Marker Inscription
Erected in 1953, this building is constructed of stone used to build the first masonry jail in Armstrong County, 1894. Stone for the structure (which replaced a primitive, frame "calaboose") was quarried 14 miles south at Dripping Springs in Palo Duro Canyon and then hauled here in wagons driven by local citizens. The rock was cut at this site. The 1894 building had two stories, topped by a dome, and 20-inch walls. So sturdy was it that dangerous convicts from other counties were kept here. Old-timers remember that only three prisoners ever escaped. (1969)
About this site
Armstrong County Jail is a historical marker in Claude, Armstrong County, dedicated in 1969. It is one of 22 historical markers documented in Armstrong County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 24 historic sites cataloged across the county.
The site sits at 35.1147, -101.3648 near Claude. The nearest cataloged historic site is Early Sheriffs of Armstrong County (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Boy Scout Troop No. 17, Roan, Charles Howard, and Warner, William.
This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5011000203. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.
