Reflections From the Fence: Yuma Territorial Prison

Sunday, March 6, 2011

THE Trip, Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park, Yuma Arizona, The Cell Blocks

Copyright 2011, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

Large sections of the Yuma Territorial Prison have been lost to progress, but, not all. Portions of the buildings and grounds were lost to new development, such as railroad tracks. Over the years other sections were dismantled to "recycle" the building supplies the abandoned facility could provide to the local citizens.

Cell block.

The beds were narrow. Cells small.

The Dark Cell was used for punishment, and it was not one dark cell per prisoner, there could be several occupants at one time. There were no facilities (toilets), very little light (if any), a very dark place indeed.

Door to the Dark Cell from the inside, substantial, heavy.

Looking into the Dark Cell.

The top part was a guard tower, the bottom was a water reservoir,
the structure was originally just a platform to slow down
evaporation. Then a roof was added and it became a guard tower.

Let the statistics talk for themselves. (click on the image for a larger view)

The Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park was an unusual museum, for sure, a glimpse into a dark side of humanity.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

THE Trip, Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park, Yuma Arizona

One of my friend Mary's suggestions of places to visit while in Yuma, (and a very good suggestion it was), was to the Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park. We allowed most of the afternoon for our visit. The prison was opened July 1, 1876, and operated for 33 years. The Arizona Parks maintains a very informative web page, there is even a YouTube video. During the time the prison was in operation there were 3,069 prisoners, including 29 women.

And, sadly, men died and were buried there as well. There is a cemetery on the grounds with the remains of 104 of the 111 that died. There is a brass marker with the names of the 104, but each individual grave is marked only with a pile of rocks, no numbers, no indication that I saw that would inform you which man was buried in which grave.

You can see the memorial that lists all the deceased below the tree to the left.
The names of the 104 buried here are listed.

Every grave looks like this, unmarked in any manner.

Double gate entrance, wagons would go through the
first gate (the 2nd one already being lowered)
then the first gate would be lowered, so they could
check the wagon for contraband or possible escapes.

There is a museum and some of the original cell for your educational journey. You enter the museum, and pass through it to the cell blocks. In the museum there is a short continually running film of the story of the jail, and there are some nice displays.

Ball and chain and other methods of restraint.
(Behind glass, some glare, sorry.)

The following inscription/information was taken in full from one of the display cases:

"C.E. Hobart # 1113, was a lifer. He did most of his time in the Yuma Territorial Prison for murdering a man, spending his days making adobe and quarrying rock to build new prison cells. He was put in solitary confinement numerous times for violating prison rules and tried to escape twice. But during his free time, Hobert knitted lace, beautiful lace."