Other Jailers

Folks: I recently had the opportunity of helping with a book on the Avery County Jail in Newland. The jail was home not only to those who found themselves on the wrong side of the law, but also was home to the sheriff, or his appointee, and their families. We often have young children and teenagers, living at the jail while their fathers served as the jailer. The book, entitled Families, Friends, and Felons: Growing Up in the Avery County Jail, co-written with Jimmie Daniels, who was one of those folks whose dad was a jailer, is available for purchase at either the Avery County Museum, or by visiting www.michaelchardy.com

However obvious it might seem, I am not really writing to plug the book. Many other rural places all across the United States had this same set-up: the sheriff or a deputy was jailer, and his family lived in the jail while he served, often with the wife cooking and cleaning, with the kids helping.

Does anyone here on this list have any information regarding this piece of Mitchell or Yancey County’s history? Drop me a line and tell me about it. I find this bit of our history fascinating and one that really needs to be preserved. To my knowledge, Families, Friends, and Felons is the only book of its time out there.

I look forward to hearing from you.