Wanted: Historic County Jails of Texas

Wanted: Historic County Jails of Texas, by Edward A. Blackburn, Jr. Along with the settlement of the Texas frontier came rustlers, public drunks, gunfighters, and other outlaws. A jail in which to incarcerate the lawbreaker was thus often the first public building raised in a new town. Later, as government developed, public buildings—notably county courthouses and jails—assumed not only practical but also symbolic importance. The architecture of these buildings in the nineteenth century reflected the power and status with which the community imbued the government; many of the same architects applied the aesthetic standards of the day to both. In later years, the safety and at least limited comfort of the prisoners became concerns and jails were remodeled or abandoned to other uses in favor of modern, more utilitarian structures.

In this heavily illustrated guide to the historic county jails of Texas, Edward A. Blackburn, Jr., takes readers to each of the 254 counties in the state, presenting brief histories of the counties and the structures that housed their criminals. He provides general information about the architecture and location of the buildings and, when possible, describes the present uses of those that have been decommissioned. Interviews with local officials, historians, and newspaper publishers have yielded colorful anecdotes for many of the jails. Revealing photographs of many of the old jails have been gathered from local and archival sources, and Blackburn himself has taken pictures of extant buildings. Together, these words and images not only provide a survey of the way Texans have housed their criminals, but also, with the aid of thumbnail maps of county locations, offer residents and tourists throughout the state a guide to a fascinating aspect of architectural and cultural history.

Edward A. Blackburn, Jr. a retired Houston physician, visited all 254 Texas counties to collect information and photographs, both historical and contemporary. He has long had an interest in Texas history and is an avid collector of Texana.

Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer

Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer, by James L. Swanson. The murder of Abraham Lincoln set off the greatest manhunt in American history -- the pursuit and capture of John Wilkes Booth. From April 14 to April 26, 1865, the assassin led Union cavalry and detectives on a wild twelve-day chase through the streets of Washington, D.C., across the swamps of Maryland, and into the forests of Virginia, while the nation, still reeling from the just-ended Civil War, watched in horror and sadness. At the very center of this story is John Wilkes Booth, America's notorious villain. A Confederate sympathizer and a member of a celebrated acting family, Booth threw away his fame and wealth for a chance to avenge the South's defeat. For almost two weeks, he confounded the manhunters, slipping away from their every move and denying them the justice they sought. Based on rare archival materials, obscure trial transcripts, and Lincoln's own blood relics, Manhunt is a fully documented work, but it is also a fascinating tale of murder, intrigue, and betrayal. A gripping hour-by-hour account told through the eyes of the hunted and the hunters, this is history as you've never read it before.

Outlaw Tales of Colorado: True Stories of Colorado's Notorious Robbers, Rustlers, and Bandits

Outlaw Tales of Colorado: True Stories of Colorado's Notorious Robbers, Rustlers, and Bandits, by Jan Elizabeth Murphy. This book includes lively true stories about colorful characters who committed crimes throughout the state during its early immigration and settlement years (1850-1920). Among these outlaws are a mountain man, murderess, gunslinger, con man, train robber, rustler, cannibal, and underworld hoodlum. Twelve fun-spirited, true tales vividly portray young lawless Colorado.

Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-34

Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933-34, by Bryan Burrough. In Public Enemies, bestselling author Bryan Burrough strips away the thick layer of myths put out by J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI to tell the full story—for the first time—of the most spectacular crime wave in American history, the two-year battle between the young Hoover and the assortment of criminals who became national icons: John Dillinger, Machine Gun Kelly, Bonnie and Clyde, Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd, and the Barkers. In an epic feat of storytelling and drawing on a remarkable amount of newly available material on all the major figures involved, Burrough reveals a web of interconnections within the vast American underworld and demonstrates how Hoover’s G-men overcame their early fumbles to secure the FBI’s rise to power.

Jesse James - American Outlaw

Jesse James - American Outlaw, THE HISTORY CHANNEL presents a compelling look at the gripping tale of one of the most infamous criminals in American history. Specifically filmed to tell the real story behind the Hollywood blockbuster The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Jesse James: American Outlaw examines his treacherous murder and the mystery that continues to surround his death today.

Jesse James: American Outlaw and crimes of America s favorite rebel. From his early days as a Confederate guerilla fighter to his life of crime filled with numerous narrow escapes, Jesse James remains one of the most fabled anti-heroes of the old west. DVD Features: The James Gang: Outlaw Brothers from A&E s award-winning series Biography.