Joseph James was buried today....March 19

Thursday March 19 1914

"Cold, overcast, ground frozen this morning. We churned 17 lb Butter. Harry busy with the Seperator and his other work. Joseph James buried today, former warden of Chester County Jail. Not much to record. I am feeling better, made the butter today and was not too tired, but did not feel so well at this time last week when I went to West Chester in the evening but came home completely upset, and have been weak and nervous ever since. Untill the last few days.  Harry gone to West Chester tonight. I hear a Automobile, on the lower road tonight, first to pass for several weeks."

Women with a milk and cream separator


A photo set of cars from 1910 - 1914


   http://courses.wcupa.edu/jones/his480/reports/prison.htm

Life inside the prison, as well as its history, proved an interesting exercise. Built in 1838 at the corner of Market and New Streets in West Chester, it remained in operation until a new prison was built in 1959 (Daily Local News May 05, 1955). It was designed to hold approximately 100 inmates after which it was deemed `crowded (Daily Local News November 14, 1958). In 1900, the facility was basically a family run institution. The prison officials were political appointees, and at the turn of the century the staff consisted of Warden Joseph James, Matron Mrs. Joseph James, the warden's wife, and Prison Clerk Miss Mabel H. James, the warden's daughter. Also on the staff were `keepers (presumably guards), a prison physician Dr. Joseph Scattergood and the county solicitor Thomas Baldwin (Daily Local News January 04, 1900). The prison housed a carpet making facility for which inmates, deemed able to work, were required to produce a minimum quota of five pounds of carpet rags a day. Those prisoners who exceeded this quota were paid a 2 cents per pound bonus (Daily Local News July 25, 1900). Spring was the busiest time of the year for the mill, presumably due to `spring cleaning and the need to replace musty carpets at this time (Daily Local News March 22, 1898). In addition to the carpet making facility, the prison also housed broom making and weaving departments as well (Daily Local News January 17, 1895)