The Old Vernon County Jail, 1871

The Old Vernon County Jail, located in Nevada, Missouri, has a rich and interesting history as one of the oldest buildings in the Vernon County area. It was one of the few buildings that survived the attack by the federal militia during the Civil War, making it the oldest building in Nevada. Established in 1860, it operated for 100 years before closing in 1960, much to the relief of the community. It also served as the home residence to the sheriff and their family while it was operational. In 1964, it was almost demolished but thanks to Harold Gray, it was preserved by the National Register of Historic Places and now exists as a part of the Bushwhacker Museum and is available to tour today.

The Old Vernon County Jail, located in Nevada, Missouri, was originally built between 1860 and 1871 and it remains today as one of the oldest buildings in Vernon County. During the Civil War, the federal militia came to Nevada in 1863 and attempted to burn Nevada to the ground, with the Vernon County Jail as one of the few buildings to survive the attack. The jail functioned for 100 years before closing in 1960. Many people breathed a sigh of relief when the jail decided to shut its doors, inmates and the community alike. The jail served as a harsh reminder to all parties of how little the past cared for rehabilitation and how basic necessities were not as basic to inmates as one might think. 

The jail held several people over the 100 years that it was operational, most notably James Earl Ray, who was the man that assassinated Martin Luther King Junior. There was a public execution right outside the doors of the prison itself in the early stages of the jail’s life, which was the last public execution in Vernon County. It was also traditional for the county sheriff at the time to live with their family at the jail. There is one popular story of a Nevada resident who likes to joke about being born in jail. Willhugh Thornton was the sheriff during the 1920s and his daughter, Lila Jean Thornton, was born in the jail’s sheriff living quarters. While the sheriff and their family might have had nice living quarters, the inmates certainly did not. 

There are several accounts of how truly terrible this jail was, coming from not only the inmates but by the community itself. Inmates would reportedly ask for a longer sentence, sometimes even double the time, at the state penitentiary rather than having to stay for a shorter sentence at the Vernon County Jail. Many also attempted and succeeded in escaping the jail, using hand saws to cut the bars or digging holes into the wall. There is one quote from a local newspaper that states “The old jail at the corner of Main and Hunter was a disgrace to Nevada and the despair of every judge, lawyer, and law enforcement officer in Vernon County.” In the actual jail cells themselves, the only light that was provided was a single lightbulb with no windows to provide anything more. It is safe to infer that no one was very fond of the Vernon County Jail. However, after a discussion of the jail being demolished and turned into a parking lot, Harold Gray nominated the old Vernon County Jail to be preserved by the National Register of Historic Places. 

In 1964, Harold Gray, who was originally from Vernon County, wrote several letters to the Nevada Daily Mail and multiple others to try and preserve the old Vernon County Jail. The jail had been shut down in 1960 and had been sitting vacant for the past four years. Harold Gray did not wish to see the community waste the potential that this historical building had. He succeeded in his endeavors and was able to preserve the jail with the help of the National Register of Historic Places. Today, the jail now exists as a part of the Bushwhacker Museum. People are able to tour the old jail and even see a reenactment of the sheriffs living quarters. The jail remains one of the oldest and historically rich sites in Vernon County. 

“All About the Bushwhacker Jail.” Bushwhacker Museum. The Vernon County Historical Society. Accessed April 25, 2021. https://bushwhacker.org/all-about-the-bushwhacker-jail/. 

Brophy, Patrick. Bushwhacker Jail Tales. Nevada, MO. Vernon County Historical Society, 2002.

Vernon County Historical Society Files. 

“Vernon County Jail Nomination Form.” National Register of Historic Places, n.d. https://dnr.mo.gov/shpo/nps-nr/77000816.pdf.