[1] When the Davenport, St. Paul and Midland railroad was being built the town of Delmar had yet to be incorporated, but it had a prosperous liquor trade serving the construction workers.

By early summer property on Vane Street was purchased for $50 and the council approved plans for a stone structure.

The small jail is the oldest extant public building in Delmar, and the town would use it well into the twentieth century.

The main entrance into the structure is a heavy cast iron door with strap hinges and a grated opening located on the south elevation.

The furnishings include a stove, folding cot, bureau, table, and chair that appear to be from the early twentieth century.