JAIL
Maximum Security Cell?

A log cabin might not look like much of a jail, but if you stepped inside, you'd notice a few security features unlike those found in any other building in Garnet.. The log ceiling and log floor prevented prisoners from digging out. One small window let light in.

The jail opened its doors as Garnet's saloons welcomed the new gold rush in 1897. This cabin probably served as a drunk tank more than anything else. The miners union presided over a Miner's Court to handle disputes. Thieves and other serious criminals were packed off to Deer Lodge or Missoula for prosecution. Frank Kearn owns the dubious distinction of being the only recorded inmate. His drunken spree led to a night in jail for killing a dog.

Jail Remodel: Home Sweet Home
Garnet settlers always preferred to recycle buildings rather than start from scratch. The jail could have stood idle after the Garnet boom subsided. Instead, when miners returned during the Depression era of the 1930s, someone spotted the jail as a stout home in need of extra windows and amenities. The last resident, Mr. Stoddard, lived here in the early 1960s while collecting weather data.

Other Stories
Gold In The Garnets
Chinese Presence
Town of Garnet Named in 1897
Family Living in a Gold Mining Town?
Riches Fade
Saving Garnet Ghost Town
Kelly's Saloon
J. K. Wells Hotel
Davey's General Store
Ole's Tavern
Dahl Cabin
Blacksmith Shop
Garnet School
Miners Union Hall
Adams House
Honeymoon Cabin
Warren Park
Highlights from interview with Mary Jane Morin, June 11, 1999
Letter from Hills Bros. Coffee to Mrs. Adams
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Copyright © 2000, Garnet Preservation Association and Bureau of Land Management of Montana