Thompson Falls in Sanders County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)

Sanders County Jail

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 8, 2022

1. Sanders County Jail Marker

Inscription. Prominent landowner and state senator Edward Donlan won a political victory in the 1906 legislature with the designation of Thompson Falls as county seat for Sanders County over the rival town of Plains. By compromise, most county posts were filled by Plains appointees, but Donlan donated his own land for the new county courthouse and jail. The two-story Italianate style jail was built in 1907 by contractors Christian and Gobelet at a cost of $5,000. It is Thompson Falls’ oldest surviving county building. The structure was originally divided into incarceration cells on the second level and living quarters for the sheriff and his family on the first, with separate entrances for each level. The Paully Jail Company of St. Louis installed the four cells, each designed to hold four individuals. One cell, separated from the others, was for women and children detainees. Steel bars fastened by beams to a concrete floor and cement ceiling assured strict security within the cell room, while an eighteen-inch solid brick wall with steel door and locks isolated it from the stairway entrance. Though steel bars have been recently added

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to the downstairs windows, the building retains its 1907 appearance and is a fine example of a combination jail/sheriff’s residence of the period.

Erected by Montana Historical Society.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Law Enforcement • Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the Montana National Register Sign Program series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1906.

Location. 47° 35.678′ N, 115° 21.09′ W. Marker is in Thompson Falls, Montana, in Sanders County. It is at the intersection of South Madison Street and Maiden Lane, on the right when traveling north on South Madison Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 109 South Madison Street, Thompson Falls MT 59873, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Western Montana

and in Glacier Country.

It is also in the American Mountain West

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Rocky Mountains,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once

Sanders County Jail and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 8, 2022

2. Sanders County Jail and Marker

Rupert’s Land

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Ainsworth House (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Ward Hotel (approx. 0.2 miles away); 102 Park Street (approx. 0.2 miles away); Randolph Hoyt House (approx. 0.2 miles away); Bedard House (approx. ¼ mile away); Thompson Falls Hydroelectric Dam District (approx. 0.3 miles away); Weber's Store (approx. 0.4 miles away); Fort Thompson Playground (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Thompson Falls.

Sanders County Jail image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 8, 2022

3. Sanders County Jail

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, August 8, 2022

4. Sanders County Jail

Credits. This page was last revised on April 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 2, 2023, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 162 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 2, 2023, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.