Sometimes strong, sometimes weak: Old West jail construction varied widely
By J. M. Moynahan One of the early buildings in many western towns was the jail. These structures...
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Category: Back Story
History tells the dark story of risk at prisons and jails during pandemics
Old Prisons As people and governments around the world began to deal with the grim reality that...
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What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas… unless it’s an old jail, in which case it may be moved to Henderson
Old Prisons Exactly where this old strap-iron jail cell originated is not known, but it spent some...
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Montana’s first jail is in Bannack, the town that hanged its sheriff
By J.M. Moynahan “They’ve hanged the sheriff!” “They’ve hanged the...
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Part 1: The ‘damned old gaol’ in Wyoming Territory
EDITOR’S NOTE: There is speculation about whether Polly Bartlett really murdered guests at the Inn...
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Part 2: The ‘damned old gaol’ in Wyoming Territory
EDITOR’S NOTE: In Part I the author shared the early history of South Pass City, Wyoming,...
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Rich lore in California’s online archives
California became the USA’s 31st state on September 9, 1850 – and registered its first “convict...
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