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Jails were some
of the first public buildings erected in Texas - occasionally built
with the same bond issue money as county courthouses. After construction
however, they received minimal funds for modernization . Stories have
been told of sympathetic sheriffs who would release prisoners because
of leaking roofs.
Texas' landscape is dotted with these brick fortresses and grim crenelated
castles - many of them still in use after more than 100 years. Medieval
and primitive they may appear, but many housed the sheriff and his
family as well as local miscreants and villains.
Here are some of Texas' more picturesque 19th and 20th century county
jails. |
Albany,
former Shackelford County Jail Feature
Alice
- Jim Wells County Jail
Alpine,
former Brewster County Jail
Andrews
- former Andrews County Jail
Archer
City, former Archer County Jail
Arp
- Calaboose
Athens,
former Henderson County Jail
Baird,
Callahan County, old and new jails
Ballinger,
former Runnels County jail
Bandera,
Bandera County former jail
Bastrop
- Bastrop County Old Jail
Baytown,
Chambers/Harris Counties, former Goose Creek Jail
Beaumont
- Former Jefferon County jail
Bellville
- Former Austin County Jail
Belton
- Former Bell County Jail
Benjamin,
Knox County, former jail
Best
Jail - Reagan County Feature
Blanco
- 1877 Old Blanco County Jail
Boerne,
Kendall County Jail
Brackettville,
Kinney County Jail
Brady,
McCulloch County Jail Feature
Brownfield
- Terry County's First Jail Feature
Brownsville
- Cameron County Jails
Brownwood
- Brown County Jail Museum
Burnet
- Former Burnet County Jail Feature
Cameron,
Milam County Jailhouse and the Jailhouse Ghost
Canadian,
Hemphill County old jail
Carbon
Old Jail
Carrizo
Springs - Dimmit County Jail
Carthage,
Former Panola County jail
Center,
Shelby County, former jail
Chillicothe,
Former City Jail
Clairemont,
Kent County old jail
Clairemont
Jail
Clarksville,
Red River County Jail
Claude,
Armstrong County Jail
Coldspring,
Old San Jacinto County Jail
Coleman,
Coleman County Jail Feature
Columbus
- Colorado County Jail
Comanche,
Comanche County jail
Corpus
Christi, Nueces County old jail
Corsicana
City Jail
Dallas
County Jail Feature
Decatur,
Wise County Jail - Old Stone Prison Feature
Del
Rio, Val Verde County Jail Feature
Dell
City, Hudspeth county
Desdemona,
Eastland County old jail
Dickens,
Dickens County Jail
Eagle
Pass, Maverick County Jail
East
Bernard - Old Holding Cell
Eastland
- former Eastland County Jail
Edna - Jackson County Jail
Eldorado
- former Schleicher County Jail
Fairfield
- Freestone County former jail
Farwell
- Parmer County Jail
Floresville
- Wilson County Jail, Floresville Jail Museum
Floydada
- Floyd County Jail
Fort
Davis - Jeff Davis County Jail
Fort
Griffin
Fort
Stockton, Pecos County, Pecos County Jail
Franklin
- Robertson County Jail
Fredericksburg,
Gillespie County jail
Frio
Town - The 1872 Frio County Old Jail Rare photos
Gail
- Former Borden County Jail Feature
Gainesville
- Cooke County Jail
Garden
City, former Glasscock County jail
Georgetown,
Williamson County old jail
Glen
Rose - Somervell County Jail
Goldsmith,
former city jail
Goldthwaite
- Mills County jail
Gonzales
- Gonzales County jail Feature
Graham
- Young County Jail Feature
Granbury,
Hood County old jail
Groveton,
Trinity County jail
Guthrie
- King County jail
Hallettsville
- The Old Lavaca County Jail Feature
Hamilton,
Hamilton County jail Feature
Hartley
- First Hartley County Jail
Hebbronville
- Jim Hogg County Jail
Helena
- Strap Iron Jail
Hemphill
- Former Sabine County Jail Feature
Henderson,
Rusk County jail
Henrietta,
former Clay county jail
Hidalgo
County Jail, Edinburg Texas
Hidalgo
- Former Hidalgo County Jail
Hillsboro,
Former Hill County jail Feature
Holliday
Hondo,
Medina County Jail
Johnson
City, Blanco County Jail Feature
Jourdanton
- Atascosa County Jail
Junction
- Kimble County Jail
Kemp
- Once held Bonnie Parker
Kirbyville
- Former Jail
Kyle
City Jail - old jail and sign
La
Grange - Former Fayetter County JailFeature
Centerville
- Leon County Jail
Llano,
Llano County jail
Lockhart
- Former Caldwell County Jail Feature
Lubbock,
