Old county jail rediscovered on Stanford land

Biologists and archaeologists hoping to improve the lives of threatened species rediscover remnants of the facility for petty criminals on Old Page Mill Road. University biologists and archaeologists working to improve the lives of threatened species recently discovered remnants of a long-forgotten jail. (Image credit: Courtesy Laura Jones) University biologists and archaeologists working to improve the habitat of threatened species on university lands have rediscovered a long-forgotten jail located off Old Page Mill Road. In the early 1900s, the jail housed up to 28 county prisoners in a substantial concrete building whose footings and steps have been uncovered during recent archaeological digs. The prisoners' punishment included mining basalt from a handful of quarries in the Stanford foothills to be used for paving roads, including El Camino Real. The rediscovery of the jail surprised even university archeologist Laura Jones, whose 23-year career at Stanford has brought her to nearly every corner of the university's lands. But one of the best parts of the story is that it all begins with a frog.