Okeene Jail

The Okeene Jail was celebrated when it was finished in May of 1917. Apparently the town had needed a new city jail badly according to the papers. The community came together to make it happen with the help of City Marshal, Jim Kinsley started a move whereby the businessmen of the town donated enough money to pay for the work and the city council would pay for the cement for the building.

For years the town had lost out on having fines paid by law violators on the account that there was no jail. Violators were instead taken to the county jail which meant fines went to the county instead of the city. According to an inspection report from March 11, 1920 that stated the jail in good condition with no inmates.

The jai has two cells with very large windows and the old fixtures still inside. It is unique with not many like it making it a prime candidate for restoration to keep this part of Oklahoma history alive.

Jake Shaffer Arrested On Chicken Theft Charge August 18, 1932 – Jake Shaffer was arrested and lodged in the Okeene Jail Saturday night on a charge of stealing chickens from Mrs. Ruth Morkes, his niece. Alex Thurman made the arrest. Shaffer (Shafer) had been visiting his niece that evening. Shortly after he left the house Mrs. Morkes heard some of her chickens. Going to the door she saw Shaffer leaving her chicken house. Thurman was notified and he arrested Shaffer before he could reach his house.

Sunday morning Shaffer was taken to the county jail at Watonga and Monday morning he pled guilty to a charge of stealing chickens before Judge Lookabaugh. Sentence will be passed by Judge Mitchell at a later date.

Jailed for Breaking Jail Windows September 24, 1936 – State vs J.H. Smith – Defendant is charged with the crime of breaking the windows in the Okeene Jail. He entered a plea of not guilty. J. H Smith, professed window breaker of the Okeene city jail on August 10, was returned to the county jail to await trial on a charge of destroying public property, after entering a plea of not guilty to the charge. Smith, a transient, jailed at Okeene on a minor charge allegedly smashed out all the window panes of the building.

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By the 1950s most of these calabooses had died out as they were deemed inhumane and many did not meet satisfactory conditions. The Okeene calaboose was deemed unfit in 1954 and shortly thereafter was mostly used for storage by the city.

Now this story wouldn’t be complete without some mention of rattlesnakes. Why you might ask? Because Okeene, Oklahoma for the last 85+ years has hosted the Oklahoma Rattlesnake Roundup. This jail has even seen some of the action.

Rattlers May Be Used In Law Enforcement at Okeene, Jail is Empty April 23, 1958 – The annual Okeene Rattlesnake Roundup is this weekend and Harold Smith says some of the snakes may be kept in the town all summer- as a deterrent to would-be criminals. The idea of using snakes to keep peace and order occurred last night to Smith, president of the Junior Chamber of Commerce which sponsors the snake hunt.

He said Jaycee’s bought about 400 snakes caught by hunters and put them in the city jail a week ago. A quick check showed not a single man had been jailed since that time. “The drunks have sobered up and everybody’s toeing the line. Nobody wanted to be put in there with those snakes,” he said.

Okeene Feels Recession in Snake Sales May 4, 1958 – This well-known rattlesnake capital is feeling the effects of the recession. Officers of the Okeene Junior Chamber of Commerce are having a hard time getting rid of the 3,924 rattlers caught last weekend in their annual rattlesnake roundup.

Only two snake buyers showed up for the hunt, Franklin Nault Vice president of the JCC and in years past several dozen buyers – taxidermists, zoo keepers, venom makers and other snake fanciers attended. The JCC butchered 200 rattlesnakes and netted 340 pounds of rattlesnake steak. An Amarillo Texas restaurant operator bought 70 pounds of meat.

Wayne Parker, president of the JCC said the remaining snakes were dying rapidly because of the close confinement in boxes and bags stacked in the Okeene City Jail. “We can salvage the rattles from the dead ones and recoup some of our loss,” Parker said. “We will wiggle out of this some way.”

 

Gallery Below of Okeene Jail

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