1929 Historic Jail House in Old Town Cottonwood Arizona
Timeline
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BUILDER: Elmer Breeman or Carl Brennan
KNOWN SOURCE: VCN 10/25/1929. P4; 11/8/1929, p4
Construction Date: Late 1929
as noted in the National Register Listing of Cottonwood Arizona Commercail Historic District...
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| 1929 Historic Jail House |
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Historic Events/Trends:
In September 1929, town fathers purchased this lot from Alonzo Mason. It was then donated to the county. The county built the jailhouse, using a Prescott contractor for the work.
The building of the jail was the first known use of river cobbles in Cottonwood as a major construction material.
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The Jail was first occupied in early 1930, by the Yavapai County Justice of the Peace. ***During the prohibition, there was an overflow of bootleggers and criminal and illicit acts associated with bootlegging. The Yavapai County Justice System in Prescott decided to put the jailhouse sub-station in Cottonwood, since Cottonwood had a big percentage of these illicit crimes.
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Al Capone/ Joe Hall connection… Joe Hall, known across the state as one of “Arizona’s Bootlegger King’s” was the 1st to be jailed in the new jailhouse. Joe Hall eventually moved to San Diego, still running booze between Cottonwood, Arizona, California and Mexico borders…
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The jail was in the 1946 filming of the movie “Desert Fury” starring Burt Lancastor, ‘Lizabeth Scott, John Hodiac. (both outside and inside scenes)
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COLT.45 Judgement Day (The Peacemaker) Episode Season 1, Episode 1, Aired: 12/16/1959, stars: Donald May and Wayde Preston
Synopsis: Upon his arrival in Cottonwood, Arizona, Chris Colt wants to show off his new guns but a young missionary confronts and berates him for being a violent man.
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One of America’s “MOST WANTED” was found locked up in the old Cottonwood Arizona jail by sheriff Buck Snoody. The suspect was then picked up by Los Angeles PD, taken back to California and sentenced to death...The 1967 Dragnet series “The Hammer” (was based on this true story)...
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| DRAGNET: Season 1, Episode 7 – Aired: 3/2/1967
Watch it HERE
An elderly, widowed apartment manager has been beaten to death with a hammer by a 19-year-old tenant who robs him of his wedding ring and life savings – all $6.58 of it. Friday and Gannon's investigation requires them to travel to Cottonwood, Arizona.
***See more on sheriff Buck Snoddy below...
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The jail was in the 1967 filming of the movie “Stay Away, Joe”, starring Elvis Presley.
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Became the offical location of the city of Cottonwood Police Department after the city was incorporated. (1960, into the 1970's).
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c1970s: After the police department moved up the street, the jail was housed the Humane Society. The Lions Club helped raise money for the 1970s brick addition.
It later housed the Big Brothers-Big Sisters Not-For-Profit Group for awhile after the Humane society moved to a larger location.
1993- Present: Visitor Center ~ Old Town Association (group supporting Old Town Merchants)
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June 2001
Ermal
Bob Bradshaw, actor & owner of Bradshaw Ranch Movie Location was invited to the Grand Opening of the Jail Trail. On this day he sat and shared his stories of the 144 movies that were filmed on his property between Cottonwood & Sedona on 525 at the Loy Rd. turn off.
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October 1st, 2011
Old West Society Paranormal Group comes in to investigate the paranormal activity.
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PERSONS. With an importance association with the building
Jess E. Hood was the first, or one of the first, deputies associated with this jailhouse. Hood was a well-known contractor who built several commercial structures, also erected the spa at Verde Hot Springs.
Coincidentally, this was about the time Al Capone was staying at the Verde Hot Springs Resort. This could very well be the connection to Capone’s carving of his name on the outside wall of the jailhouse cell. Capone was also looking for Arizona bootleggers and former saloon owners to help run booze across the Mexico borders.
Joe Hall, Buck Snoddy, Burt Lancaster...
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ARCHITECTURE.
Style shows Colonial Revival & Bungalow influences, 1 story. Roof form was originally pyramidal; now hip. Other character defining features of its massing, size and scale: Small cobblestone, jailhouse erected from stock plans provided by county; strongly resembles the Camp Verde Jailhouse, built by the WPA a few years later.
