Places

The St. Francois County Jail Museum is located in Historic Downtown Farmington, Missouri, along the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. It was constructed in 1870 and used as a jail until the early 1990's. The building is now used as a history museum and houses artifacts from the Farmington area, as well as interpreting the history of the trail. Find more information on how to plan a visit.

This program is part of an introduction to the history of the park and the WWII Home Front. You can listen to it at home, while driving, before your visit to the park visitor center or as part of the official NPS App driving tour. These files are also available as a free download on our website and can be a great educational tool for your classroom.

The old jail burned in 1864, and work on a new jail at the site of its present location may have begun before the surrender.

Wayside describing how the building has changed over time.

One of the entrances to the Miraflores park trail is located at the map point. The area has been redeveloped to include this park and a housing area. Visitors are advised to always be mindful of parking and exploring any location.

Take a guided tour of this restored jail house and explore why it was the site of one of the pivotal events in the history of the Mormon Pioneer National Historic Trail. It was here in June of 1844 that an armed mob stormed the jail and killed Joseph and Hyrum Smith as they awaited trial.

The Sheriff’s House was constructed in 1857 on the site of the circa 1793 jail, which is all that remains of Delaware’s first prison system. The Sheriff’s House is the only NPS-owned facility in New Castle, donated by the State of Delaware in 2013 as part of First State National Monument.