first guests in 1906. A newspaper account published that day hailed
it as “the greatest building project ever begun in Huntington.”
 The grand building had 150 guest rooms and first-floor
quarters along 4th Avenue and 10th Street that
housed a wide variety of businesses.

The American Bank & and Trust Co. was first located on 3rd Avenue.
About 1914, it moved to the Frederick Hotel building and ultimately
 expanded into the choice corner space, leasing a prime first-floor
spot at the northwest corner of 4th Avenue and 10th Street.

On April 15, 1927, the Commissioner of Banking ordered
the American Bank closed due to insufficient funds.

In July 1929, L.N. Frantz was tried and convicted of embezzling
$2,800 from the bank. Lantz was then the bank’s president
and a major stockholder in it. The overdrawing of his
personal account as a depositor while he was the
 bank’s president was the basis of
the charge against him.

Following his conviction, Lantz was sentenced to 10 years
 in prison, the maximum sentence provided by the law.
 A defense motion for a new trial was overruled.

 About 1930, the George H. Wright Co. moved into the Frederick Hotel
 building and ultimately expanded into the choice corner space that
 the American Bank had occupied. Since it first opened in 1911,
the high-end clothing firm had operated at various addresses.

 Wright’s would do business at the Frederick building for nearly 80 years
before owner Chuck Jambe closed the store. In explaining his decision
 to close, Jambe pointed to a slow economy, Huntington’s shrinking
population and today’s relaxed dress code standards. Later,
 Bill Moore, Jambe’s son-in-law, opened a
down-sized Wright’s at 943 3rd Ave.

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Note:  This Article and picture appeared in the Herald-Dispatch Newspaper on Oct. 10, 2023.

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