Bank Heist For Western Wednesday...!

This may come as a big shock to most folks, but bank robbery in the Old West wasn't as popular as we think!

Bank Heists Almost Never Happened

Photo credit: Wikimedia

When historians looked at the instances of bank robberies across 15 western states between 1859 and 1900, they could actually confirm fewer than 10—including two carried out by Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Most banks were built by people who had already established their reputations in town as something else, most often the owners of general stores. When banks were finally built, they were usually placed in a location that made breaking into them difficult: the center of town, with stores on either side. Iron safes were also installed, making robberies not nearly as widespread as Hollywood claims.

This total was a complete surprise to me. I figured the number would be a lot higher. Guess the bad guys found it easier to rob the trains and stage coaches. I found this article over at Listverser.

Coffee inside where it's dry. More rain coming!