HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY MISSOURI JAILS
| 1st JAIL: In March, 1815 Lionel Browne was appointed to supervise the construction of a jail. It was a temporary one room, thirteen foot square hewed log structure near the public square in the original town of Potosi. It was used only a few years when it was abandoned. It very likely resembled Bismarck's first jail. To see a picture of Bismarck's first jail click here. |
| 2nd JAIL: The second jail, a small two-story brick building, was near the first courthouse. During the early 1830's it was set on fire by a prisoner, an insane negro, destroying the jail and himself along with it. |
| 3rd JAIL: A building that later became a private residence was used as jail until 1868. |
| 4th JAIL: Another jail was constructed in 1868. It was a one story brick building with iron cells, and was about 15 feet north of the 2nd courthouse on the same lot (High & Missouri Streets). This building was also burned by an insane prisoner, Joachim Bayer, early in the spring of 1893. |
 5th JAIL: Built
in 1893 & still houses the Washington County Sheriff's Dept. Esther Carroll's
great aunt, Ida Martin Cooper, cooked for the prisoners in this
old jail during the term that her husband, Jim Cooper, was sheriff of Washington County in
the early to mid 1900's. A new modern addition (not pictured) built in 1988 now
accomodates the jail. Photographed: Spring of 1997. This building is at the corner
of High & Mine streets in Potosi. |
Potosi, Missouri ~ ~ ~ The Indepentent Journal ~ ~ ~ February 6, 1997
Look similar? When Gene & Esther Carroll were in Lynchburg, Tennessee back in December to visit the Jack Daniel Distillery they did a double-take when they drove by The Old Moore County Jail as it looks very much like our old Washington County Jail. It was even built the same year that our old jail was built - 1893. The Moore County building (left picture) was used as the jail & sheriff's office until 1990. It is presently operated as a museum by the Historical Society. Our Washington County building (right picture) which was renovated in 1988 still houses the Sheriff's Department & a large new addition now accommodates the jail.
Joseph Decelle Duclos was police commissioner at Mine Au Breton in the year 1804.
This information is from the book: Colonial Ste. Genevieve by Carl J. Ekberg
Past sheriffs of Washington County, Missouri:Lionel Browne - 1813 - 1815
(nephew of United States Vice President Aaron Burr
Lionel Browne was killed by John Smith T. in a duel 20 Sept. 1819)Daniel Dunklin - 1815 - 1821
(tavern owner in Potosi and fifth governor of Missouri)
Andrew Miller - 1821 - 1823
Samuel Brown - 1823 - 1829
Andrew Miller - 1829 - 1831
Jesse McIlvain - 1831 - 1833
James C. Johnson - 1833 - 1834
William W. Smith - 1834 - 1837
A. C. Hinkson - 1837 - 1841
P. P. Brickey - 1841 - October
W. A. Mathews - From October 1841 - 1844
S. E. Roussin - 1844 - 1846
Luke W. Burris - 1846 - 1850
Samuel A. Reyburn - 1850 - 1854
M. A. Todd - 1854 - 1858
James Long - 1858 - 1863
Thomas D. Castleman - 1863 - 1865
James C Libby - 1865 - 1867
John C. Breckenridge - 1867 - 1871
John T. Clark - 1871 - 1873
John M. Anthony - 1873 - 1877
Harrison Wallace - 1877 - 1881
L.B. Higginbotham - 1881 - 1885
John O. Long - 1885 - 1887
L. B. Higginbotham - 1886
W.J. Simmons - 1931
Stephen Richards - 1936James Cooper - 1947
Thomas B. Allen - 1949
Sonny Richards - 1980'sRon Skiles
Chris Harmon
Gary Yount
Kevin Schroeder - 2004 -
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