INTEGRITY… Original Site
DESIGN. In modern times, floor-plan expanded 50% by adding to west side. Roof changed from pyramidal to hip to accommodate the expansion. Fascia board added, covering original exposed rafter ends.
MATERIALS.
a) Walls: (structure) River cobble and c. brick
b) Walls: (sheathing) Unsheathed
c) Windows: Paired, wooden-sash, double hung, one over one windows
d) Roof: Hip, w/composition shingles
e) Foundation: Concrete
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SETTING:
DESCRIPTION of the natural and/or built environment around the property...
At North end of N. Main St. is ***riparian vegetation to north of the Verde River; parking area to S/SE
How has the environment changed since the property was constructed? The riparian vegetation has grown back tremendously since the building was constructed.
***this Verde River riparian area is one of the world’s rarest of its kind. There are ONLY 20 left like it in the world. We have 5 here in the state of Arizona. This particular riparian is one of the five. The vegetation died off due to the smelter smoke…Reason why there was none around the jailhouse at the time of its construction.
WORKMANSHIP: Distinctive elements are the larger river cobbles used at the corners of the building in quoin-like manner.
Is presently listed as a contributing property in the Cottonwood Arizona Historic Commercial District.
In 1999 it was not eligible individually, due to the 1970’s brick addition and roof changes.
The jail house is eligible for listing individually as a national landmark...
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A Little History about Sheriff BUCK SNODDY
Buck Snoddy (yes, pronounced like you think) was a rural town Arizona cop back in the 1940s and 1950s (Buck caught the FBI's #1 Most Wanted one year, and was featured in a Dragnet episode a few years later after catching a fugitive from LAPD). Legend has it that Buck never issued a traffic ticket -- if you had been dangerous, he'd just arrest you, otherwise, you got a Buck Talk, during which he explained in excruciating detail the depths of your error. Few people wanted to chance another roadside chat!
An insight into his character are stories such as the time a kid came out of a dance after drinking a few more beers than he should have. Buck sees him weaving through the lot, comes up behind him, and as the kid digs his car keys out, shouts "Hey, how you doing, Mike?" and slaps the kid on the back. Of course, the keys fall to the ground. Buck kicks them under the car, then helps Mike look for them. He says "I have to go check the doors on Main Street, but I'll bring a flashlight back with me. Have a seat in your car, and I'll be back in a few minutes."
Mike, of course, sits down. Next think he knows, Buck is slamming his hand several times on the car roof to wake him up, and the sun is rising. Buck says "Enjoying the hangover? Your keys are under the car, now get the hell home and be smarter next week."
It would have been easier for him to arrest Mike for public drunkenness, or driving under the influence (the car doesn't have to move -- if the engine is running and a drunk is behind the wheel, that completes the crime). Instead, Buck cut a good kid some slack and gave him a lesson that was remembered 50 years later, not only by Mike, but by the guy who first told me the story and by others who had similar stories. Even people who weren't alive when he was there had their Buck stories, handed down from parents or grandparents.
When he died, many of the letters of mourning came from men he had put in prison.
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2011 Letter: Fond memories of the old Cottonwood jail
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Editor:
Please don’t alter the jail in Cottonwood. I have fond memories of that jail as I spent an afternoon there as a guest of Cottonwood in the late 1930s. Highway Patrol Officer Vadrini (who lived in a house behind the community center) caught several of us kids being naughty by trying to pick locks off of garages (which we failed to do) and hustled us off to jail saying “you guys and gal will stay here until your parents ask me to release you.”
Our parents evidently thought it would be a good lesson and so we sweltered in jail until late afternoon when we were released.
I have just returned to my home town (Cottonwood) after 73 years. My family settled here in 1934. Losing the jail would not be a good thing for Old Town or old guys like me that have memories we cannot afford to lose.
Don’t know where the rest of our “gang” is today, but I am sure they were as scared as I was sitting in the Old Town Jail.
Hal Cope
Cottonwood
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