Franklin County's Old Jail Museum

The "county jail" has evolved quite a bit over the past hundred years.

In Middle Tennessee, jails that once housed maybe a dozen inmates have been replaced with newer facilities that can hold "hundreds"...

And while some of those old jail houses were long ago torn down -- a few remain.

One of them is worth a good look...

It's a place where you can touch frontier-era tools used by our forefathers.

Or see actual confederate bills used to buy goods.

There are mementos of Tennessee soldiers who fought in history's bloodiest wars.

And there are memories of some of Tennessee's most beloved figures.

All of this - appropriately - locked in safe-keeping at Franklin County's Old Jail Museum in Winchester.

The building opened in 1897... and served as the county jail until overcrowding forced it to close in 1972.