Alcatraz
Welcome to the Rock.
First, This island was a Military Fort from 1850 to 1933.
Second, it was aquired by the Department of Justice and converted into a prison from 1934 to 1963.
Third, American Indians took over the island in 1969 to protest the government and were forced off two years later.
Now, Alcatraz is a historic location attracting millions of tourists each year.
Take a walk down Broadway:
My family visited me near the end of August, and this was one of the big tourists spots we checked out. I also came here a second time when Michelle visited. This island has a lot of history behind it. Many infamous criminals were housed here like Al Capone.
We went out in the courtyard to see were the inmates were allowed recreation. It kind of reminded me of The Shawshank Redemption. Here is a photo of the yard:
What was really interesting about the island is the families of the Wardon and the guards lived on the island with them. There was a small town on one end of the island and it had a school and a small market. All of these buildings were burned down during the American Indian occupation. The picture below is where these buildings stood, above is the lighthouse of the Rock.
It was very interesting to visited one of the most revered prisons in the US justice system. And I really think those two guys who were able to escape from their cells (a lot like Shawshank) and make it down to the waterfront were able to swim to the otherside. It is not that far.
First, This island was a Military Fort from 1850 to 1933.
Second, it was aquired by the Department of Justice and converted into a prison from 1934 to 1963.
Third, American Indians took over the island in 1969 to protest the government and were forced off two years later.
Now, Alcatraz is a historic location attracting millions of tourists each year.
Take a walk down Broadway:
My family visited me near the end of August, and this was one of the big tourists spots we checked out. I also came here a second time when Michelle visited. This island has a lot of history behind it. Many infamous criminals were housed here like Al Capone.
We went out in the courtyard to see were the inmates were allowed recreation. It kind of reminded me of The Shawshank Redemption. Here is a photo of the yard:
What was really interesting about the island is the families of the Wardon and the guards lived on the island with them. There was a small town on one end of the island and it had a school and a small market. All of these buildings were burned down during the American Indian occupation. The picture below is where these buildings stood, above is the lighthouse of the Rock.
It was very interesting to visited one of the most revered prisons in the US justice system. And I really think those two guys who were able to escape from their cells (a lot like Shawshank) and make it down to the waterfront were able to swim to the otherside. It is not that far.
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