172. Jailer Pflanz & The Louisville Jail- Part 2

In Part Two, John Reinhardt Pflanz Jr. finally sees his longtime campaign for a modern Louisville jail become a reality—but the new building brings plenty of new problems. After the jail opens in 1905, Pflanz contends with smuggling, faulty heating, a flooded tunnel, the lack of padded cells and one unfortunate matron who gets locked inside the abandoned jail for five hours. He also establishes a library for prisoners, advocates for Kentucky’s new juvenile court system and helps organize the County Jailers of Kentucky Association, which elects him as its first president. Pflanz loses his office in 1907 but returns two years later for a much rockier term marked by criticism of the jail’s management, an ugly battle over the appointment of female matrons and another bitter election defeat. We follow his repeated attempts to reclaim the office through his final years and death in 1927. Today, the jail Pflanz helped build still stands in downtown Louisville—and some believe a few former occupants may have never left. Hear the mysterious sounds recorded inside the Old Louisville Jail: https://www.wave3.com/story/36686729/ghost-hunters-reveal-spooky-sounds-in-old-louisville-jail/ Follow Kentucky History & Haunts: Facebook: facebook.com/kyhistoryhaunts Instagram: instagram.com/kyhistoryhaunts Email: [email protected] Send mail to Jessie: 252 Whittington Pkwy Louisville, KY 40222