
Old Porter ‘hoosegow’ still stands
Inside the historic Porter Jail. Photo by Scott Thoma With a population slightly under 200, Porter isn’t exactly a mecca for sightseers. But tucked away in this modest community 11 miles west of Minneota stands a small brick building, no bigger than a one-stall garage, that has significant historical value. In 1898, 17 years after Porter was incorporated as a village, citizens were determined that there was a need to construct a “hoosegow,” a popular term for jail in those da