Guilty!
You are Heading for the Slammer!
A colorful aspect of the Old Wests lore is the desperados who,
between their stealing and pillaging, spent a good amount of
time in town jails and territorial prisons. Locking up the bad
guys (and gals) was a part of the frontier justice system and,
as history tells, the confines of prison had a far more ominous
story than what has been depicted in old-west films about
jail-bird legends.
Many western prisons and jails were built in the mid- and late-
1800s, long before electricity, air conditioning and inmate
rights. Some of these institutions still stand and are reminders
of the hardships of living and surviving the punishment meted
out to lawbreakers during frontier times. Many of the buildings
are now historic landmarks and visitor attractions, while others
are home to museums displaying a town or region's history. One
aspect of many of these historic structures is their
architectural design, which often reflects the popular building
styles of the era.
Yuma Arizona Territorial Prison State Historic Park
This facility opened on July 1, 1876 with seven inmates who were
locked into rock and adobe cells. During its 33-year history
Yuma housed 3,069 inmates, including 29 women. The crimes
causing this incarceration ranged from murder to polygamy, with
grand larceny being the most common offense.
Despite its infamous reputation, this facility was a model
institution and offered prisoners many privileges that were
unheard of in other penal institutions of the time. The most
severe punishment extended was sentencing to a dark cell and
only those who attempted escape were bound in ball and chains.
Inmates had free time during which many made hand-crafted items
which were sold at a public bazaar held at the prison following
Sunday church services. Inmates also received regular medical
attention, had access to good hospital facilities and they
learned to read and write in the prison school. This facility
housed one of the first public libraries in the territory. By
1907 the prison had exceeded its capacity and within two years
all inmates had been transferred to a new facility in Florence.
The Yuma Territorial Prison is one of Arizonas most visited
historic parks and operates as a living history museum. Group
Travelers see the cells, main gate and guard tower. Interpretive
guides offer insights into the history and lore of the prison
and territory. Contact: 928-783-4771,
www.desertusa.com/yuma/du_yumatp or (Yuma CVB) 800-293-0071,
www.visityuma.com
Museum of Colorado Prisons
It is not surprising that you will find this states prison
museum located in Canon City adjacent to Colorados oldest
prison, which opened in 1871. It became a Colorado Territorial
Correctional Facility in 1874 and is still in operation as a
minimum security facility. The original prison was known as the
Hell Holes and incarcerated the regions most hardened criminals
of the time. It was witness to 77 executions and home to
notorious inmates like Alfred Parker, the only man convicted of
cannibalism in the United States; and the 11-year-old murderer,
Anton Woode. The Prison Museum is housed in the first Colorado
Womens Correctional Facility, which was built in 1935. Adding to
the drama of learning about prison life, past and present,
museum galleries are located in 32 prison cells. Some of the
more dramatic artifacts displayed include the hangmans noose
used at the last execution by this method and an early version
of the gas chamber. There is a collection of weapons confiscated
from inmates, disciplinary p raphernalia used from 1871 to
present times and many rare historic photographs depicting
prison life. The museum has a gift shop which features
inmate-created arts and crafts. Contact: 719-269-3015,
www.prisonmuseum.org or (Canon City Chamber)
800-876-7922,www.canoncity.com/visitors. Old Idaho Penitentiary
The Idaho Territory was less than ten years old when its
territorial prison was built in 1870 east of Boise. The
penitentiary grew from a single cell house into a complex of
several distinctive buildings surrounded by a high sandstone
wall. Convicts quarried the stone from the nearby ridges and
completed all construction as it expanded throughout its
history. During its century of operation, the penitentiary
received more than 13,000 convicts, including 215 women. And, it
had its share of personalities, including Butch Cassidy.
Life was very hard at this prison which had sparse facilities,
heavy-handed authority and was void of most modern conveniences.
One of the better inmate work duties was to be assigned to the
50-plus acre prison farm and nursery which produced most of the
food for the institution. These grounds were located just
outside the prison walls and are now part of the Idaho Botanical
Gardens. Another positive aspect, and in contrast to the stark
and barren prison atmosphere, was its nursery stock rose gardens
which were planted for a commercial grower who was testing new
varietals.
The conditions under which the inmates lived sparked a general
riot in 1971 and an even more severe riot in 1973. The result of
these conflicts was the closure of the old prison and the move
of the entire population to a new facility located south of
Boise. The Old Idaho Penitentiary is now listed on the National
Register of Historic Places and tours of the grounds and its
rose gardens are available to the public. Various buildings are
open, including some cell houses, the solitary confinement
building, death row and the gallows. There are displays on the
history of the prison as well as Idaho Transportation and the
History of Electricity in Idaho. Group
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