County of jail: Adair County
Location of jail: Snyder Ave., between the museum and Community Center, Novinger
Jail built in 1913
This jail must have been from the old coal mining days, and from the insides, no longer in use
"Key events in Novinger history include the arrival of the Quincy, Missouri & Pacific railroad and filing of the town plat by founder John C. Novinger in 1878, the establishment of a U.S. Post Office the next year, and the first shaft coal mine in 1883. A turn-of-the-century coal mining boom saw Welsh, Germans, Scots-Irish, Italians, natives of the Balkan countries and many others and their families immigrate from all over the world. It was this boom that finally saw Novinger incorporated as a city in 1901 as the population swelled into the thousands. However, the Great Depression, a post-World War II switch to mostly natural gas and electric heat in American homes, and heavy industry’s lessening coal use doomed the area coal fields. The railroads had pulled out by 1950, and the last mine, Billy Creek Coal Mine southwest of Novinger, closed in January 1966. At the time of its closing Billy Creek was the last operating deep shaft mine in Missouri.
"The Novinger business community is but a fraction of its size during the coal boom days. The town proper and surrounding area offer two beauty salons, two construction companies, two convenience stores, a catering business, farm supply store, heating & cooling repair, and auction service. Most Novinger residents however must travel to the larger city of Kirksville to the east or Milan to the west for employment, thus making Novinger largely a bedroom community."
~ Wikipedia