[5] The depot became the town hub and he subsequently opened a laundromat and started The Pinole Weekly Times newspaper.

[5] The beginnings of the bank were in 1905 when E.M. Downer began offering financial services to his acquaintances from a floor safe in his office.

[5] This was a great convenience to the residents because the closest bank at the time was at the Contra Costa County seat at Martinez, 13 miles (21 km) away.

[4] Mechanics Bank served Standard Oil, Santa Fe Railroad, the Ford Motor Company and their employees during this period.

[4][5] Over 70,000 new residents were attracted to the city largely to the Richmond Kaiser Shipyards and other World War II home front industries (see Rosie the Riveter National Park).

[4] This was followed by later additions of Mechanics Bank offices in San Francisco, El Dorado Hills, Elk Grove, Roseville, and Lafayette.

[7] In 2009 during the global financial crisis the bank refused 60 million dollars in bailout money (TARP).

In September 2014 Texas billionaire Gerald J. Ford disclosed a tender offer to buy 51% of the bank[9] which was accepted.