| City/Town: • Wheaton |
| Location Class: • Jail |
| Built: • N/A | Abandoned: • N/A |
| Status: • Abandoned |
| Photojournalist: • Billy Wade |
The Wheaton Jail is an amazingly preserved example of a single cell jail from the early 1900s. These small jails were typically made of concrete, built to last decades and deter the most rambunctious prisoners from escaping. These cells were oftentimes called calabooses, hoosegows, or bastilles along with city jail.
These were used o hold criminals that committed smaller crimes such as drunkenness, petty theft, and disturbing the peace. Most were discontinued throughout the 1930-50 when they were used almost solely as drunk tanks. Comfort was not in the design plans for these tiny jails, prisoners melted in the blistering heat and most of the time had nothing but wool blankets in the winter. If the city had enough money when the jail was built some included a heated stove but not many.
Gallery Below of Wheaton Jail
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