Below: Old Log Jail at the Washington County Fairgrounds where it was located from 1953-2002.
Below: Thre refurbished Jail in its new permanent location at the Washington County Museum.
The Old Log Jail: a Study in Old West Justice
Information provided by Commander Bob Thiessen, Washington County Sherriff’s Dept.
Washington County’s first jail, now on permanent exhibit at the Washington County Museum, symbolizes the criminal justice system of the early West. The 11-ft. structure stands today as one of the oldest log buildings in Oregon. The jail was erected in the middle of the 19th century. Washington County was one of only four counties (called districts at that time) in the Oregon Territory. The others were Clackamas, Champoeg and Yamhill. The Clatsop District was added in 1854. Hillsboro, the county seat, was a small town consisting of 12 houses, a hotel, the courthouse, a log schoolhouse and the newly built jail.
The Story of the Old Log Jail
The fifth Washington County sheriff, William H. Bennett, oversaw the building of Washington County’s first jail. Bennett took office in 1848 – three years after the first Twality County sheriff and one year before Twality became Washington County.
In 1852, during his second term as sheriff, Bennett asked county officials to build its first jail in Hillsboro. In July 1853, Washington County officials requested sealed bids to build the jail. The bid specifications required that the walls, floors and ceiling be made of hewed timber, 12 inches square, lined throughout and floored with two-inch planks, well spiked. The door, locks, hinges and gates were to be made of boiler iron and the corners of the building were to be riveted together with iron rods. The roof was to be covered with cedar shingles.
On Sept. 7, 1853, William Brown was awarded the contract with a bid of $1,175. Brown, born in New York in 1816, was a Mexican war veteran. Brown and his wife came to the Oregon Territory from Missouri in 1852. Their claim was located on top of Chehalem Mountain, south of Hillsboro. Brown was a farmer and a carpenter. He is also credited with building the first gallows and coffin in 1858 for the first convicted murderer in Washington County. In 1866 and 1867, Brown served as a deputy sheriff and became a justice of the peace in 1868.
Brown finished the log jail Dec. 5, 1853, but his building varied from the commissioner’s original specifications. Brown had built a one-story rectangular structure with just a single room. The building was constructed of ax-hewn logs and 11-inch square planks. It was 16 feet wide and 11 feet 8 inches high from ground to the gable peak. The jail had two windows with heavy iron bars. One window was located on the door and the other on the back wall.
The county commissioner had called for a larger building with a center hall in it. On Dec. 5, 1853, a draw was made on the County Treasury for $900 in favor of William Brown for completing the jail. The full amount, however, was not paid because the finished building was not the agreed upon size. The unpaid balance was $275.
The jail was located on the southwest corner of Fourth and Washington streets on the edge of town.
In 1855, some improvements were made to the wooden jail. Two locks were added and two blankets and a bucket were purchased. In August 1855, a box stove and three stovepipes were also installed. Finally, in 1856, a fence was built around the jail yard.
In January 1870, the structure ceased its service as a jail and was sold to Riley Cave for $75 in gold coin. Cave, his wife Melinda and their one-year-old daughter Lillian lived in the jail building from 1870 to 1872 while Cave built their house next door. After their house was built, the old jail functioned as an outbuilding. Melinda gave birth to their second child, James, in the old jail building.
The jail was moved from its original location to the Washington County Fairgrounds in 1953 to save it from being razed. In 1985, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural and historical significance to the citizens of Washington County.
Jail Houses Colorful Characters
The history of the Old Log Jail is filled with color and mystery. Both county and territorial prisoners were lodged in the single-room jail. The territorial penitentiary in Oregon City burned shortly after it was built, which made it necessary to hold prisoners in county jails. During the Old Log Jail’s time, people were charged with such crimes as breach of peace, grand larceny, assault and battery and selling of spirituous liquors. It was long believed that Ulysses S. Grant was once an inmate in this jail.
Two men are known to have died in the jail, one by his own hand. The second died of natural causes after spending 18 months there. He had been a fur trapper, respected citizen and prosperous farmer before he killed his wife and four children with an ax in a delirium fit.
The old jail building is significant for its rare log construction. It is the oldest known surviving log building in Oregon.
By 2002, several of the logs had seriously deteriorated. To prevent continued decay, the Washington County Historical Society took possession of the jail. The society commissioned a professional timber conservator to restore the jail to its original condition and move it inside the museum facility, where it is now safely preserved and can be viewed for generations to come.
About the author
Commander Bob Thiessen manages the 572-bed Washington County Jail in Hillsboro. Staff includes 130 certified deputies and 47 civilian staff. This year approximately 20,000 people will be booked into the jail. Thiessen, who holds many honors, is responsible for improving relationships with Washington County courts by assigning deputies as liaisons between judicial and court security units. He is actively involved in the community as a professionally trained mediator. Thiessen has been married to Lisa for 27 years and has two children. They reside in Aloha.
References
www.washingtoncountymuseum.org, Washington County Historical Society website, 2005.
Wiederhold, Kathleen M. (1999.) “Exploring Oregon’s Historic Courthouses.” Corvallis: Oregon State University.
