Built
in 1897, the old Eastland County Jail, contains many
artifacts and memorabilia of Eastland County and Law
Enforcement history.
The jail once housed one of the infamous Santa Clause
Bank Robbers in 1927 from a bloody
bank heist and carvings of his name inside
his cell block can still be seen. Once in jail, he took
down and killed a well-liked jailer, which enraged 2000
townspeople to take matters into their own hands.
His
infamous status lives on, as
the event went down into history as
the last
public lynching in the State of
Texas.
Across the street from the County Jail and on the
corner, sits a stone marker telling of the timeline and
events that led up to the lynching. The museum displays
the actual rope the robber was hung by.
Well spoken guided tours through
the three
story jailhouse museum are available by appointment, through the attached Sheriffs Office. (254)
629-1774. The jailhouse museum is located at 210 W.
White St.
This
museum is growing and your contributions make a
difference. Educational and historical artifacts &
memorabilia
about
All Law Enforcement
are also being sought.
