Sunday 7 Mar 21 Yuma Territorial Prison Park
7Mar21
I woke up at 5:30 and never could go back to sleep. I went in Walmart around 8 to use the restroom. Back at the RT I fed the dogs and made myself oats with half a grapefruit. I then secured everything and drove about 8 miles to the Yuma Territorial Prison Park. Once there I found a large tree in the lower parking lot and parked in it's shade. It was $6 for a sensor ticket. The prison is located at the site where a Spanish expedition led by Juan Bautista de Anza crossed the Colorado River in 1776. Later a low railroad pivot bridge was erected. It would pivot parallel with the river to allow steamboats on the Colorado River to pass by. It was later replaced with a higher solid bridge. Even later a bridge for automobiles was erected. It was called the Ocean to Ocean Bridge since it connected the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
The Territorial prison was built in 1876 and closed in 1909 due overcrowding and no ability to expand. There were women prisoners held there as well. A well known one was Pearl Hart who was convicted of robbing a stagecoach. She was sentenced to 5 years but she only served three because she was so difficult to deal with. There were also several Mormon men incarcerated there because they would not disclaim their polygamy life styles . 110 prisoners died at the prison while serving their sentences.
After the prison closed it was used for the Yuma High School. The sports teams were called the criminals. They still are today. During the depression it was used by homeless people. Local residents started the museum in 1939. In 1960 it became an Arizona State Park
After touring the prison I went to the RT and heated up the Beef and Broccoli Leftovers. I took it to a picnic table under a tree and tied the dogs nearby.
Later in the evening I took Wiggin on a park trail that went down to the Colorado River and under the bridges. When I got back to the RT I listened to a couple of YouTube videos discussing the Appalachian people.
After most people had left the park I saw several cottontail rabbits scurrying about and a covey of quail. After dark I drove back to the same Walmart where I had parked the night before. I fed the dogs, gave Pete his insulin shot and wrote this blog entry before going to bed.