Late one night in 1902 two graduates from the state prison decide to rob a few of the boys at Butch’s Place Saloon. The clientele and bullets flew like promises at election time. Two men were wounded, one man killed, and two sent up the river for a stretch of 12 to 20 years.” And in all caps, a quote from Bad Bud Cox: “I’M GLAD THE WITNESSES ARE ALL YOUNG SO THAT THEY WILL LIVE UNTIL I GET OUT OF THE PEN AND CAN KILL THEM!”

Given that much of the subject matter on our tours involves lawbreaking folks, we have always been particularly interested in the jail, and in particular the experiences of women in the legal system. On our Downtown Sin and Gin Tours, we discuss the creation of the women’s ward in the jail, and the hiring of female wardens. In case you can’t get enough jail fun facts, here’s a sampler of some jail history from our notes.