Trip To The Arizona Territorial Museum; Yuma

[billz410]

I had wanted to see the Territorial Prison Museum in Yuma, AZ; for sometime- was finally able to break away this Saturday.

Yuma is roughly 160 miles west of Casa Grande, all on I-8, which just happens to be probably the least scenic stretch of Interstate in the entire state. It also happens to be the stretch with the least amount of traffic, which is why I like it.

The seven year-old, three mega-pixel camera I won in a raffle finally decided to poop out, so these photos were taken with an even more mediocre device- my BlackBerry cameraphone. So between that, and unusual resizing techniques, bare with me... :)

Let's start with a couple of the more 'pleasant' photos... here we have a variety of cacti that grow in Arizona. These are planted on the pathway to the Prison Cemetery.









This is the Prison Cemetery, where a little over one hundred inmates who died while serving their term were laid to rest. I didn't count all the piles... might've been a hundred, not sure. ???




Engraving listing the prisoners buried in the cemetery.



This is the original watch tower for the gaurds. Modern-looking staircase added sometime after the prison was closed, I suspect. :)




From what I could understand, the watch tower was built on top of a large cistern that had been constructed for the prison- hence the water supply. The prison was built right next to the Yuma River.




A view of the watch tower through one of the main prison enterance gates. It was near this location that the Prison Superintendant was taken hostage by five inmates. A guard in the watch tower shot three of the inmates, and the other two eventually surrendered. The Prison Superintendant had been stabbed in the neck, but survived the attack.




Main Enterance to Prison. The big white lamp on the top of the structure may have been added a little later, as the prison did have it's own steam-driven electric generator, and sold power to the city of Yuma after 9 PM.





I thought this clock was rather interesting. It came from an old saloon in Yuma; the numerals were intentionally placed 'backwards', so patrons could view the time directly in the mirror without having to turn around and look at the clock on the wall. Now that's service!




View into one of the prison cell blocks.





Beautiful architecture, don't you think??? ???




OK, now the spoooky stuff!! This was the Dark Cell where you were placed if you was really naughty. The Territorial Prison was an Equal Oppurtunity kind of place; even a handful of the very few women prisoners here were placed in the Dark Cell for various violations of prison conduct.




The Dark Cell was actually larger than I could make it show in this picture... the dark spot on the wall is my shadow. :)
Not exactly sure what the grating on the floor was for. Entirely possible that certain 'misbehavers' were chained to the grating.




This air shaft was the only source of light to the Dark Cell, and was where food was lowered to the prisoner within. It's my understanding this shaft was generally kept covered during the daytime. Stories are told that the occasional creepy-crawler might find it's way, or be lowered into the cell, too, just for a little company.
My guess is if you came out of this cell with your sane mind you were lucky.





Although not accurately reflected in this photo, between the rock and timbers and mortar and stucco, etc., etc., this outer cell block wall is nearly five feet thick.




Here's a photo of a typical cell. There were three bunks on the other side of the, ahem, 'commode', also. Comfy, huh?
This cell had been fixed up a bit for aesthetic purposes... the actual remaining cells were all rock and crumbling mortar.




Can't forget the Hangman's Noose! The story is... a new rope was used with every hanging, with each rope being 'stretched' before actual use by the heavy weight in the left corner of the picture. Apparently this confirmed the 'reliability' of the rope. Placement of the noose around the prisoner's neck was also important; the 'knot' being placed on either side of the head, in order to snap the neck to one side, thus severing the vertebrae in the neck.

Incorrect placement of the noose could result in the prisoner being choked to death, or being decapitated.
It was interesting to learn about the types of crimes that brought people to the Territorial Prison. The youngest prisoner was a 14-year old boy, who served five years for robbery. Youngest woman was a 16-year old girl who shot her younger brother with a shotgun, resulting from an argument about her conduct at local dances. She served one year and was then committed to an asylum.

Adultery was another jailable offense. Of course, prisoners could 'earn' extra time for disruptive behaviour within the prison walls, etc. One example was for 'sleeping within the same bunk with another male.' Another one was 'attempting to enter the woman's area.'





Aah- Freedom of the open road! 150-some miles of this and I'm home.





Santa Fe moving a little freight down the rails. A while back they had a derailment in this area; I counted over 25 containers that had been busted open/wrecked by the derailment. A genuine mess!





Homeward bound. :)

[cactusjack]

Nice write-up, Bill! I've yet to make the trip to Yuma. That old prison looks better than Sheriff Joe's tent city jail.

I went for a ride too, headed north on the 101 and exited at Scottsdale Rd. North on Scottsdale to Dynamite Blvd, then up over the McDowell Mountains to Rio Verde, then back through Fountain Hills and home. About 130-140 miles. Similar ride to the one you and I did last year.

[billz410]

And you didn't CALL???? Well you know how it is with me- the sixth or seventh time's the charm!

Admission to the place was only $4.00. Cheap! However, it is one of the parks on Arizona's list that is going to close the end of March, 2010, due to the budget cuts.

A ranger there said the city of Yuma is hoping to raise enough money to keep it open- they need another $60,000.00.

I hope to go to Tombstone in a couple weeks. Made it to Patagonia- nothing too special there that I could see....

[MarkG]

Bill, for a not so good camera you got some pretty good pictures. Haven't been down toward Yuma for years. Sounds like you had a pretty good trip.

[skeeter]

Maybe the grate was in loo of a chamber pot.....

[billz410]

Ya, I wondered 'bout that too, skeeter. That could very well be the case.

[blowndodge]

Thanks Bill. That was a fun picture show!! I hope they don't close it down so i can ride out there someday to see that!!

[glwilson]

That was cool Bill ;)

Just a pile of stones with no grave markers...

I guess that's probably all one deserves for being a criminal. ;)

[Dave]

Is there not an old missile silo around there one can tour?

[billz410]

Haven't researched that, Dave. There is a MinuteMan Missle installation you can visit up in South Dakota, that is quite informative. Quite a ways from Yuma, AZ... lol.

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by billz410

Haven't researched that, Dave. There is a MinuteMan Missle installation you can visit up in South Dakota, that is quite informative. Quite a ways from Yuma, AZ... lol.

There's a missile silo here somewhere in AZ. I think it's down around Tucson somewhere.

[naugaman]

I made that trip a couple of years ago. Seeing the pictures reminded me of the fun I had. There are a lot of things to see around this great nation and I have only started.

[billz410]

Originally Posted by cactusjack

There's a missile silo here somewhere in AZ. I think it's down around Tucson somewhere.

Sahuarita, AZ, is the place- a little south of Tucson, AZ, on Interstate 19. I haven't been there.....

http://www.titanmissilemuseum.org/

[dabull]

nice pics bro.....

[AlabamaNomadRider]

Great pictures, thanks for posting.