FALLS CITY

This metal cage was transported from Falls City to the grounds of the Courthouse Museum in Helena where it remains today.  I was not able to find out much information about the history of this cage but it is possible that it was made by the King and Son Company of Cleveland, Ohio.  This statement is based on the fact that the first cage in nearby Helena was made by that company and the two are very similar.

This most striking similarities between the two are the front facades.  Both have doors with the typical lattice pattern made with cold riveted strap iron.  The most obvious difference to the front is the doors are hinged on opposite sides.  The sides of the Falls City cage are solid plate while the sides in Helena is of the lattice design.  The rear of the cage in Falls City has only one panel of lattice while the entire rear of the one in Helena is of that design.  Although many such cages were housed inside structures, it is not know if that was the case with this one.

Corner View

Rear View

The Falls City cage was measured at 84 inches by 84 inches (49 square feet).  The door has a massive lock mounted on a plate of iron and is 2 feet wide by 5.41 feet tall.

HELENA

Ed Blackburn, Jr. wrote a book entitled “Wanted: Historic County Jails of Texas” that was published in 2006 by Texas A&M University Press. He (Blackburn 2006:188) states that the first jail in the county was in Helena, an iron cell that measured only 10′ x 10′ (100 square feet).  It was built by the King and Son Company of Cleveland, Ohio at a cost of $2,200.  Construction was completed in 1876, and it was shipped to Helena by train.  Before the arrival of this jail, the Sheriff routinely had prisoners put in irons made by the local Blacksmith.

Corner View

Side and Rear View

Apparently, there was a later jail that contained more than one cage because Blackburn states that the the cells from the Helena jail were moved to the new county seat at Karnes City.   Soon after the arrival of the cells in Karnes City, the Diebold Safe and Lock Company was hired to build a jail salvaged from the Helena cages. The cage that stands today on the grounds of the Courthouse Museum was measured at 78″ x 78″ (42.42 square feet), much smaller than the one Blackburn refers to as being 100 square feet.  Therefore, it might be one of the cages that was used in the Karnes City jail.   In 1957, a new jail was built on the courthouse square in Karnes City.

This picture of the abandoned Helena courthouse taken in 1967 depicts a small wooden building behind the courthouse.  This was the calaboose that housed the strap iron jail shown above.

Darryl Pearson found this picture of the Helena courthouse that he believes was taken in the 1960s or 1970s.  It appears that it was taken after 1967 since the steps appear to have been restored.  The metal cage was sitting in the general area as the wooden building in 1967.