PIONEER VILLAGE MUSEUM-BCHS

The Dallas Jail

 

The Dallas Jail was built in 1903 by Andrew Anderson and Anton Nelson. In October of 1972, the jail was dismantled so that it could be brought to the Barron Museum. It was reassembled and finished in 1973.

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In the Jail, there is only one big cell. All the people were put together in one cell, unlike modern times in which prisoners have separate cells. The floors and walls are concrete. Prisoners had only a bucket in their cell for a bathroom.

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There were only two very small windows for the prisoners in the jail to look out of. There was no way to escape because the windows had steel bars across them. A jailer stood guard at all times.

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The prisoners who misbehaved in the jail were put into "stocks". A stock is a wooden device, which would immobilize the head and hands. The prisoner must maintain a kneeling position in order to fit into the stock. This was very embarrassing for the prisoners. Some of these beatings were witnessed by other prisoners and the community members.