First Bank of San Anselmo
The red brick building on the corner of Bank Street and Sir Francis Drake Boulevard that looks like a bank was, in fact, originally a bank. The building was completed in 1911 for the First Bank of San Anselmo. The original portico was removed many years ago; the building now has a more contemporary look. The bank’s large vault is still in the rear of the interior.
One of the most exciting events in San Anselmo’s history was the robbery of the bank on March 18, 1914.
Right out of stories of the old west, the bandit entered the bank in broad daylight with pedestrians on the street in front and approached the window of Assistant Cashier Thomas Butler, the only employee in the bank at the time. Armed with a revolver, the bandit demanded all the money in the bank. Butler tried to stall him by handing over rolls of pennies, but the bandit caught on quickly, threatened Butler’s life and demanded more. Butler gave him nickels, dimes, quarters and half-dollars instead of the pennies. Once the bold bandit had stuffed his pockets, he backed to the doorway and, with a bound, mounted his horse and dashed off.
Town Marshal George Martin was nearby and fired twice as the bandit made his escape. In his flight, the bandit lost his hat and revolver, though was still armed with a rifle. Marshal Martin mounted his horse and gave chase to the west, but lost the bandit when he disappeared in a dense thicket in a remote canyon.
Several posses, numbering over 50 members, gave pursuit on horseback and in automobiles. One of the posses was lead by a woman, Frances Studley, who was known as a fine horsewoman and sharpshooter with her repeating rifle.
In the afternoon the bandit’s horse was found. The horse had been hired from a stable in San Rafael the day before the robbery and was likely used while planning the heist and escape route. The horse was returned and then rehired before the robbery. Butler had noticed the man loitering around the bank and the depot earlier in the week.
The heist? $431 and the bank was fully insured! Butler was credited with preventing the outlaw from netting more. The San Francisco Chronicle reported two years later that the robber still had not been apprehended.
Today, the story of the robbery of the Bank of San Anselmo still has the power to excite the town’s residents. When docents from the San Anselmo Historical Museum lead historical walking tours for B 2nd grade students, the story of the robbery captivates the youngsters and is always their favorite part of the tour.