Few shoppers at Gene Hiller Menswear in downtown Sausalito are aware there is a jail cell in the basement.
The cell dates to the time when the building at 729 Bridgeway was the home of Sausalito City Hall. It was used to temporarily detain suspects until they could be safely transferred to the county jail in downtown San Rafael.
Today, the former cell is used for storage and is not open to the public. For years, it was a highlight of field trips for local third graders hosted by the Sausalito Historical Society.
The historical society is currently celebrating the 15-year anniversary of its schools program with an exhibit in its gallery on the top floor of today's City Hall at 420 Litho Street.
The exhibit will be available through early September on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month from noon to 3:00 p.m.
This edition of Time Capsule was contributed by Larry Clinton of the Sausalito Historical Society. Clinton is also the editor of the Floating Times.
A murder suspect at the door to his cell in this 1947 photo from the Sausalito News