On September 9, 2007 Anne, Mary, and I went to the Old Franklin County Jail in Benton Illinois. This mansion and adjoining jail has been restored to its original 1905 condition. The exhibits include:
•Old radio equipment from station WFRX that was used when the Beatles’ George Harrison visited the area in 1963, and the station played the first Beatle record in the U.S., “From Me to You.”
•Memorabilia from Prohibition, gangs, and Charlie Birger in the 1920’s.
•A room dedicated to high school, college, and professional basketball standout Doug Collins, who spent his childhood in the area and lived in the mansion while his father was sheriff. His one-time bedroom has been converted into a room dedicated to his basketball career.
•Civil War Memorabilia and John A. Logan historical items and local history items.
•A 17-foot monument to General Logan and the 209 Union Soldiers from Franklin County who died to preserve the nation.
As mentioned earlier, the jail became a symbol for the gang era in Southern Illinois during Prohibition, and became the last stop for Charlie Birger, the last man publicly hanged in Illinois on April 19, 1928 for the murder of West City’s mayor, Joe Adams.
All together, Anne, Mary, and I traveled 67.92 miles. We rode in my SUV. The latitude coordinate of the Old Franklin County Jail is 88.7 degrees North, and the longitude coordinate is 38 degrees West.
The girls, Anne and Mary have traveled a grand total of 1, 837.64 miles.
Amie Hutchcraft
