Going to Prison

The Saturday before our family reunion, my brother, his family, and Steve and I went to Rawlins, Wyoming to tour the Wyoming Frontier Prison. The prison was open from 1901 to 1981, going through additions and having water, electricity and very poor heat added through the years. Some claim is it haunted, and I could totally see that being true. There were only 14 men executed on the prison grounds; but over 200 died on the prison grounds (fights, disease, etc). We weren't "haunted" while there and nothing in my pictures. "Ghost Adventures" will be there to film September 8-10th.

Our tour guide, Tanner, was awesome. He told us great stories about previous prisoners. He also had a unique perspective being a current employee at the new state prison. We had a personalized tour since it was just our group. Even Macaela and Ashten got "locked up."  Fun times!

The original "Cell Block A" was the oldest, held the least amount of heat and had the smallest cells (5 feet by 7 feet!). There was a trough on the opposite side of the cells where the prisoners urinated. The area still smelt like urine! Until the cafeteria was built, they also were expected to eat in the same area. There are four levels of cells.

Tanner, our awesome guide

There are so many stories about the prisoners, what they did, and how they died. Andrew Pixley committed the most despicable, horrible crime of all: rape and murder of 2 girls in Jackson, Wyoming--he left their 4 year old sister alive after she witnessed all he had done to her sisters. Once deemed "sane," he was sentenced to death. The story goes, he carved pictures of his "angels" into the wall of death row with his finger nails. Another inmate tried to cover them with paint, but they always came back:

The white spots are toothpaste, that is how inmates hung posters.

Another story: when a prisoner was released, he got a one way bus ticket and $25. One prisoner used neither. He broke into a home across the street and attacked a 72 year-old woman. She happened to be the grandmother of another prisoner and loved by all in the prison: she took them cookies, cupcakes, and sweets on a weekly basis. The county sheriff knew the attacker wouldn't be safe in the county jail and took him to the Wyoming Frontier Prison. He soon started bragging about what he had done. The other prisoners took matters into their own hands: They tied him up, put a noose around his neck and through him over the railing. The story goes: the guards couldn't punish everyone so they left him hanging through breakfast the next morning.

The tour is totally worth the trip. We had a great day. I have so many more pictures and there are so many more stories. The website has great information about the historical site and a chronological history of the prison. They do allow high schoolers in to create a haunted house for Halloween that is supposed to be ranked in the top 5 nationally!  Maybe they have some help...