Telluride in San Miguel County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Mahr Building
1892
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 18, 2025
1. Mahr Building Marker
Butch Cassidys first bank robbery
June 24, 1889
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Events. A significant historical date for this entry is June 24, 1889.
Location. 37° 56.248′ N, 107° 48.688′ W. Marker is in Telluride, Colorado, in San Miguel County. It is on West Colorado Avenue just east of North Fir Street, on the right when traveling west. The marker is mounted on the front door of the Mahr Building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 131 West Colorado Avenue, Telluride CO 81435, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Western Slope. It is also in the American Mountain West, in Colorado Plateau, and at the Four Corners. Globally, it is in North America, the Rocky Mountains, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Mexicos Alta California.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: First County Courthouse Site (within shouting distance of this marker); The Great Waggoner Swindle
this page online
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker.
Also see . . .
1. Mahr Building (Atlas Obscura).
Excerpt: This otherwise unremarkable ski town building marks the site of Butch Cassidy's first robbery. Every famous criminal has to start somewhere and for Butch Cassidy (at the time, simply a petty thief with dreams of outlaw status) that beginning occurred at the San Miguel Valley Bank on June 24, 1889. Following a plan devised by accomplice Matt Warner, Cassidy and his brother-in-law robbed the Telluride bank for $20,000. Warner simply walked into the bank and placed his gun under the teller's nose while Cassidy robbed the place and the brother-in-law watched(Submitted on January 3, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)the horses.Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 18, 20252. Mahr Building MarkerThe marker is mounted on the front door of the Mahr Building.
The San Miguel Valley Bank burned down a few years after the robbery and was replaced by the current Mahr Building which stands in its place, housing both commercial and residential space. The pivotal role of the location is remembered by a plaque denoting the robbery.
2. Butch Cassidy (Wikipedia).
Excerpt: Robert LeRoy Parker (April 13, 1866 November 7, 1908), better known as Butch Cassidy, was an American train and bank robber and the leader of a gang of criminal outlaws known as the "Wild Bunch" in the Old West.(Submitted on January 3, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Cassidy led a cowboy's life in Wyoming Territory and Montana Territory before moving to Telluride in 1887, where he met Matt Warner, the owner of a racehorse. Cassidy's first bank robbery took place on June 24, 1889, when he, Warner, and two of the McCarty brothers robbed the San Miguel Valley Bank in Telluride. The robbers stole around $21,000 (equivalent to $735,000 in 2024), after which they fled to the Robbers Roost, a remote hideout in the southeastern corner of Utah Territory.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, July 18, 2025
3. The Mahr Building
Credits. This page was last revised on February 8, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 1, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 60 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on January 3, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
