This old building stands a few blocks south of downtown Cheboygan and block off of M-27. The words COUNTY JAIL are still chiseled in the block above the door. This old building built in 1880 served as the Cheboygan County sheriff’s residence until 1969. In the late 1800s many drunken and rowdy lumbermen sobered up in the jail. The inmates often did chores in exchange for their bed and meals prepared by the sheriff’s wife. By 1911 the jail was inadequate and a two story addition was added to the original building. It was supposed to have 8 cells on each floor, but due to safety regulations, the second floor was never finished. The county used the jail until 1969 when a new modern jail was built to replace it. In 1972 the building became a museum ran by the Historical Society of Cheboygan County.
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