San Rafael Historic Walking Tour
1321 Fourth Street - Tocsin
From "San Rafael Illustrated", 1884
Built in 1871 for Upton M. Gordon as part of the Gordon Block to house the Gordon Bank. When he died suddenly in 1888, a silent partner in the bank, A.P. Hotaling took over. The bank was renamed the Bank of A.P. Hotaling and Co. In 1910 it became the Bank of San Rafael.
The Marin County Tocsin was founded in July 1879 as a weekly newspaper, in direct competition with the Marin Journal, which had started in 1861. The Tocsin was favored by the more liberal community members as a relief from the conservative-leaning Journal. The Tocsin ran its publication from the second floor of Gordon's Bank Building.
The Marin County Tocsin was founded in July 1879 as a weekly newspaper, in direct competition with the Marin Journal, which had started in 1861. The Tocsin was favored by the more liberal community members as a relief from the conservative-leaning Journal. The Tocsin ran its publication from the second floor of Gordon's Bank Building.
c. 1976
In 1900, a third newspaper was started, the San Rafael Independent, and by 1918 the publisher of the Tocsin realized there wasn't enough business to support all three. In July 1918, it published its last issue. In 1948, the publisher of the Independent acquired the Journal and became the Independent-Journal.
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Boyd Gate House
1125 B Street, San Rafael
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