COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — The Historical Society of Pottawattamie County is hoping to see more people in jail — the Historic Pottawattamie County Squirrel Cage Jail. The Daily Nonpareil reports the society is working to give the museum the same feel it had when it operated as a jail.
The three-story building that includes a rotating cell block was built in 1885 and used as a jail until 1969. It was bought by the Council Bluffs Parks Board in 1971 and named to the National Register of Historic Places the next year.
Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Jason LeMaster, who serves on the board, is leading the effort. LeMaster says the museum needs light-colored sheets and military-style wool blankets to outfit the cells’ bunks, as well as mannequins to represent the inmates.