Woodruff County Jail Inmate Search

The Woodruff County, Arkansas Jail, located in Augusta, has seen many changes over the century and a half there has been a county. The county itself was created during the Civil War in 1862, but was not officially recognized until 1865. Woodruff County has not been a hotbed of crime, except during Reconstruction. 1868 and 1869 were bad years, with the Clayton militias and the Ku Klux Klan fighting for control over the state. After that, the county became a quiet place that had little crime of note.

One positive for the county was the fact that two of the courthouses and jails were designed by noted architect Charles Louis Thompson. The two buildings were built around the turn of the century and the one built in 1901 is on the National Historic Registry, while the first was demolished to have land to build it. Thompson was born in Illinois, but moved south and made his mark with his firm in Arkansas. He helped design fifteen of the courthouses around the state and was noted for his ability to keep up with trends.

The Militia Wars of 1868 to 1869 were notable in the many crimes committed by both sides. The Clayton militias were started in support of the Republican governor and former Union officer Powell Clayton. He was trying to exert his control over the counties by appointing his own people to many offices. His people in Woodruff were known for arresting people and ransoming them for trumped up charges. The KKK fought against them, while still trying to exert their control. The whole thing was concluded when federal forces moved in. Many leaders of the KKK in Woodruff were arrested and held.