City/Town: • Zenda |
Location Class: • Jail |
Built: • ~1910s | Abandoned: • N/A |
Status: • Abandoned |
Photojournalist: • Mike Mattal |
The Zenda Jail is a small one-cell concrete jail with two windows on each side. While the exact date of its construction is unknown, it did show up in newspapers as early as 1915. The Zenda Citizen reported on March 4, 1915, a city ordinance was issued to regulate and restrict the running of vehicles for livery purposes or for hire and providing a license tax for the same. Those found guilty of such an offense shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction be fined a sum not exceeding more than twenty dollars per violation or be confined to the city jail until the fine is paid.
The Nashville Journal reported on September 11, 1919 the following:
There seems to be an epidemic of arrests in and about Zenda. Another gentleman found wanting in his conception of law and order was arrested in this vicinity on Friday. He was a stranger in these parts visiting different homes in the community demanding lunches, dinners, etc. with a menu as per order with considerably too much evidence of authority and lacking entirely any inclinations of appreciation.
He has been imposing upon hospitality in Harper, Barber, and Kingman counties, and the sheriff of each county were in search of him when he was finally located about two miles south of Zenda along the sand creek Friday. He was placed in the jail in Zenda and from here taken to Kingman.
Gallery Below of Zenda Jail
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