Darlington Agency Jail

The Darlington Agency Jail and others like the Wichita Agency Jail were established at Indian Agencies mostly as holdover cells. The Darlington Agency was established in El Reno in 1860-70. The jail was built in 1885 at a cost of $387.

Constructed of stacked two by-fours, it has many dates, names and initials carved within the wood. The earliest date is July 10, 1889, and the latest found was 1910.

Juvenile Horse Thieves November 30, 1903 – Three El Reno boys, named Whiteside, Blackman and Rice, whose ages range from ten to thirteen years stole horses and one saddle from Indians at the Darlington Jail. The Rice boys’ mother, a widow, was at the police station looking for her wandering boy when the officers arrived with him to be put in jail, Friday.

In 1910 the jail went on to be used as a masonic home. It was then sold at an auction to a local farmer and moved about a mile away in 1922. During its time with the farmer he used it for storage and allegedly as a smoke house.

It had deteriorated badly over the decades but a local in the area recognized what it was and worked with the Canadian County Museum to facilitate the jail being moved to the museum complex on October 3, 1989. It has been restored a few times over the last 40+ years with the most recent being in 2024.

Here is a fun promotional video that the Canadian County Museum put together to talk about law history in Oklahoma and Indian Territory.

Gallery Below of Darlington Agency Jail

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