Jails In The County
Carroll County, Arkansas



The first county jail was built about 1840, and stood upon a lot in Carrollton now (1888) owned by Len Nunnally. The builder was James C. Cheney, of Osage. The jail was about twenty two feet square and two stories high. The walls of the first story were triple thick, the logs on the outer and inner sides being built horizontally, in the usual way, with a wall of logs perpendicularly between them. The latter extended to the top of the building, making an upper story but little used. The floor and ceiling were made of twelve-inch hewed timber, securely imbedded in the walls, and the door was attached with massive iron hinges. The upper story was reached by an outside stairway. This building stood until the war, when it shared the fate of hundreds of others, and was reduced to ashes. It embodied the prevalent ideas upon jail architecture at the period when it was built, and like many others before and since was frequently left tenantless by the Miscreants confided to its keeping.

There was no jail in Carroll County from this time until 1876, after the county seat was changed, and during this time prisoners were confined at Huntsville, Fayetteville or Bentonville. The contract for the jail at Berryville was awarded to W. W. Davis and Charles Byron, at their bid of $2,500, April 5th, 1876. The specifications called for a brick building with stone foundations, 20×30 feet. A hall extended across the building; there were two rooms west of the hall 7×10 feet, and one room east 10×16 feet. The ceiling was twelve feet high. There were three windows on the south side, two windows and a door on the north, and one window on each of the other sides. The contractors were released July 3rd, 1876, and the building was soon thereafter occupied.

Jail delivery has on a number of occasions been effected by other than the ordinary and lawful method. No particulars are obtainable so far as the old jail is concerned. A single instance will be given with regard to the jail built at Berryville: Wednesday night, October 10th, 1883. five of the six inmates of the jail succeeded in escaping from their cells: the watchman was overpowered. his pistols secured. and himself compelled to open the door and accompany the prisoners a mile from the town. On the following day Sheriff Freeman organized a posse and started in pursuit. One of the prisoners was captured that evening near White River. and two others on Rock Creek. A fourth was overtaken Friday morning, and the fifth in the evening of that day. At 3 P. M. on Saturday all were again 'behind the bars,' if that phrase may be applied to the jail, sixty-six hours after their escape.

The Berryville jail was burned in 1887. and with it a single occupant, supposed to have planned the fire in order to effect his escape. The walls are intact, but no effort has yet been made to rebuild.

The destruction of the jail and the necessity for extensive repairs to the court house have recently induced the people of Green Forest to offer the county a liberal bonus for the removal of the county seat to that place. It is urged that since the erection of the western judicial district Berryville is no longer centrally located upon the territory within the jurisdiction of its courts, and that the change to Green Forest would greatly convenience a majority of the people. At this writing (July. 1888) the court has ordered an election in the autumn, when the matter will be decided.

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