Leonard
This calaboose is located in downtown Leonard, Texas. According to local informants, it was constructed in 1919 at a cost of approximately $300. It is not depicted on the Sanborn Fire Insurance Map dated October 1919, the only map available at the time of this study. It is made of concrete using the “poured in place” method. The interior and exterior surfaces were covered with plaster. This structure faces north and on the front there is a metal door with vertical bars and a metal window with vertical bars. Windows are present on each wall of the cell and a fourth window is on the south wall of the main room. The door and windows had awnings as protection from the weather. The ones present today were added during a renovation in 1997 by Joe Sudderth. As part of the renovation, a concrete threshold was added to the base of the door to prevent water from entering the jail. It is 117 square feet in size. The door measures 30 inches across and 6 feet high and the windows measure 12 inches by 25.6 inches. The walls are 9 inches thick. In 1930, repairs were made to the jail and plumbing was installed. The workers who made the repairs etched the date (July 28, 1930) into the concrete grout on the front of the jail. At the time of my visit, the only plumbing present was a toilet but it was not inside the cell. The jail is divided into two rooms. The room on the right contains the toilet and the cell is on the left is partitioned by metal bars. The cell is 71 inches by 84 inches in size. This structure conforms to Floor Plan 1c (see Floor Plans). It has been recorded at TARL as historic site 41FN146.
Trenton
Trenton, Texas is a railroad town in Fannin County that was established when the Missouri, Kansas, and Texas Railroad arrived in the 1880s. The town was platted by Dr. W. C. Holmes (also known as the “Father of Trenton”) who was a pioneer physician and editor of the Trenton Tribune. In its early days, during the early part of the 20th century, the area was sparsely populated with only 300 residents. The first calaboose was erected adjacent to the railroad and destroyed when several youths attached it to the train as a prank. When the train pulled out it dragged the calaboose until it fell apart. A replacement jail was constructed in the 1930s by City Marshall D. H. Glenn. The second calaboose was placed in a different location so that a similar prank could not be repeated. In 1976, during the Texas Bicentennial, it was returned to the original site on the northeast corner of Pearl and Saunders streets. The walls were constructed with 2 x 6 foot boards lying flat on top of each board. Tin was used for the walls and roof. Only one small window on the rear wall is present for light and ventilation. The roof is an example of the pyramidal style.
The above information was provided by Tom Mac Holmes Editor of the Trenton Tribune. Mr. Holmes does not know when the original calaboose was built or what it looked like. The photo used here is used courtesy of Jamie Davis who lives in Trenton. I did not visit this calaboose. Therefore, I don’t know if the inside is an empty room or if there is a cell present. Also, its size is not known. There were no Sanborn maps at the agencies visited for Trenton, Texas at the time of this study. I have not seen the interior of this calaboose. The floor plan is most likely 1a or 1c (see Floor Plans). It has been recorded at TARL as historic site 41FN145.