History of Alcatraz Prison
San Francisco Bay Island Home to Al Capone, Doc Barker, Alvin Karpis
From military outpost to army prison to federal penitentiary, Alcatraz has a long, colorful history. Housed within its walls were many of America's most notorious lawbreakers, including Chicago gangster Al "Scarface" Capone and Robert "The Birdman" Stroud.
Alcatraz Named in 1775
Alcatraz Island garnered its name in 1775 from the Spaniard Juan Manuel de Ayala, who called it La Isla de los Alcatraces -- or Island of the Pelicans.
In 1846, Alcatraz was bought for $5,000 by John C. Fremont, with the United States government taking legal deed to the island following a court battle.
Fortress Guarding San Francisco
In 1853, construction on a U.S. Army fortress known as the Post of Alcatraz began on the island, ostensibly to protect booming San Francisco.
The Citadel was built at the top of the island to house military personnel. Along with the barracks came guardhouses, which were used to confine soldiers with disciplinary problems, and later, Californians who were sympathetic to the Confederate cause during the Civil War.
By 1880, the Post of Alcatraz had been converted into a full-fledged military prison, with over 400 inmates residing within its walls. Conditions were primitive, with each prisoner required to "carry the baby," a 24-pound ball attached to the leg by a steel chain.
Permanent Military Prison in 1907
The War Department officially made Alcatraz a permanent military prison on March 21, 1907. Eventually, the island facility morphed from one emphasizing retribution to one embracing rehabilitation. The latter became evident with such recreational activities as a prison baseball team and Friday night inmate boxing matches which attracted spectators from nearby San Francisco.
Federal Penitentiary in 1934
The War Department relinquished ownership of Alcatraz in 1933. Taking over control of the island was the Department of Justice, who opened Alcatraz as a federal prison on January 1, 1934.
Under the supervision of the U.S. Attorney General and the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Alcatraz was transformed into a maximum security prison. Cyclone and barbed wire were used extensively to close off areas; tool-proof steel bars were installed in cells; sewer and utility tunnels were blocked off with cement; guard towers were erected around the perimeter; tear gas cannisters were placed on the roof of the dining hall; and full-body metal detectors were employed.
Alcatraz Housed Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly
As envisioned by FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover and the Department of Justice, Alcatraz was opened to house "the worst of the worst." Habitual troublemakers, escape artists, gang leaders and "big shot" inmates from other federal prisons soon found their way to Alcatraz Island.
Among the big shots incarcerated on the Rock, with years served there duly noted, were Al Capone (1934-38), Arthur "Doc" Barker (1936-39), Robert "The Birdman" Stroud (1942-59), Alvin Karpis (1936-62) and George "Machine Gun" Kelly (1934-51).
Also doing a five-year stretch at Alcatraz was Morton Sobell, convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage along with Julius and Ethel Rosenberg in 1951.
Escape Attempts
In all, 36 men tried to escape Alcatraz in 14 separate attempts. Five went missing, six were killed by guards, two drowned, two were later executed and twenty-one were recaptured.
Among the missing were Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin, who busted out of Alcatraz on June 11, 1962. Presumed drowned in the icy waters of San Francisco Bay, their story was dramatized in the 1979 Clint Eastwood film, Escape from Alcatraz.
Alcatraz Closes
Citing high maintenance costs and deteriorating infrastructure, Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy officially closed Alcatraz on March 21, 1963.
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