Old Kootenai County Jail History
The original Kootenai County Jail was a steel cage in a shack, which proved inadequate for prisoner retention. The city sued the jail, stating that the building with its large hole in the floor was a disgrace to the city.
In response to the lawsuit, four steel cells were ordered from Mason and Curtis of Helena, Montana in 1891. Once the cells were finished and installed, a brick building was erected around them to increase security. By 1892, the Kootenai County Jail had been completed.
The jail eventually included a total of eight steel cells, the brick enclosure around them, administrative offices, a waiting room and kitchen, and an upper level with temporary accommodations for the community, as well as dedicated dwelling rooms for the jailer and sheriff.
The jail closed following Rathdrum’s removal as the county seat in 1908. The building was repurposed over the years as a town meeting hall, library, city hall, and city equipment storage and maintenance.
The Kootenai County Jail was certified and entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. The museum receives visitors from all over the country through the summer, and conducts private tours for groups of all sizes year round.