Crawford

This calaboose is located on Lone Star Parkway (State Highway 3__) in downtown Crawford, Texas.  It is on city property behind Security Bank at 6688 North Lone Star Parkway.  According to local informants, it is in its original location.  At the time it was built, it was located outside of the old town of Crawford next to the railroad tracks.  The original building was a wooden one-room structure that housed a metal cell block consisting of two cells resting on a concrete slab.  The cells were manufactured by the Pauly Jail Building Company of St. Louis, Missouri and it is still in business today. The exact date of manufacture is not known but it is believed to be very early due to the type of construction that involved flat metal strips often referred to as strap iron.  These cells are typical of those made during the latter part of the 19^th century and possibly earlier.  They are virtually identical to the ones on display in a city park in Montgomery, Texas that were made by the same company.  The exterior of the building measures 14 feet 3 inches across the front and 12 feet on the sides (171 square feet).  The height from the ground to the top of the walls is 7 feet 5 inches.  The single wooden door is offset to the left and measures 2 feet 1 inch x 6 feet 5 inches.  There are two windows on the rear wall that measure 2 feet 6 inches across x 2 feet 3 inches high and they contain seven round metal bars placed horizontally inside a wooden frame.  The two cells are identical in construction and size (4 feet 7 inches x 6 feet 7 inches).  Each cell is 30.2 square feet in size, and the two total 60.4 square feet.  The doors are massive and contain a rectilinear opening that was used to pass food and water to the prisoners.  Each cell has two metal bed frames in bunk bed style, and they measure 2 feet x 6 feet.  Around 1999, the wooden exterior was removed and replaced with tin on the walls and roof by Daryl Nowlain and Stan Nagel. There were no Sanborn maps available for Crawford at the time of this study. This structure conforms to Floor Plan 2i (see Floor Plans).  It was recorded at TARL as historic site 41ML305.

McGregor

This calaboose is located in downtown McGregor, Texas next to the American Legion Hall at 202 South Jefferson between West 2^nd and West 3^rd streets.  It was preceded by a wood calaboose that is depicted on the Sanborn map dated 1894 (Sheet 1) was located at Avenue R & 15^th Street, a wood lockup that appears on the Sanborn map dated 1904 (Sheet 2) located at Avenue Q and 13^th Street, and a wood jail that appears on the Sanborn map dated 1922 (Sheet 3) located just east of the U.R.R.Y. Railroad near the corner of Southeast 3^rd and South Lamar streets in a vacant lot.   The exact date of the construction of the current calaboose is not known, but graffiti written on the walls by prisoners and a review of Sanborn fire insurance maps place it as having been erected sometime between 1922 and 1938.  Other Sanborn maps available were for the years 1899, 1909, and 1915.  The latest date written on the wall by one of the prisoners is 1951.  This calaboose measures 14 feet across the front and 10 feet on the sides (140 square feet).  There are two cells of equal size, 5’10” x 8’ (40.8 square feet), and there is a small glass window (40 cm high by 90 cm long) on the sides of the cells between two sets of flat iron riveted metal bars that measure 6 centimeters in width.  The doors consist of two parts; a solid metal door with a smaller door cut into it that covers a door that consists of metal bars.  The calaboose was made of concrete using the poured in place method.  The grains of the wooden boards used as a form for the ceiling are evident in the concrete ceiling.  The purpose of the holes on the front elevation is not known.  According to local residents Pat Fehler and Ronnie Moe, there were several saloons on Main Street in the 1940s.  Soldiers from Fort Hood frequented these establishments because McGregor was the nearest town where liquor was allowed and many of the occupants of the local calaboose were soldiers who were arrested by the local Constable during that time.  The city of McGregor plans to protect it.  This structure conforms to Floor Plan 2a (see Floor Plans).  It has been recorded at TARL as historic site 41ML304.

Riesel

View through Fence

This privately owned calaboose is behind the old Masonic Lodge located on the corner of Frederick and South Wiebusch streets in downtown Riesel, Texas.  According to the City Secretary, this structure was moved from its original location to its current site where it can be protected and preserved.  At the time of my visit on February 14, 2014, there was a chain link fence around the property.  The construction consists of very wide milled boards that were used to create the exterior walls.

 

Side View

The roof is slanted to the back and also consists of wide boards covered with corrugated tin.  The wooden door is very wide for such a small building.  It is connected to the building by three large metal hinges, and a metal bar across the front that can be locked provided additional security.  It appears that the wooden door was used to keep out bad weather.  There is what appears to be the remnants of a wooden well that separated two cells.  Only one metal door remans and it may be that there two of equal size that allowed entry to the two cells.  The wide opening in the middle (vertically) of the door may have been used to pass food and other objects to prisoners.  There are only two small windows on the back wall.  Each window contains three flat metal bars placed vertically. At the time of my visit, the gate to the fenced area was locked and I could not find anyone to let me in.  Recently, Darryl Pearson was there and was allowed to get inside. He measured it at 11 feet across the front and 7 feet, 2″ on the sides (77 square feet). The door is 4.5 feet wide and 6′ 4″ tall.  The pictures of the door and interior were provided by Darryl Pearson.

Window detail

 There were no Sanborn maps for this town that were available during this study.  This structure is a variation of  Floor Plan 2a  (see Floor Plans).  It has been recorded at TARL as historic site 41ML306.

Detail of Metal Door 

(Photo courtesy of Darryl Pearsons)

Detail of wall that separated the two cells

(Photo Courtesy of Darryl Pearsons)

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