Jail tree facts for kids

Historic jail tree in Wickenburg, Arizona.

A jail tree was a special tree used long ago to hold people who were arrested. Instead of a building, a person would be chained to the tree. This happened a lot in the American frontier, especially in what was then the Arizona Territory during the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Some of these old jail trees can still be seen today! Interestingly, jail trees were also used in Australia, like the famous Boab Prison Tree, Derby and Boab Prison Tree, Wyndham.

Famous Jail Trees

Many towns in the American West used trees as temporary jails. Here are some examples:

Gleeson Jail Tree

• This is a big oak tree in the old ghost town of Gleeson. It's close to Tombstone, Arizona.
• People were chained to this tree using a strong metal cable and chain wrapped around its trunk.
• It was used before the town built its first wooden jail in 1909.

Paradise Jail Tree

• In the ghost town of Paradise, Arizona, two oak trees were used together.
• A long log chain was stretched between them, and prisoners were shackled to this chain.

Ruby Jail Tree

• In the ghost town of Ruby, Arizona, mesquite trees served as the jail.
• People were chained to these trees before the town built a concrete jail in 1936.

Wickenburg Jail Tree

• This mesquite tree in Wickenburg, Arizona, is about 200 years old!
• It had a chain and handcuffs for holding prisoners.
• It was used between 1863 and 1890.
• Today, this tree is kept safe because it's an important part of Wickenburg's early history as a mining town.

Other Unique Jails

The Tubac Jail on display at the museum in Tubac.

The jail in Arivaca, Arizona.

Besides jail trees, some towns had other very simple ways to hold prisoners.

Arivaca Jail

• In the historic town of Arivaca, Arizona, the jail was just a concrete slab on the ground.
• It had two metal bars sticking out from the center. Heavy chains were attached to these bars to hold prisoners.

Greaterville Jail

• The jail in the ghost town of Greaterville, Arizona, was simply a large hole in the ground!
• A rope was used to lower prisoners into the hole or pull them out.

Tubac Jail

• The jail in Tubac, Arizona, was a wooden post stuck in the ground.
• It had a pair of leg irons attached to it to hold a person's legs.
• These leg irons were very old! They were first used on a Spanish ship to chain prisoners to the mast.
• Today, you can see these historic leg irons on display at the museum in the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park.