Yuma Territorial prison

In the movie "3:10 to Yuma", the plot revolved around getting a prisoner on the train to the Territorial Prison in Yuma. This was the first prison in Arizona and was built in 1876 and was used until 1909. The walls were built of adobe bricks and were 8 feet wide at the bottom and 5 feet wide at the top and over 20 feet high. This is part of the original wall.

This was the main guard tower, built over a water tank. A number of prisoners were shot from this tower, trying to escape. The prison is beside the Colorado river so one of the prisoners jobs was to draw water from the river to fill the cistern.

The cell block consisted of a number of cells on each side of a main corridor. There were 2 corridors like this as well as iron cages in the courtyard for incorrigible prisoners.

Each cell could hold up to 12 prisoners with a porcelain pot for necessary functions. The ends were open on the cells which helped in summer where it could get over 110F but cold winds blew through in the winter. If there were too may prisoners, they were chained to cots in the corridor at night.

There were 3 separate cells for women, each holding up to 6 women. Some of the severest punishment was reserved for prisoners trying to get to the women's area.

Only the worst female criminals were sent to Yuma prison. Most, like this unfortunate creature served their time in local jails.

Over 100 prisoners died at the prison. Most from TB but heat exhaustion, snake bite and getting shot trying to escape were common. This is the graveyard just outside the prison wall.