ALLEGAN, Mich. — A giant red brick building on Walnut Street in downtown Allegan used to hold dozens of inmates at a time. Now, it holds the stories that give people a glimpse into what life used to be like in Allegan County.
"It's a repository for everything Allegan County," said Allegan County Historical Society Board Member Mark Lovett. "It may not have been made in Allegan County, but it was used here."
Many rooms within the building have been transformed into a showroom for the 10,000+ artifacts housed inside.
For example, it was mandatory for the county sheriff and his family to live inside the jail walls. They had a separate entrance and living spaces to keep their distance from inmates.
However, where the living room used to be, you'll now find a number of different historical items, like the first piano ever brought to Allegan County in 1840 and an Edison phonograph from around 1900.
The Allegan County Jail itself was built in 1906. The previous jail, located nearby, had become antiquated. It was no longer big enough.
"Apparently, some of the early jails, the prisoners thought they were some of the worst jails they'd ever been in," Lovett said.
According to Lovett, the jail could house a total of 48 inmates at a time. There were three total floors of cells, with two prisoners per cell. The men would take up the top two levels, and women would be placed on the third.
The jail operated until 1963 when a new jail was built across the street.
"They basically handcuffed the inmates together and walked them across the street to their new home," Lovett said.
There is a lot to explore in the museum, and admission is always free. Lovett said the only goal is to help expand people's knowledge and understanding of that local area so the history is not forgotten.
“When you're from a certain generation, that's what you know," he said. "When you come here, we talk about other generations and other places, and things that, 'Oh, I never thought about that.' So, I think that's what we want them to walk away with.”