The Huron Historic Gaol is a national historic site and Huron County’s first municipal building. Between 1841 and 1972, it not only served as a correctional facility, but as the site of Huron’s fist County Council meeting, its first courthouse, and as an inadequate refuge for those facing hardships that included poor health, homelessness, and mental health struggles.
The history of the gaol intersects with subjects ranging from history and social studies to civics and law. There are onsite programs and resources for every learner, from elementary school to post-secondary students. Educators and students can access these locally available resources to prompt in-depth discussions or create essays on capital punishment, government structures, social safety nets, legal history, social justice, and much more.
Videos
Behind the Bars video series of prisoner stories
The Young Canuckstorian Project: Margaret & William Dickson, longtime caretakers of Huron Gaol
From Family, Friends and Love, to Betrayal: The Last Official Public Hanging in Canada
Virtual Tours
Explore the 360 virtual tour of the gaol from the classroom: Huron Historic Gaol – Google Maps
You can also try our Virtual Escape Room! Contact staff for a guided experience, or book one of our virtual field trips!
Ask an Expert
Contact museum [@] huroncounty.ca to book a guided group tour or onsite education program.
Knowledgeable staff are also available for in-person or virtual outreach to speak about multiple topics related to the gaol’s fascinating history! Get in touch with your questions, or you can choose from an existing list of presentations.
Research Resources
Huron County’s digitized newspapers chronicle local news from across the county! Click to search more than a century of history via Huron County’s digitized newspapers: free, online and keyword searchable.
You may find many items in the online newspapers about prisoners, significant cases, lists of crimes via the Schedule of Convictions, or the history of the building via reports to Council & inquests. Review the search tips on our website to help with your search results.
Visit our online catalogue to find artifacts in the museum’s collection that relate to the Huron Gaol or the communities it served, as well as local law enforcement and court systems.
For in-person research, you can find indexes for certain court records and information on how to book an appointment with the Archivist on the Archives page of our website! Scroll to the bottom for finding aids. Virtual appointments are also now available.
Short Articles
Select posts from the Museum’s blog cover a range of topics related to this building’s fascinating History. You can find more under ‘Stories’ and the “Huron Historic Gaol” tag on our website.
New Huron Historic Gaol exhibit shares historical data about prisoners | Huron County Museum
“No Possible Escape”: A Short History of Fire at the Huron Gaol | Huron County Museum
An Unconquered Crime: Infanticide in Huron County | Huron County Museum
The Huron Historic Gaol is a One of a Kind Building | Huron County Museum
The Save the Jail Society: How the Huron Historic Gaol Dodged Demolition | Huron County Museum
Children in the Huron Jail | Huron County Museum
I Know Where the Bodies are Buried: Deaths at the Huron Jail | Huron County Museum
The Last Public Hanging in Canada | Huron County Museum
Researching Canada’s ‘Last Public Hanging’ | Huron County Museum
Reading List
Huron Historic Gaol | Huron County Library | BiblioCommons
Check out our reading list in the Huron County Library catalogue for books about the jail and notable prisoners, including Steven Truscott and James Donnelly.
Online Readings:
The Final Days of Nicholas Melady Jr. as Witnessed by William Dickson
Heaven & Hell on Earth: The Massacre of the Black Donnellys
Huron Historic Gaol: National Historic Site Designation
