Elizabeth Town Hall and Jail

This building was built in Elizabeth Township, Minnesota in the 1880s. The prison, with two prison cells, was built in 1885, shortly after the first settlers had arrived in the area. In 1889 it was expanded, and the new part was used as a town hall.

In the early 20th century, a new and larger prison was built in Elizabeth. The old building was then given a new function as meeting room, and the cells as election rooms and for storing ballot boxes.  One of the old ballot boxes can be seen in the town hall.

The creation of new communities on the prairie had two cornerstones. One was freedom, the other was the demand for order. Settler life would end in anarchy if not also based on order and discipline, and this had to be created by the settlers themselves. Now they were no longer bound by the strictly governed society they came from in their homeland, and they could create societies that were not governed by class divisions, social divisions and strong officials. It is characteristic of American society that so much of local administration is based on democracy and elections. The inhabitants themselves have been able to elect their priest, teacher and sheriff.