Yuma Territorial Prison

February 24th, 2016

After lunch, we drove to the Yuma Territorial Prison.

In contrast to the Quartermaster Museum, there were no retired military discounts or free entrance here.  You had to be an Arizona resident or active duty to get a discount.  Fair enough, but I'm not sure why there are different policies for different places in the same town of the same state. We were grateful though that at least one of the places we were able to get our discount.

 Sally Port - This is one of the last remaining original adobe structures of the 1876 Yuma Territorial Prison.  This was the checkpoint through which the prisoners entered and left the prison.  It has been restored.

 The Museum entrance

There are recordings with information of each inmate, male and female. It was very interesting seeing the various crimes and punishments and whether they were paroled or not. PBS did a documentary on the prison.  Here is a transcript of part of it.

 Pearl Hart's gun.  She was one of the only female stagecoach robbers in the American West.  She was imprisoned here but paroled.

This clock was rescued from an old saloon.  The numbers were reversed so that patrons of the bar could see a reflection of it in a mirror above the bar.  It saved them from turning around on their stools to see the time and risk falling off!!!

The prison cells

There were six prisoners to a cell.

The Exercise yard

Original door to the exercise yard

The Dark Cell, which has featured on Ghost Adventures.  It was the equivalent of solitary confinement.

 Bryan coming out of the Dark Cell.  Just before this picture was taken, there were two young teen boys looking into this corridor from outside when all of a sudden Bryan walked across the walkway at the back.  They both jumped back quickly startled for a moment.  It was very funny to see and I had a chuckle as they had been misbehaving and being a general nuisance up until that moment.

The prisoners built the prison.  This was the doctor/dentist office.

A separate cell for women was built.

More cells

 Prison Bell

The prisoners made lace which they could then sell.  It was beautiful.

Replica Gatling Gun

The Guard Tower sits on top of the prison's original water supply.  It is a reconstruction of one of the many towers which overlooked the prison and guarded against escapes.

The view from the tower.

The prison cemetery

 After our self guided tour of the prison we decided to head home.