Old Jail Traditional Cache
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(regular)
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Welcome to the La Grange Area Chamber of Commerce, formerly known as the Old Fayette County Jail. If you participated in the now-archived multicache called "I Did It In La Grange, Texas!", then this cache will look familiar to you.
Built in 1883, the Old Fayette County Jail was constructed of native stones hauled from the community of Muldoon to the site. Reminiscent of a European cathedral, the Victorian Gothic structure originally contained two stories with eight cells on each floor. It contained living quarters for the jailer (who was expected to be on-site all the time) and his family at the front and side of the jail. It also contained offices for the sheriff and deputies. Hoosegows, more commonly called drunk tanks, were located on the grounds outside the jail building.
The Old Fayette County Jail's most infamous prisoners included Raymond Hamilton and Gene O’Dare, members of the Bonnie and Clyde gang who had robbed Carmine Bank, and the Widow Dach, who starved herself to death while imprisoned there. The building is reportedly haunted.
When a modern justice center opened in 1985, the old jail closed, sitting empty until 1995 when interior renovation was completed and it became the home of the La Grange Area Chamber of Commerce. Inside, where the jail cells used to be, is a museum including artifacts from the Old Jail, and although you must visit during Chamber office hours to enjoy the museum, the grounds (and the cache) are accessible 24/7.
The cache container is a nalgene water bottle hidden at the base of a nearby outbuilding.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
hafperj pyrnabhg yvq
Treasures
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