Final answer:
The specific historical use of the rear portion of the Old Minnehaha County Jail is not clearly described in the provided materials. However, it is possible that it served as additional housing or administrative space when the jail was overcrowded, analogous to the way children were housed at local fairgrounds as a temporary solution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The rear portion of the Old Minnehaha County Jail does not have a clearly defined previous use in the provided material. However, based on the context, it can be surmised that it could have served various functions over time, possibly including temporary housing for individuals beyond its typical function as a jail or as additional administrative space. Historically, American jails have been repurposed for different needs due to overcrowding or changing societal needs. The mention of jails and the situation described involving kids being sent to local fairgrounds suggests that unconventional spaces were sometimes used for incarceration-related purposes.
Making assumptions based on the broader historical context, it is plausible that the rear portion of the Old Minnehaha County Jail might have been used to house individuals when the facility reached its capacity. Yet, without specific historical references to this jail, a precise answer regarding its past functions cannot be provided based solely on the materials at hand.