How did large banks reconcile accounts in the pre-industrial/electric era?

Question

If I opened an account at, say, Wells Fargo in San Francisco in 1860, then sailed down to Los Angeles and wanted to withdraw money, how did the bank know how much I had in my account?

And the same question going back further, like with the Knights Templar.

In: 5

Answer 1

We used to have little books that we carried around and the bank would print the withdrawals and balance on the book.

Like this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-Savings-Account-Book-Booklet-BANK-OF-AMERICA-Marked-1941-MONTGOMERY-CALI-/121800214823?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0