THE ARCHITECTURE WHICH DEFINES OUR LANDSCAPE IS A TANGIBLE PART OF OUR COLLECTIVE HISTORY. WHEN HISTORIC STRUCTURES ARE DEMOLISHED, A PART OF OURSELVES IS RELEGATED TO MEMORY AND CONDEMNED TO BE FORGOTTEN. IN THE REDISCOVERY OF OUR ABANDONED, OFF-LIMITS, OR OTHERWISE HIDDEN ENVIRONMENTS, I DOCUMENT THEIR EXISTENCE AS WELL AS OUR OWN THROUGH THE PHOTOGRAPHY AND THE ADVENTURES PRESENTED HERE
Alcatraz was first documented by Europeans in 1775 when Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala charted the bay area. Alcatraz island at the time was named "La Isla de los Alcatraces". Alcatraz is an old Spanish word which means "pelicans" and the island was so named because of the large population of pelicans observed here. In 1846, the United States purchased the island for $5,000 and in 1850, President Millard Fillmore ordered the island to be set aside as a miliary reservation following the acquisistion of California from Mexico as a result of the Mexican-American war. Beginning in 1853, Alcatraz island was built up as a military fortress with the construction of the "Citadel" and by the American Civil War, the island was covered by more than 100 canons and was simultaneously being used as a miliary prison.
In 1909, the Citadel was demolished down to the first floor for construction of the main cell block which was completed in 1912. This new prison was designated as the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks for the U.S. Army, Pacific Branch. It served in this role until October 12, 1933 when the Army's 80-year ownership of the island ended with its transferral to the U.S. Department of Justice.
On August 11, 1934, Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary received its first prisoners from Leavenworth and for the remainder of its 29 years as a maximum security prison it specifically housed the most difficult/notorious criminals of the time. Notable among them were Al Capone, "Machine Gun" Kelly, Alvin Karpis, "Doc" Barker and Whitey Bulger. There were 14 escape attempts which resulted in six prisoners shot and killed and five listed as "missing and presumed drowned". The most notable attempt was carried out by Frank Morris and John and Clarence Anglin on June 11, 1962. The "official" results of their escape is missing/drowned, but it remains unknown/entirely possible they survived.
On March 21, 1963, less than one year after the last escape attempt, Alcatraz was shut down. Alcatraz remained abandoned for about 10 years following its closure until 1973 when it was opened to the public as part of the National Park Service.
In August of 2010, I had the opportunity to visit San Francisco, California. This post is Part Three of a Three-Part trip report. Part II: [Nike Missile Base SF-88L]. Part I: [San Francisco].
Historic Photos of Alcatraz
Historic Alcatraz Birds Eye View Photo 1934
Historic Alcatraz Birds Eye View Photo 1933 (AP Photo)
Historic Alcatraz Dock Photo (AP Photo)
Historic Alcatraz Administration Building Group Photo
Historic Alcatraz Broadway Photo
Historic Alcatraz Prisoners Photo
Historic Alcatraz Hospital Beds Photo
Historic Alcatraz Birdman Photo
Historic Alcatraz Operating Room Photo 1956 (AP Photo/Ernest K. Bennett)
End Historic Photos
Alcatraz Island With Fog
Alcatraz Island Warning Sign
Alcatraz Island Dock
Alcatraz Penitentiary Wall With Barred Windows
Alcatraz Penitentiary Exterior Light
Alcatraz Penitentiary Administration Building Exterior
This blog is dedicated to the pursuit of adventure and exploration in Saint Louis, Missouri and beyond. Here you will find photographs of, and history pertaining to, some of the most interesting, unique, old and/or abandoned locations across the United States.
1. With the exception of any historical photos, all of the photographs here are copyrighted and not to be used for any purpose without my consent. Credit for historical photos will be cited whenever possible. Images sourced via public domain may not have known citations.
2. "Don't try this at home." I absolutely will not be held responsible for anyone else's stupidity. Do not attempt to recreate any activities shown here. Sometimes I am granted access to the things you see here and attempting to follow in my footsteps may get you arrested, hurt or killed.
3. "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints." I do not condone or tolerate: vandalism, theft, littering or any other disrespectful activity in any of these locations. Vandalizing and/or stealing from vulnerable locations is weak and lame as hell.
4. Do not ask me for (or comment) specific location information. If identifying information is not provided in the post, it was left out intentionally to protect the identity of the location. Any information will be provided either at the time of posting, or updated years later, at my discretion.
5. Any reference to "I/me, we/us" anywhere on this blog is probably just a metaphor. Metaphors are often employed to simplify complex technical details when storytelling. As such, they can never be considered as admission, nor proof, of guilt; They do not provide sufficient evidence as to who (or what) actually took any of the photos shown here. Anything portrayed here may be the result of a tour or a bribe or photoshop. I/we may or may not actually exist.
6. No ads. No sponsors. No gods. No masters. This site is completely independent, non-commercial and intended for education/entertainment purposes. The subject matter presented herein is purely based on personal interest. I/we receive no outside influence or financial compensation. All research is engaged in and typed out by a human or human-like entity or a cat or a team of cats. I/we answer to nobody. I/we are not available for hire.
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