March 30, 2009

Thursday 30~~~~~~Today on our way to Algodonas to finish up the teeth, we stopped at the Yuma Territorial Prison State Park sitting on a bluff overlooking the Colorado River. On July 1, 1876 the first seven inmates entered the Territorial Prison at Yuma and were locked up in the new cells they had built themselves. Now a museum the building houses photographs and exhibits of those who once "involuntarily" stayed there and the prison life they had to endure. A total of 3069 prisoners including 39 woman lived within the walls during the prison's 33 years of operation. A majority of the prisoners served only portions of their sentence because they were pardoned Their crimes ranged from murder to polygamy, with grand larceny being the most common. 107 persons died here while serving their sentences, most from tuberculosis, which was common throughout the territory. During their free time, prisoners produced many hand crafted items, which were sold at public bazaars held at the prison on Sundays after church services. Schooling was available for the prisoners and many learned to read and write while in prison. By 1907 the prison was severely overcrowded, the convicts constructed a new prison in Florence, Arizona and the last prisoner left the Yuma prison on September 15, 1909. Some of the prison buildings were used for the Yuma High School for four years. Later the empty cells provided free lodging for the hobos riding the freights in the 1920's, and sheltered many homeless families during the depression. All that remains now is the main gate and the guard tower and the cell blocks, which were sure well built. Despite an infamous reputation, written evidence indicates that the prison was humanely administered, and was a model institution for its time. The only punishments were the dark cells for inmates who broke prison regulations, and the ball and chain for those who tried to escape. The picure of Christ was in the museum beside the thorns that must grow in the desert, I thought it was very touching.