LASR.net Homepage

Menu


The 3rd "Old Jail"


category : Pioneer Life
The 3rd This imposing structure on the north side of the square was built at a cost of $16,000 in 1874 (two years before Custer's Last Stand). The front was used for county offices, with the massive limestone jail in the rear. Iron balls were inserted in recesses between layers of stone to prevent their movement. Old time sheriffs occupied the upper floor as living quarters.

A 12-foot scaffold was built in front of the jail for its first execution in 1877. A crowd of nearly 5,000 filled the square to see murderer, Sam Orr, "Jerked to Jerusalem" as the local paper reported! Two other men were later hanged on the east side of the building, Charlie Seaton in 1891, and Ed Bateman in 1906. With the invention of the electric chair, executions were moved to the state penitentiary in Jefferson City and Missouri sheriffs were no longer faced with this grisly task in their own counties.


Come visit us in Mt. Vernon, Missouri

Attractions and Upcoming Events

The 2nd "Old Jail"

The county's first log jail burned in 1854, and a brick structure was built on Walter Street a block west of the square. It is presently undergoing reconstruction for historical preservation. It was used until 1868, and had an original cost of $3,500.

Mt. Vernon, MO Pioneer Life

Harold Bell Wright

Many know that Harold Bell Wright's, "Shepherd of the Hills" was the most widely read book of fiction in the history of publishing! Few know, however, that many of the places, events, and characters are based on actual models. There really was an "old shepherd of Mutton Hollow,&

Mt. Vernon, MO Famous People

Rebel's Bluff

Mt. Vernon, MO

Big Spring

When the Moore family first settled there, there were Indian camps all along the bottom land. This spring puts out up to 13 million gallons of water a day, and has been a popular family picnic site for over a hundred years. It is located just beyond Rebel's Bluff and Old Shepherd'

Mt. Vernon, MO Archaeology

City Parks

Williams Creek Park and the "Spirit of 76" Recreation Complex - Mt. Vernon's largest and newest park is the "Spirit of 76"

Mt. Vernon, MO Recreation

Things to do Pioneer Life near Mt. Vernon, MO

The 3rd "Old Jail"

The 2nd "Old Jail"