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Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park (Sources (Source 4: https…
Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park
Where is the Yuma territorial Prison located within Yuma? Why is it in this position?
Source 4: overlooking the Colorado River, three miles west of the confluence of the Colorado and the historic Gila River
Source 1: Prison is enclosed by specific surroundings to block criminal's way out
Source 1: Result of the political maneuvering by Jose Maria Redondo and R.B. Kelly who thought that the prison would have a real boost for the economy
Local boost
money
new jobs
How did the appearance of the Prison grounds changed over time? What decisions were made to change the appearance of the Prison?
Source 4: prisoners were pressed into service to build their cells
Source 5: The only punishments was the dark cell for inmates who broke prison regulation
Source 7
By 1907, the prison was severely overcrowded, Convicts constructed a new facility in Florence, Arizona, and the last prisoner left Yuma on September 15, 1909.
together with fires, weathering and railroad construction, destroyed the prison walls and most of the buildings.
A total of 3,069 prisoners, including 29 women, lived within these walls during the prison's 33 years of operation.
Source 4: After Yuma High School burned, the High School Board rented four structures and used them from 1910 until 1914
Source 6: a library was dug out of south wall in 1893, where many prisoners who didn't know how to read or write would be able to get an education.
What roles, other than a prison, have the Yuma Territorial Prison taken over the years? What impact has this had on the local community?
Source 8: home of the yuma criminals (high school players)
Source 3: After its abandonment in September 15, 1909, the prison was later used for different roles.
the prison facilities were used for a local high school .
served as a hospital from 1910 to 1914
1916- after bad flood, townspeople went to the prison in order to collect building materials
used as a VFW post from 1931 to 1960
used as a way for the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1924
served as an observation tower during world war 2
became a favorite filming location for western movies
was later made into a museum in the early 1940s was later donated to the Arizona State Parks and is still visited today
Source 4: after
Veterans of Foreign Wars leased the guard's quarters in 1931 and used it as their clubhouse until 1960
Hobos, riding the trains in the 1920's and 1930's, stayed in the cells, and homeless families during the Great Depression lived in the cells
1924, the Southern Pacific Railroad demolished the western one-third of Prison Hill to make way for the new tracks
The County Hospital utilized the facilities from 1914 until 1923
After Yuma High School burned, the High School Board rented four structures and used them from 1910 until 1914
Description
Construction began in 1875
Source 4: Sitting on a bluff overlooking the Colorado River, three miles west of the confluence of the Colorado and the historic Gila River,
Source 2: The prison was constructed based on plans developed as a result of a contest
Source 5: The prison has been closed since 1909 and is now run as a state historical park.
Significance
Yuma
Source 2: town benefited from the prison because they could buy electricity every night after 9 p.m.
Source 2: Pumping of raw sewage from the prison into the Colorado river
Source 2: diseases occurred frequently because of the prison's unsanitary conditions
Source 7: a source for free building materials
Southwest
only prison in the southwest region
Limitation of sources
Source 7: By 1907, the prison was severely overcrowded, Convicts constructed a new facility in Florence, Arizona, and the last prisoner left Yuma on September 15, 1909.
Source 5: many prisoners died from diseases like tuberculosis
Sources
Source 4:
https://azstateparks.com/yuma-territorial/about-the-prison/park-history
Source 5:
https://www.ghosttowns.com/states/az/yumaterritorialprison.html
Source 3: The End of the territorial prison and the aftermath
Source 6:
http://www.yumaprison.org/timeline.html
Source 2: The territorial prison
Source 7:
https://www.desertusa.com/yuma/du_yumatp.html
Source 1: Why was the territorial prison located in yuma?
Source 8: Prison Video