Muskogee's Three Federal Jails
Construction of the first federal jail in Muskogee occurred in conjunction with the establishment of the first federal courthouse in Indian Territory. It stood just behind the courthouse. The courthouse was located on the southwest corner of the intersection of North Second and Court Streets. The government built both in 1889. Only one man ever escaped from this jail, called the "wooden shack." It burned down in 1892. The prisoners spent time cooped up in the courthouse until the construction of the next jail.
The federal government built the replacement for the first jail on the west side of North Third Street, about three blocks away. There, the cellblock stood at the center of an exercise yard. A fence with an elevated guard walk surrounded the yard. In twelve years, there was only one escape from this facility, too.
The last federal jail in Muskogee stood on the northeast corner of Court and North Third Streets. It opened September 19th, 1904. It cost the United States government $40,000 to build.
The new jail was one of three in Indian Territory. The other two were near the US Courthouses in Vinita and South McAlester. Statehood brought about the creation of counties and county jails. Many inmates in federal jails went to the counties shortly afterwards. The federal government abolished all federal jails in Oklahoma in1911.
The modern (1904) facility consisted of eighteen cells in the main room. There were additional cells for special situations. The concrete floor was an improvement over earlier wooden jails.
There were, for example, two hospital cells. One was for men; the other served women. The jail needed these cells. In 1902, a woman gave birth to a daughter while serving a year's sentence for adultery in the old prison. Generally, men occupied their hospital cell because of gunshot wounds. Later stages of consumption and pneumonia resulted in men transferring to the hospital cells, too.
In 1905, the staff bragged that the prisoner death rate was one-half of one percent. This was five to six deaths per year in the jail.
Men and women occupied separate cells. A newspaper article indicates the men and women were also separated according to race.
The City of Muskogee used one cell, called the "holdover," for its prisoners. The occupants of the holdover cell were the weekend drunks and citizens working off fines.
Prisoners ate twice a day. Breakfast consisted of meat, potatoes, sauerkraut, turnips, biscuits and coffee. Occasionally, the prisoners got oatmeal, too. They ate at 8:30.
The dinner meal was the heavy one. Guards served it at 2:00 in the afternoon. It consisted of meat, potatoes, beans, cornbread, light bread, coffee and fruits. On holidays, the prisoners got turkey, chicken, more fruit and pudding.
The 1904 jail enjoyed steam heat produced in the office basement. Bare bulbs provided electric lighting throughout the cellblock. Prisoners also had lockers and used slop buckets. There was no privacy. Then, as now, incarceration was not pretty, despite the flowers planted in front of the jail.
The federal government built the replacement for the first jail on the west side of North Third Street, about three blocks away. There, the cellblock stood at the center of an exercise yard. A fence with an elevated guard walk surrounded the yard. In twelve years, there was only one escape from this facility, too.
The last federal jail in Muskogee stood on the northeast corner of Court and North Third Streets. It opened September 19th, 1904. It cost the United States government $40,000 to build.
The new jail was one of three in Indian Territory. The other two were near the US Courthouses in Vinita and South McAlester. Statehood brought about the creation of counties and county jails. Many inmates in federal jails went to the counties shortly afterwards. The federal government abolished all federal jails in Oklahoma in1911.
The modern (1904) facility consisted of eighteen cells in the main room. There were additional cells for special situations. The concrete floor was an improvement over earlier wooden jails.
There were, for example, two hospital cells. One was for men; the other served women. The jail needed these cells. In 1902, a woman gave birth to a daughter while serving a year's sentence for adultery in the old prison. Generally, men occupied their hospital cell because of gunshot wounds. Later stages of consumption and pneumonia resulted in men transferring to the hospital cells, too.
In 1905, the staff bragged that the prisoner death rate was one-half of one percent. This was five to six deaths per year in the jail.
Men and women occupied separate cells. A newspaper article indicates the men and women were also separated according to race.
The City of Muskogee used one cell, called the "holdover," for its prisoners. The occupants of the holdover cell were the weekend drunks and citizens working off fines.
Prisoners ate twice a day. Breakfast consisted of meat, potatoes, sauerkraut, turnips, biscuits and coffee. Occasionally, the prisoners got oatmeal, too. They ate at 8:30.
The dinner meal was the heavy one. Guards served it at 2:00 in the afternoon. It consisted of meat, potatoes, beans, cornbread, light bread, coffee and fruits. On holidays, the prisoners got turkey, chicken, more fruit and pudding.
The 1904 jail enjoyed steam heat produced in the office basement. Bare bulbs provided electric lighting throughout the cellblock. Prisoners also had lockers and used slop buckets. There was no privacy. Then, as now, incarceration was not pretty, despite the flowers planted in front of the jail.
Labels: Prisoners, US Federal Court, US Federal Jail
posted by Wally Waits at
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