Visit Yuma, Go to Jail
Yuma, Arizona
Yuma, Arizona, sets on U.S. Interstate 8, at the Colorado River, but in spite of the proximity of the river, the countryside can only be described as desert. That’s not a bad thing. The locale just may be the travel trailer capital of the world when all the winter visitors set up camp, Those visitors, many of whom are rockhounds in a geological paradise, are seeking and finding sunshine and warmth, and enjoying the intrigue and culture of the Indian powwow gatherings. But people around the world know of Yuma for the infamous Yuma Territorial Prison
The Yuma Territorial Prison in the Arizona territory opened up for “visitors” on July 1, 1876. Its reputation has long outlived the prison itself ; it was in use for just thirty-three years, until 1909. Even at that, the prison was never quite completed. It was under somewhat continuous construction for its entire tenure, but that construction work did not necessarily benefit the region’s economy. No labor was hired from the locals; all the work was done by the inmates.
While the prison was operational, more than 3000 prisoners served time behind the stone wall and massive flat iron bars, mostly men. The youngest was fourteen; the oldest, eighty-eight. The female population was less one percent of the total, twenty-nine of them. The youngest female was sixteen, in for murder. The most well known woman inmate was the distaff outlaw, Pearl Hart. Escape attempts were rare and sucessful one even more so. No executions took place at the prison. Most prisoners served out their time and were released, or in the later years were transferred to other facilities.
The historic prison is now operated as a museum and is officially designated as Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park. The prison is kept in the public memory largely through film and fiction acounts, but the visitor to Yuma misses out on an interesting tour is he doesn’t stop by to see how prisoners really were kept in that bygone era. The park offers a museum with exhibits, a gift shop, video presentation, picnic area, and restrooms.
Near Yuma are the much used and scenic recreational areas of the Kofa Mountain Range and wildlife refuge, Martinez and Mittry Lakes and Algodones Dunes. The city is the location of the Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, which conducts an annual air show and many large-scale military exercises. There is also the Yuma Proving ground, an Army base that tests new military equipment. Yuma Proving Ground is also home to the Special Operations Free Fall School, which provides training in parachute operations to Special Forces units in all branches of service, as well as those of other nations.
Yuma is an important station for the trucking industry in movement of goods between California, Arizona, and Mexico, and the facilities that support trucking commerce provides semilar benefits to private automobile travelers along Interstate 8. There is no shortage of restaurants, hotels and and other treaveler ammenities. The city also is the connecting point for entry to Mexico, at San Luis on the American side and San Luis Rio Colorado in Mexico For any traveler whose route takes them through Yuma, it’s a welcome oasis in a harsh desert. Just know that it’s more than a prison town, but also know that the The Yuma Territorial Prison is another good reason for the highway traveler to stop and take a break, from the road and from the pace of modern day living.
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