Old Jail Museum in Thompson Falls shares history

Visitors and newcomers to Sanders County seeking to learn about its history should plan a trip to the Old Jail Museum in Thompson Falls.

Open since Memorial Day, the building was completed in 1907 and was the home for what its name indicates.

What used to be the home for the sheriff and his family now houses different displays and artifacts from history. The living room now holds clothing from the 1920s and ‘30s as well as a few children’s toys from the same era.

The former kitchen now displays Indian artifacts, a mounted bison’s head, and other historical pieces from Thompson Falls’ early days.

Back when the jail was in use the sheriff would have to walk prisoners through the kitchen to get to the jail, which is in the upper half of the building. The inmates would frequently eat with the sheriff and his family as long as they weren’t violent.

The actual jail portion of the building is located above where the sheriff used to live. The section where they held the women and juveniles is separate from the section that held the men.

There are also displays detailing what life was like for a woman or child who was imprisoned there. The portion that was dedicated to the men had double the cells, but instead of inmates these cells now hold displays.

One cell details the life and living conditions of the inmates. A second cell gives information on the Great Fire of 1910 which burned a total of three million acres in Montana and Idaho.

The third cell describes what life was like for stockmen in Sanders County in earlier times. The fourth cell displays information concerning domestic life at the start of the 1900s. Located in the center of the men’s cells is a desk that has a book with a record of all the inmates incarcerated in the Old Jail.

There is also information on Civilian Conservation Camps, which its members built many important structures and planted millions of trees from 1933 to 1942 as the country worked to escape the Great Depression.

There are also displays about explorer and fur trader David Thompson as well as the construction of the dam.

Admission is free, but donations are appreciated to help operate the museum.

It is open from noon to 4 p.m. each day with Labor Day the last day its open for the year.

For more information, call 406-827-4002.