Clay County Savings Association Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Clay County Savings Association Building
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Clay County Savings Association building
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 Location in Missouri
Location in the United States
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| Location | Liberty, MO |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1859 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| MPS | Liberty MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 92001675 |
| Added to NRHP | December 28, 1992 |
The Clay County Savings Association building in Liberty, Missouri, is famous for a daring event. On February 13, 1866, it was robbed in broad daylight. This makes it one of the very first recorded daytime bank robberies in history.
The robbers got away with a lot of money, at least $60,000. Sadly, a young student standing outside was also killed during the escape. Many people believe this robbery was carried out by a group of former Confederate guerrillas. This group later became known as the James–Younger Gang, possibly led by Jesse James or Archie Clement.
Contents
The Famous Bank Robbery
How the Robbery Happened
The robbery of the Clay County Savings Association was quick and well-planned. It all happened in about 15 minutes.
- On the afternoon of February 13, 1866, about ten to twelve people rode into town.
- They gathered outside the Clay County Savings Association building.
- Two of the riders went inside the bank.
- Only the head cashier, Greenup Bird, and his son, William Bird, were working.
- The men asked to change a $10 bill.
- Suddenly, they pulled out revolvers and demanded money.
- William Bird quickly filled the robbers' bag with gold, paper money, bonds, and tax stamps.
- The two Birds were then forced into the bank's vault.
- After that, the robbers left the building.
The Escape and a Tragic Loss
As the robbers got on their horses to ride away, shots were fired. It's not clear exactly why. Some say there was a struggle while getting on a horse, causing someone to shoot. Others say one of the gang members just fired for no reason.
George "Jolly" Wymore, a 19-year-old student from William Jewell College, was across the street. He was tragically killed by a bullet. The gang then rode off quickly. A group of angry townspeople, called a posse, tried to chase them. But they had trouble finding enough weapons and horses.
What Was Stolen?
The robbers took a large sum of money from the bank. They collected at least $60,000 in total. This included government bonds worth about $42,000 to $45,000. They also took $518 in tax stamps, along with gold, silver coins, and banknotes.
After the Robbery
The Search for the Robbers
The bank offered a $5,000 reward for the return of the stolen money. However, tracking the robbers was very difficult. Fresh snow covered their tracks, making it hard to follow them.
Local newspapers suggested different groups might be responsible. Some thought former Confederate bushwhackers did it. Others suspected Kansas Redlegs, another group from that time.
Later, some people in town admitted they had recognized some of the robbers. But they had kept quiet because they were scared. The robbers were never caught, and none of the money was ever found.
The Bank's Fate
Because of the huge loss, the Clay County Savings Association faced big problems. It eventually paid back its creditors only 60 cents for every dollar owed. After this, the bank had to close its doors for good.
The Historic Building Today
The Clay County Savings Association building is still standing today. You can find it at 104 East Franklin Street in Liberty, Missouri. It's just one block northeast of the Clay County Courthouse.
The building was built in 1859. It is a two-story, rectangular brick building. It was designed in the Federal style, which was popular at the time. The building has a gable roof, meaning it has two sloping sides that meet at a ridge.
Because of its history and architecture, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. This means it is recognized as an important historical site.
