` Calaboose comes from the Spanish term calaboozo for jail or cell. It was a common name for small holding cells found in many pioneer towns. This 10 x 16 foot cage is made from riveted iron bands. It served as the city jail from 1889-1928 when it was replaced by the county's first jail in the Charlotte County Courthouse on Taylor Street. The iron bands of the calaboose were once covered by an iron roof. The cage apparently had two swing-down bunks on either end. The swinging front doors were locked by a padlock. The apparatus was installed on Herald Court in downtown Punta Gorda. The Calaboose ended its days on Jim and Patsy Parker's Washington Loop Ranch before being given to the Historical Society. The Parkers gave the Calaboose to the Punta Gorda Historical Society in honor of his father, Edwin M. Parker, who was Mayor of Punta Gorda in 1941. D&M Construction moved the Calaboose from the Ranch to town.
