Lakeview
This calaboose is located in an alley between Main and Shoebar streets in downtown Lakeview, Texas. The front faces Shoebar Street to the west and the back faces Main. The exact date of the construction of this jail is not known, but the locals believe it was built circa 1925, the year that the town was incorporated. It was made of concrete using the poured in place method, and the walls are 33 centimeters thick. It measures 3.23 meters across the front and 3.15 meters on each side (109.5 square feet). The distance from the ground to the top of the walls is 2.33 meters. The door is a replacement of the original wooden door and measures 76 centimeters by 2 meters. There are two windows (one on each side) that measure 41 centimeters wide by 35 centimeters tall. The interior consists of two rooms, an entry room with a cell to the left. The wall that separates the cell from the other area was made of 2 x 4 inch boards fashioned in a checkerboard pattern that allows visibility from each side. The cell door was also wood, but it is no longer present. The cell measures 3.15 meters tall by 1.41 meters deep. This is the only calaboose where a wooden cell has been observed. The one in Plaska has wooden boards across the floor and it is possible that it also had a wooden cell. Since the size and floor plans are virtually identical they may have both been built by the same person.
According to Terry Watson, his father (B.P. Watson) told him that he remembered seeing prisoners in the jail in the 1930s, mainly on Saturday night. The owner of this jail is not known. There were no Sanborn maps at the agencies visited for Lakeview, Texas at the time of this study. This structure conforms to Floor Plan 1c (see Floor Plans). It has been recorded at TARL as historic site 41HL84.
Floor Plan for Lakeview Calaboose
Plaska
This privately owned calaboose is located on the grounds of the Plaska Hunting Lodge in the now abandoned town of Plaska, Texas. The date of the construction of this is not known, and I was unable to find a Sanborn map that covers this town at the time of this study. This structure was made using the poured in place method. The concrete was reinforced with rebar and a section of this material was observed because of the damage to one of the corners. It measures 3.67 meters across the front and 3.6 meters on the sides (142.1 square feet). The distance from the ground to the top is 2.16 meters. The interior consists of two rooms, and it is not known if they represent two cells or an entry room and one cell. Two boards are attached to the concrete floor, and these served as support for the wall that was probably made of wood (see the Lakeview calaboose discussion above).
When the roof was constructed, wooden boards were placed across the top as part of the form for the concrete. The grains of the wood are clearly visible on the ceiling. There are two small windows (30 x 41 cm) on the front and back walls. The first post office was established in 1905 when the town was called Lodge. The current name Plaska was given to the town in 1920. In 1925, the population was only 20, but it increased to 200 by the end of the decade and back to 80 residents in 1939. The demise of the town was caused by the Great Depression and an improved highway that allowed other areas to flourish. In 1954, only a gin and store remained, and the population in 2000 was only 28. Today, it is a virtual ghost town. This structure conforms to Floor Plan 1c (see Floor Plans). It has been recorded at TARL as historic site 41HL85.
Turkey
This privately owned calaboose is located in the city limits of Turkey, Texas. There is no street address for the jail but it faces Reona Street to the west and is in a city block defined by Main Street to the north, Houston Street to the south, and 4th Street to the east. The exact date of the construction of this jail is not known, and I was unable to find a Sanborn Fire Insurance Map for the town of Turkey. The date 1924 is painted on the door, as that is when the locals believe it was constructed. It was made using the poured in place method and measures 2.28 meters across the front and 6.94 meters on the sides (170.2 square feet). The interior consists of two rooms. The front room is open and larger than the cell at the back. Because of the size of the front room, it is assumed that it may have also served as a lockup area. At t;he back of the structure is a small room that is defined by metal bars and a door.
The cell was identified by being able to view the interior from the only window present and it is on the rear wall. Since entry to the calaboose was not possible, we estimate that the cell is about 2.28 meters by 3.33 meters based on a change in the roof line at this distance. The window measures 34 centimeters wide and 40 centimeters tall. The metal door at the entry is massive and measures 88 centimeters wide by 2.7 meters tall. This structure conforms to Floor Plan 2f (see Floor Plans). It was recorded at TARL as historic site 41HL86.