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durant city jail, oklahoma tiny jails, oklahoma calabooses

Durant City Jail

City/Town:
Location Class:
Built: 1937 | Abandoned: Unknown
Status: Private Property
Photojournalist: Cathy Brock
Durant City Jail
Durant City Jail ca. ~1970s

The Durant City Jail is one of my favorite jails in the State of Oklahoma. The history of it plays a big part but the look of the building intrigues me greatly! If you drive through the streets of Durant and come across it on a sunny day it will nearly blind you. The beaming white building bears the name “City Jail” above the front door.

Guy B. Maxey was deemed the Superintendent of the project that oversaw construction in 1938. L. Varner Stinson was the enginner of the project and a crew of twenty men joined them for the three month job. The old city barn was on the lot beforehand and the first order of business was getting it moved by crane. The cost of the building after all said and done was estimated to be $7,000, the city sponsored $2,500 of this. This number later increased to $12,000 and the city putting up $3,000. The rest of the money was received through the Works Progress Administration.

It is constructed of reinforced concrete with two jail sections, one for men and one for women. It also would have two office spaces for the Chief of Police and another for the Jailer. The stories for this jail are not lacking and I want to be able to share as many of them below.


Admitted Army Deserter Arrested By City Police June 16, 1950 –  A 22-year-old admitted army deserter was in the Durant City Jail today after being arrested by Durant City Police Sunday night on charges of passing bogus checks. T.P. White, a resident of New York State will probably be turned over to army authorities within a few days.

Bogus Check Charge Faces Muskogee Man July 22, 1943 – Now in the Durant City Jail, William S. Riley, Muskogee Indian Wednesday was charged here with cashing a $12 bogus check at the Selected Investment Corp.

OU Glee Club to Sing In Durant’s City Jail March 28, 1949 – The University of Oklahoma Glee Club will sing here at the city jail at 8 pm tomorrow. The glee club, composed of some 60 members under the direction of Chester Francis, is touring the southeastern part of Oklahoma.

Space Runs Out In City Jail January 17, 1955 – Space ran out in the Durant City Jail after 28 arrests by the city police force Saturday night. Two men arrested in the early morning hours Sunday had to be lodged in the Bryan County jail. Police Chief John Farrell reported today after one of the heaviest weekends in Durant history. All of the violators were not stacked in the small municipal jail at one time, as some miscreants made cash bonds and were released before later ones came in. “We even had two volunteers when two drunks staggered up to the jail and requested overnight accommodations,” Farrell said. “We accepted them.”

Violations ranged from drunkenness, reckless driving and drag racing to possession of liquor. Speeders and drunks appeared to be on a rampage Saturday night. Both prowl cars were operated all night and several races before arresting violators. “We chased one speeder at 100 miles an hour out onto the highway before overhauling him but caught two drag races on Main street before they had gone three blocks. The drag racers from Dallas forfeited $10 cash bonds when their case was called by Mayor Charles Fuller today. Others paid fines ranging up to $20.

Durant Jail Full: 19 Drunks Nabbed September 19, 1955 – The Durant City Jail reported a full house over the weekend when 25 arrests were made by the city police. Nineteen of the arrests were for public drunkenness, five for speeding, and one for reckless driving. Nine of the drunkenness arrests were made on  Sunday. Police Chief John Farrell said the weekend was the busiest for local policemen since the long Labor Day Weekend when a total of 46 arrests were made.


durant city jail, oklahoma tiny jails, oklahoma calaboosesIn 1962 the jail underwent improvements with the cells, floors and walls all being repainted. Its unsure exactly when the jail ceased being used but appears to have been repurposed after.

In 2016 it was announced that respected Choctaw Artist Janie Umsted and her husband had purchased the building for $66,500. Her plans were to turn it into an art gallery although its unknown if this ever came to fruition.




Bibliography

SOURCES

https://www.newspapers.com/image/742976316/?match=1&terms=%22durant%20city%20jail%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/902604027/?match=1&terms=%22durant%20city%20jail%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/748368227/?match=1&terms=%22durant%20city%20jail%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/707565438/?match=1&terms=%22durant%20city%20jail%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/789511289/?match=1&terms=%22durant%20city%20jail%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/788623247/?match=1&terms=%22durant%20city%20jail%22

https://www.newspapers.com/image/666574920/?match=1&terms=%22durant%20city%20jail%22

https://www.kxii.com/content/news/Old-Durant-jail-to-become-new-art-gallery-390512361.html

Durant City Jail
Emily Cowan

Emily is a two-time published author of "Abandoned Oklahoma: Vanishing History of the Sooner State" and "Abandoned Topeka: Psychiatric Capital of the World". With over two hundred published articles on our websites. Exploring since 2018 every aspect of this has become a passion for her. From educating, fighting to preserve, writing, and learning about history there is nothing she would rather do.

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Emily Cowan

Emily is a two-time published author of "Abandoned Oklahoma: Vanishing History of the Sooner State" and "Abandoned Topeka: Psychiatric Capital of the World". With over two hundred published articles on our websites. Exploring since 2018 every aspect of this has become a passion for her. From educating, fighting to preserve, writing, and learning about history there is nothing she would rather do.

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