I will be giving a talk to the Grapevine, Texas Historical Society on Monday (October 26) about my calaboose research.  It will be at the Grapevine public library at 7:00 p.m. and last one hour.  I will be glad to remain after for questions.

Today, I met a man who spent a night in the Caldwell, Texas calaboose.  His story is posted on that page on this website.  I will be adding to it after we talk some more.  That is me in the picture.

During a casual conversation with a stranger I was told that there was a tiny jail in Hidalgo.  I searched “Hidalgo Images” and found this picture.  Now, I need to document it.  Pretty elaborate and high ceiling.

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It is really special when readers of my website write and offer information.  Sue Larza is a resident of Linden and she wrote today and shared information about jails in her town.  She mentioned a metal cage that dates to 1855 as well as discussing the brick building that I believe is a calaboose. The metal cage reference is the first mention of one in Cass County.  Thanks Sue.

Rhonda Holley and I found this interesting building in Barksdale (Edwards County).  At first glance, I knew it had to be a calaboose.  Upon closer inspection, I was not sure because it was different than any others I have seen.  When I talked to Pat Rogers, a resident of Camp Wood and employee of the local Chamber of Commerce, she did not think it could have been a jail.  Today, she sent email saying that it was “with a Sheriff and all.”  One never knows.  This photo is on the website and more information will be added later.

Pam Price of Grapevine, Texas sent me this article from Texas Highways.  The author spent time in that town and commented that their calaboose was most interesting.  This shows to me that there are others like me who appreciate these little buildings.

There have been 23 new counties added to the distribution map.  It has been changed to reflect all counties with calabooses, present or gone.

Last week, I set out to record two calabooses and a metal cage in the area around Graham, Texas (Young County).  It was a very eventful trip as I not only visited and documented calabooses in Rochester (Haskell County), Goree (Knox County), and a metal cage that had been moved from Albany to Knox City (Knox County), I also discovered two calabooses that were unknown to me at the time.  They are a metal cage inside a very small room that is part of City Hall in Rochester and a stone calaboose in Jayton (Kent County).  In addition, I visited two jails that I had not realized were within driving distance of my hotel in Graham.  These are the wonderful sandstone jail in the ghost town of Claremont (Kent County) and a very nice rock jail in poor condition in Appermont (Stonewall County).  I also documented several suspicious structures and a most unusual concrete structure that was a gift to the town by the Demosthenean Literary Society in 1922.  This is a very old organization that is still active.

The jails and calabooses I visited are being added to my website and they should all be posted in a day or so.

Most everything I do involves help from someone albeit a minor contribution.  The size of this calaboose project could not have reached its current level without help from lots of folks.  I spent last night and part of day revising my acknowledgments that are by no means totally complete.  Sometimes, I just wrote down a name and later forgot what that person actually did but I am most grateful to anyone and everyone who has been a part of this project.  There was the man in Miles who was working in his yard and when I casually mentioned why I was driving through his town he told me about the calaboose on city property “over there a few blocks.”  I remember that trip well because I was returning from giving a talk on calabooses to the historical society in San Angelo.  They put me up in one of the original officers quarters at Fort Concho and it was a great time.  On the way home, I travelled a different route and found three calabooses that I was not aware of – Miles, Rowena, and Santa Anna.

Back to my story.  I have changed the arrangement of the Acknowledgments.  Instead of organizing the people according to the county they live in, I changed it to a listing by town.  I hope that will make it easier for my readers to find their names.

Any omissions are purely accidental and I am more than happy to make any corrections are add anyone left out by mistake.

I’m leaving tomorrow to document calabooses in Goree (Knox County) and Rochester (Haskell County) and a metal cage or cell in Knox City (Knox County).  Hopefully, I will find one I am not aware of.  I am constantly amazed at how many people in small towns do not know there is a calaboose where they live.  I was told by a city official in Rochester that there is no jail in that town.  I explained that the jails I am looking for are very small and have not been used as such for many years.  When I described the one at the water plant I was told that it was their storage building.  Actually, it is a very good example of a calaboose and I am anxious to see it in person.

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Goree

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Knox City

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Rochester