Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park
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Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park
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 Historic watchtower |
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| location | Yuma County in Arizona (USA) | |
| Geographical location | 33 ° 44 ' N , 114 ° 37' W | |
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| Setup date | January 1, 1961 | |
| administration | Arizona State Parks & Trails | |
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The Yuma Territorial Prison State Park area is home to the ruins of the Yuma Territorial Prison, a prison near the city of Yuma , Arizona . Today the watchtower, the main gate and the former cell block still exist. Still, these remnants represent a significant era in the US penal system.
The memorial is designated and owned by the state as an Arizona State Park . Due to the lack of money, it will be operated by the Yuma City Council for three years from 2010.
location
The prison is located on the bluffs of the Colorado River , in the city of Yuma in the US state of Arizona . The Colorado River and Gila River meet three miles to the east . Due to its elevated position, the viewpoint was built on early on, and from here the surroundings could be viewed and controlled.
history
In front of the prison
Fernando de Alarcon was the first to mention this particularly situated place in 1540; he accompanied Coronado on his search for the Seven Cities of Cibola . A Father Kino discovered the outstanding position in 1683, whereupon a Father Graces founded a mission here . He was killed there by Indians in 1781. From 1849, Yuma experienced more and more people passing through, as they used the local ferry across the Colorado on their way to the gold veins of California. A military post was established in Yuma in 1850, and when gold was discovered in Colorado in 1858, the population of Yuma grew enormously. So in 1871 Yuma became the seat of Yuma County.
Construction and operation of the prison
In 1875, lawmakers recognized the county needed its own prison. A sum of $ 25,000 was earmarked for this project. Work began on April 28, 1876. Prisoners were also used for this purpose, so that some of them built their later cells themselves. The first seven prisoners were detained here on July 1, 1876. Many outlaws have been imprisoned there over time, including the famous stagecoach robber Pearl Hart . The prison operated for 33 years until it closed in 1909 due to overcrowding.
After the prison operation
In 1910, Yuma High School burned down. Up until 1914 the school was run in the premises of the guard building. During this time the school teams were only called The Criminals at away games . From 1914 to 1923, the county hospital used the rooms for its own purposes. In the 1920s and 30s, the cells were used as accommodation for vagabonds and for families who had become homeless as a result of the Great Depression. In 1924 the Southern Pacific Railroad tore down the western third of the hill to lay a new route, which is still there today. An association of war veterans leased the guard building for its purposes until 1960.
The way to the State Historic Park
In the 1930s, consideration was first given to preserving the old buildings for posterity, and from 1939 the residents of Yumas began to raise money for the renovation of the watchtower and the establishment of a museum. The museum was maintained by the city of Yuma until 1960. On August 11, 1957, the Arizona State Parks Committee met to introduce the new Senator Harold Giss, who turned out to be a great friend of the committee and Arizona. Since the conference was taking place in Yuma, the idea of turning the prison into a State Historic Park was already being toyed with at the time . Charles Reitz, member of the board of directors and head of the Yuma parks, distributed relevant information materials to all those involved. Members of the Yuma City Council led the committee through the prison and the museum guard Clarisa Windsor explained the history of the facility. The citizens and council of Yuma support this endeavor as best they can, and on January 24, 1958, the committee decided to look into the problems and open the door to the establishment of the State Historic Park . On February 6, 1958, the founding of the Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park was decided, but the site was only sold to the committee on October 4, 1960 for one dollar due to differences in ownership. The public gained access on January 1, 1961, and former museum director Clarisa Windsor became the first female park director.
Life in prison
In its 33 years of operation, a total of 3,069 prisoners, including 29 women, were incarcerated in the Yuma Territorial Prison . Contrary to its dark reputation, the prison was administered humanely and was a model institution of its time, which various preserved documents prove. Still, there were dark cells for detainees who broke prison rules. There were also bullets on chains for prisoners who had failed to escape. In their free time, the prisoners engaged in handicrafts, the products were sold on Sundays after the service in the public bazaar in the prison. The prisoners were regularly medically monitored and always had access to a good hospital. Many prisoners learned to read and write here during their detention. There was a library and the visitor's fee was used to purchase new books. One of the first power stations in the west supplied the prison with electric light and operated a ventilation system in the cell block.
Others
The Yuma Territorial Prison appears in several volumes of the " Lucky Luke " comic series . However, it is heavily modified there and depicted similar to a medieval fortress, as is typical in Lucky Luke comics.
The plot of the Western Stolen Gold begins in the Yuma Territorial Prison and the two main characters are released from this prison a little later.
In the films Count to Three and Pray and the remake Death Train to Yuma , the hero's opponent is supposed to be brought to Yuma. The ASPC (Arizona State Prison Complex) is located south of Yuma, near the Mexican border . A state prison that continued the Yuma tradition as a prison location.
Web links
- Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park at Arizona State Parks & Trails
- For more information (english)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Arizona State Parks: State Parks Board Approves Entering Into Agreements With Rural Towns To Operate Parks ( Memento April 18, 2012 in the Internet Archive ), press release March 18, 2010