Brenham

 The first documented calaboose in Brenham, Texas was a one-story wood structure.  It is depicted on a “Bird’s Eye View of Brenham: Washington County Texas, 1873”  in city block 3 on the same lot as a two-story brick county jail near the corner of Sandy Street and Goat Row.  Its proximity to the county jail suggests that it was built and used prior to the construction of the formal county jail.   It first appears on a Sanborn map dated 1877 (Sheet 1).  It also appears on a map entitled “Old Map -Brenham -1881 – County Jail and Calaboose,” and the “Map 1884-001 County Jail and Calaboose.”

Charles Swenson provided the information regarding the 1873, 1881, and 1884 maps.

Brenham 1873

This map can be accessed by linking to the Portal to Texas History site
http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth31150/?q=brenham

Brenham in 1877

Brenham 1881

This map can be accessed by linking to the Amon Carter Museum website

http://www.birdseyeviews.org/zoom.php?city=Brenham&year=1881&extra_info=

Brenham 1884

This map was taken from “Gray’s New Map of Brenham: Washington County, Texas

It is also present on the Portal to Texas History website and is credited by them as coming from the University of Texas at Arlington library

http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth192799/m1/1/?q=brenham

The next Sanborn map to depict the calaboose was drafted in 1885 (Sheet 3). At that time, it was located in city block 26 at 808 Quitman Street.  It is also depicted on the 1891 (Sheet 4), 1896 (Sheet 4), and 1901 (Sheet 4) maps at the same location. In 1906 (Sheet 6). it had been replaced by a two-story brick county jail and this is the only one depicted on the 1912 and 1920 maps (the last Sanborn maps for Brenham at the time of this study).

Brenham 1885

Brenham 1901

Chappel Hill

I saw a reference to a calaboose in this town but I have no more information at this time.