Kinney County

 

Bracketville

This one-man cell or cage was made by a local Blacksmith for the purpose of transporting prisoners.  The bars are two-inch metal riveted at the joints.  This cage is on display at Fort Clark.  It is not clear from the information presented if this is a replica or an original artifact.


Spofford
Spofford

Spofford was named after C. K. Spofford who opened a hotel in town shortly afterthe railroad came through in 1882. The town grew around the hotel and they were granted a post office in 1884. By 1896. the first school was built and census data lists 100 residents in 1900. Over time, the town declined in population and importance.  During the middle of the 1970s, there were only 54 residents in the town.

This cage on a rural county road in Kinney County.  It is a very well built and stout metal cage that consists of two cells side-by-side.  The wall in the front and those on the sides are solid metal plates.  The rear wall is perforated (much like the doors) for ventilation and light.It rests on a concrete slab.  If this cage is in its original location the slab suggests to me that it was once inside a structure, probably made of wood.  Examples of metal cages inside structures are present in Crawford (McLennan County), Nixon and Weimar (Colorado County).  If that is the case, this cage would also be included as a calaboose.  The photos were taken by Darryl Pearson in 2014.

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View of Cell Doors

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Concrete Slab

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General Location of Cage

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