This historical wooden jail was found within the walls of a frame house at 332 South Chicago Street in Hot Springs by William L. “Bud”Soner while he was demolishing the structure for salvage. The jail was donated to the city and it was moved to this site in April 1983.
The jail is built of 2×4 lumber laid flat and nailed together with rows of #9 wire between the boards to discourage anyone from sawing through.
Calamity Jane gave quite a drunken exhibition on November 19, 1895 in the Bodega Saloon just down the street and tried to “borrow” a horse to take it for a ride. She was “offered” a nights lodging in the city jail by Mayor C.W. Hargens.
It is the oldest wooden jail in existence in South Dakota.
Decimal Degrees: 43.4363155, -103.4813082