Lubbock County Jail
Marathon,
former Brewster County jail
Marfa,
Presidio County, jail and water tower
Mason,
Mason County jail
Matador
- Motley County Jail
McKinney,
Collin County Prison
Menard
- Menard County Jail Feature
Mobeetie,
Wheeler County Jail
Montague,
Montague County Jail
Montgomery
- Old Montgomery County Iron Cage Jail
Mount
Vernon, Franklin County jail
Navasota,
Grime County, former jail
New
Boston, Bowie County old jail
Oakville
- Former Live Oak County Jail
Paducah
- Former Cottle County Jail
Palestine,
Anderson County Jail
Palo
Pinto County Jail
Pearsall,
Frio County Jail Feature
Port
Lavaca, Former Calhoun County jail, razed
Quanah,
former Hardeman County jail
Richmond,
former Fort Bend County jail
Robert
Lee - Former Coke County jail Feature
Roby,
Fisher County Jail
Rockport
- Aransas County Jail
Rocksprings
- Edwards County Jail
Rockwall
- Rockwall County Jail
Rusk
Prison House
San
Augustine County Jail
San
Elizario - Former El Paso County Jail
San
Jacinto County Jail
San
Marcos - Former Hays County Jails
San
Saba County Jail Feature
Schleicher
County Jail
Seymour
- Former Baylor County Jail
Silverton
- Former Briscoe County Jail
Skellytown
jail
Snyder,
Scurry County Jail of 1912 Feature
Somerville
City Jail
Sonora,
Sutton County Jail
Sour
Lake Iron Cage Jail
Spofford
- Strap-iron Jail
Stanton,
Martin County Jail Feature
Sterling
City - Sterling County Jail
Stockdale
City Jail
Sweetwater,
Nolan County old jail
Throckmorton,
former Throckmorton County jail
Tilden,
McMullen County Jail
Van Horn - Former Culberson County Jail
Vernon
Texas - Former Wilbarger County Jail
Waller
County Jail
Wardville
- Johnson County 1854 Jail
Waxahachie,
Ellis County old jail Feature
Wheeler,
Wheeler County old jail
Wichita
Falls - 1890 Wichita County Jail
Woodville
- Tyler County jail
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Texas
Jailbreaks and Jail Related Articles
A Jail Without Walls by Michael Barr
Another
Slow Night at the Blanco County Jail by Michael Barr
In
and Out of the Old Gillespie County Jail by Michael Barr
Gillespie County jailbreaks
Bullet
Riddled Buddies by Clay Coppedge
The escape from the infamous “Death House” at Huntsville...
'Tumbleweeds'
took outlaws to prison by Delbert Trew
Among the more famous conveyances adapted and used by man were the
"tumbleweed wagons." Actually, they were only common canvas covered
farm wagons put to use hauling captured prisoners being taken to
the Fort Smith prison...
The
Haunting of the Old Travis County Jail by Mike Cox
Harvey, 34, had the distinction of being the last of nine men legally
hanged in the castle-like stone jail, built for $100,000 in 1876
at the corner of 11th and Brazos streets — present location of the
Dewitt C. Greer Building, headquarters of what is now the Texas
Department of Transportation.
The
Huntsville Humdinger and the Texas Prison Rodeo by Mike Cox
When the Huntsville Humdinger hit the streets that Monday, the feisty
four-column competitor of the long-established Huntsville Item carried
on page one a humdinger of a local scoop: The prison system would
be starting a rodeo that fall. On Sept. 4, 1931...
Bertillion
Method early way to track criminals by Delbert Trew
I take great pleasure in learning a new word, a little-known fact
or hearing a story I have not heard before. In the book "Texas Gulag"
by Gary Brown, the history of Texas prisons, jails and even the
early-day chain gangs is presented from the years 1875 to 1925.
The book outlined in detail how criminals were identified as they
processed through the old systems.
Old-time
improvisation in branding and jailing by Delbert Trew
Pearl
by Mike Cox ("Texas Tales" column)
He has the singular distinction of being the first and last man
legally hanged in the county.
The
Double Hanging at Bellville in 1896 by Norman Conquest
Sheriff
Fenton of Coleman County and His Larger Than Life Wife by John
Troesser
The
Infamous East Texas Sewing Needle Jail Break by John Troesser
The
not so great escapes by Clay Coppedge
Study
on Prisoner Re-entry in Texas by Peary Perry
Houston
1984 History cartoon by Roger Todd Moore
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