the manhattan company was started by Alaxander. Hamilton, --ostensible to raise money to lay water pipes in manhattan--in the charter, there was a single paragraph about 'creating an institutions to help finance and manage the financing' of the water works.
the square block design/logo of the bank is based on the square cedar wood water pipes (they did actually lay a few pipes--which are still occationally found (intact, but not in use)in excavation!)-several NYC branches of the bank have peices of the cedar water pipes on display.
like many a NYC enterprise, the Manhattan company soon forgot about its mission to pipe fresh water into manhattan, and was busy fuctioning as a money making company.
i don't know when it merged with the chase bank to become chase manhattan, (soon after the civil war i think)
Chase Manhattan was the first bank to have a national charter. but then it always had good political connections.
