The construction of the Southern Pacific Railroad Bridge in 1923 led to the demolition of the prisons west wall and the womens cells, leaving these cells exposed. One corner in the museum has the original setup for taking photos of newly arrived prisoners. They first had to build their own cells. A total of 3,069 prisoners, including 29 women, lived . Included in that number were 29 women. Then by 1939 the Yuma townspeople took notice on the importance and historic significance this place offered. The first time she appeared in print was in the 1899 issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine. This fueled the legitimacy of claims made about the strange occurrences that would happen behind prison walls. However, as the population grew in the 1870s the territorial legislature realized they needed to establish a territorial prison. George Thurlow(1876-1881) expanded the prison from 2 to 14 cells and built a mess hall. The prison saw 33 years of operation until it became overcrowded and was moved to a new facility in the nearby town of Florence. This structure accommodated 150 prisoners in two parallel, 132-foot-long blocks of cells, running north and south, separated by a distance of about 10 feet. Before overcrowding forced the relocation of inmates to a new facility in Florence, the Yuma Territorial Prison held over 3,000 offenders, including 29 women. Inmates were moved to a larger facility in Florence in 1909. Bodies of the other 7 prisoners were claimed by families. The most famous prisoner was Pearl Hart. Related story from us: Moondyne Joe, the escape artist that no prison could hold, not even a specially designed concrete escape-proof cell. So, the community worked together thus by 1941 the museum was put up and operated for the next twenty years. In the mid-1880's, twelve prominent, Mormon leaders were convicted under this latest statute and nine were imprisoned at the Yuma Territorial Prison. This claim can be supported by the account of an Arizona Highway writer who attempted to stay inside the Dark Room for 48 hours, the challenge failed just short of 2 days due to the writer feeling uneasy alone within the cell. If one managed to get outside the walls, it was still hundreds of miles more across a burning hot desert to San Diego, Tucson or Phoenix. Richard founded thePartido Liberal Mexicano to fight against dictator Porfirio Diaz. There is some information on Ball. Prisoner No. I don't know which of the 7 were claimed by family. When the State Historical Park Commission gained control, it realized that refurbishing was necessary to protect the remaining structures. Yuma, AZ 85364, Desert Alcatraz: The Arizona Territorial Prison, S.J. The first three convicted individuals were sent to the Detroit House of Corrections in Michigan. At one point, the prison had the largest library (some 2,000 books) in the Arizona Territory! "Impossible to endure, more impossible to escape.". Even though the institution was closed, its history was far from over. Today it is a much visited State Park. *Working with the Time Warner Cable local cable affiliate, they visited literary and historic sites where local historians, authors, and civic leaders were interviewed. The repeat offender was a criminals criminal, Clark noted. The City of Yuma operated the museum until 1960, and in 1961 it became the third state park in Arizona. and date of death. Yuma was home to people used to a tough life in the desert, the historian added. Sitting on a bluff overlooking the Colorado River, three miles west of the confluence of the Colorado and the historic Gila River, stand the ruins of Arizona's famous Territorial Prison, and a short distance west are the remaining buildings that served as a part of the Yuma Quartermaster's Depot. Redondo knew a prison would be a great financial boon to Yuma. When the legislators went to lunch, he crossed out Phoenix for the prison and put Yuma in its place. Site Developed by MGM Design, Sanitation, including two bathtubs and three showers, A library with 2,000 books, the most in the Territory at the time, "Insufferable heat that made the place an inferno.". Some of those sentenced to the jail were set to work building what would become their home. When the Yuma Territorial Prison opened for business on July 1st, 1876 the planners overlooked, The Yuma Territorial Prison opened its doors and closed in 1909 it didnt lie fallow, Rules for Inmates: You will not be allowed to converse with each other on any. Surrounded by rivers, quick sand and desert in all directions. Moreover, the site provides a stunning view of the Colorado River, the Yuma Crossing, the Union Pacific railroad bridge, and theOcean-to-OceanHighwaybridge which was opened in 1915. Now a museum, the building houses photographs and exhibits of the prisoners and their lives. On July 1, 1876, the first seven inmates entered the prison and were locked into the new cells they had built themselves. Richard was eventually jailed in Yuma due to violating the Neutrality Act, this led to him getting transferred into the Leavenworth Penitentiary. On July 1, 1876, the first seven convicts entered the prison. Although the park is a smaller facility it still offers tons of entertainment and history on the Yuma territorial Prison this includes interactive exhibits, photographs, personal narratives of prisoners and prison staff it also includes restrooms and a gift shop full of great prison t shirts, keychains, books about the prison. The first inmates of this Arizona territory prison moved in on July 1, 1876, and included the infamous stagecoach robber Pearl Hart and Indian fighter Buckskin Frank Leslie. 5. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Built by prisoners, this location is a preserved piece from the old west when Arizona was still just a territory. The group of investigators were frequently teased by weird sounds and strange voices leading them to believe that there was indeed a strange energy inside the prison. One of the last notable Superintendents was William K. Meade (. Tina Clark toured Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park. With the majority of visitors coming to the park during the winter, summer is a good time to leisurely peruse the exhibits and cells. During the Great Depression, though it was used to shelter the homeless, it fell into disrepair. of Pete Devaux. Staff workers also note that spirits frequently patrol the gift shop allegedly rearranging the change inside the cash register. The Yuma Union High School board rented some of the structures from 1910 to 1914, creating the school's athletic mascot "The Criminals". Classes were held there until 1914. The Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park holds the Arizona Territory's first and most infamous prison, which was built by inmates beginning in 1875. Large roaches, lice and bedbugs shared the cells with the prisoners. The prison was often referred to as a country club due to the amenities this facility possessed. The former prison opened on July 1, 1876, approved by territorial legislature in 1875 and given a budget of $25,000 for the project. A myth that nobody escaped from the prison is untrue - 26 successfully escaped. and then overlaid with rocks. SAH Archipedia tells the story of the United States through its buildings, landscapes, and cities. Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park was opened and dedicated on Jan. 1, 1961. The actual cells at the Yuma Territorial Prison were absolutely tiny and housed up to six inmates in each one, without a washbowl or toilet. Photo by Terry Turner, Looking through the entrance to the Yuma Territorial Prison. Photo by Terry Turner, The tunnel leading to the Dark Cell at the Yuma Territorial Prison. Amenities included a workshop, library, hospital and school where many learned the three Rs, something that would benefit them greatly when they were released. 1402 Words6 Pages. During the prison's operating years, 3,069 convicts (29 women) were locked up there for crimes from murder to polygamy to robbery and grand larceny. McInernay aside from his controversy was noted to have improved facility bathrooms and also guard towers. A swine yard and the cemetery occupied the eastern slope. Convicted felons helped realize the prison according to his plans, seven of whom were among its first inmates. His wife Madora worked to improve conditions and educational opportunities, set up the library but was also willing to man the Lowell Battery if need be. The decision to build a prison in Yuma on the banks of the Colorado River was based on the fact that the local jails in the Arizona Territory were not built well enough and jail breaks were a common occurrence. By Author: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0. setTimeout(function(){var t=document.createElement("script");t.setAttribute("src","https://sample.dragonforms.com/getEmbeddedClientScript.do?embeddedsite=TW_dispatch_nl"),t.setAttribute("type","text/javascript"),document.body.appendChild(t)},5); Become a subscriber today and youll recieve a new issue every month plus unlimited access to our full archive of backlogged issues. A post shared by Zachary Ezell (@eazy_goin98). Overview. This cell was lit only through a tiny window in the roof and there was no bed for sleeping, only a little water and some bread that were given once a day. The Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park is located at 1 Prison Hill Road in Yuma, Arizona. Photo by Terry Turner. to me from the Arizona State Parks, as well as information on display From 1931 to 1960, the Veterans of Foreign Wars used part of the facilities as a clubhouse. After that, the structures were used by train riders, homeless families, and vagrants during the Great Depression and beyond. Donate. Ground was broken on April 28, 1876, and some of the prisoners were pressed into service to build their cells. Prisoners there dubbed this old west prison as a legit "hell hole" as temperatures would reach into the 120-degree range in summer months. During its 33 years of operation, the prison was in a perpetual state of construction, much of it undertaken by the inmates themselves. April 1893-May 1893) who only served one month, the shortest term served by any Superintendent. A total of 3,069 people, including 39 women, were housed within the walls during its 33 years of occupation. Author: Anna, Irene CC BY-SA 2.0. This modern-day adobe fortress features an 18-foot wall that is 8-feet thick with guard towers on every corner of the prison walls. McInernay (, 1891-April 1893) faced criticism for alleged poor management. Yuma Territorial Prison, February 19, 2021, https://www.desertusa.com/yuma/du_yumatp.html? The location in southeastern Arizona Territory was hot and dry in summer and had cold winter nights and spring floods. In the late 1950s, the Yuma Territorial Prison was turned into Arizona State Historic Park. On September 15, 1909, the last prisoners were . After use as a prison, the structures were used by a number of organizations, including a high school and a hospital, and . Their crimes ranged from murder to polygamy, with grand larceny being In fact, The competition of several towns included Prescott, Florence and Phoenix to secure the prison with that the original location plan of the new prison was said to be built in Phoenix AZ but during the legislative session that took place that same year Yuma city leaders , CouncilmanJose Maria Redondo and Rep. R.B Kelly cleverly amended the bill to read Yuma in the place of Phoenix. Grow; later additions. 431. A.L. Pearl Hart was sent to the jail in Tucson because the one in Florence didnt have facilities for women. 180 W. 1st Street, Suite E They also had access to medical care a fully functioning library. Yuma Union High School occupied the buildings from 1910 to 1914. The only light came from a small vent in the roof. Marshall Trimbleis Arizonas official historian and vice president of the Wild West History Association. Yuma did very well with the prison economy, Clark said. Soon after arriving in Yuma, seven prisoners from across Arizona started constructing the first two-and-a-half cells with rock. On July 1, 1876 . When Arizona was still a young territory, lawbreakers were usually confined in a jail in the sheriffs office. Richard passed away due to what has been described as questionable circumstances. Timeline of Yuma Territorial Prison's historical events. Among those 3,069 inmates ranging in age from fourteen to eighty-eight, men, women all by various ethnicities that were housed by the Yuma Territorial Prison were some of the roughest and toughest characters the West has ever known. Pack Your Bags and Pack a Bookor Two or Three or More! The Yuma Territorial Prison did indeed hold some of the west's finest criminals but now many paranormal investigators scour to visit this historic location. Gordon Drive viaduct, Southbridge I-29 interchange added to IDOT highway plan, LETTER: Trump's behavior led to indictments on documents. On July 1, 1876, the first seven convicts entered the prison. The Yuma Territorial prison was famously included on "Ghost Adventures," where paranormal investigators record an episode examining the premises for any possible hints of spirit activity. 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