San Francisco Facts - The Fascinating History of Alcatraz

Everyone knows Alcatraz as the island prison in the San Francisco Bay but Alcatraz has a long history that reaches back further than its days as a federal penitentiary. In 1853 the Army Corps of Engineers began a project to fortify the island. When the project was completed 5 years later the first soldiers arrived there. During the Civil War cannons were mounted all around the island and Alcatraz became the largest American fort west of the Mississippi.

The army began sending military prisoners to the fort on Alcatraz Island in 1860 and for many years after the Civil War the island was used more and more for detaining prisoners. In 1907 Alcatraz was formally designated as a military prison and by 1912 a large concrete cell block was constructed which is still there today.
While under military control Alcatraz functioned mainly as a medium security prison. Over the years it became too expensive to operate and the War Department decided to close the prison in 1934 at which time the army transferred Alcatraz to the civilian Bureau of Prisons.

In the 1920's and 30's prohibition and the Great Depression were responsible for a steep increase in criminal activity. Alcatraz was where the most hardened criminals ended up. No convicts were ever sentenced to Alcatraz, all of the inmates sent there were transferred there from other federal prisons.

Alcatraz was now a maximum security prison with minimum privileges. Prisoners at Alcatraz had only four rights. Food, clothing, shelter, and medical care. Everything else was considered a privilege and had to be earned.

Some of Alcatraz Island's most notable residents included:

Robert Stroud: Better known as the "Birdman of Alcatraz" Robert Stroud was transferred to Alcatraz in 1942 from Leavenworth where he had spent the last 30 years. Stroud spent six years in segregation D Block and eleven years in the prison hospital. In 1959 he was transferred to the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield Missouri where he eventually died of natural causes in 1963.

George "Machine Gun" Kelly: George R. Kelly was transferred to Alcatraz in 1934 from Leavenworth in Kansas. At just 19 years old, Kelly had separated from his first wife and then got involved in bootlegging. Before long he was making a name for himself as a gangster. When he met his second wife, Katheryn Thorne who was also a seasoned criminal, the pair really started to pursue their careers and criminals not only as bootleggers but as bank robbers and kidnappers. The nickname "Machine Gun" Kelly actually came from his wife Katheryn. She purchased a machine gun for her husband and was making a name for him by passing out spent cartridge shells at the underground clubs as souvenirs from her husband "Machine Gun" Kelly. Many historians believe that she was the brains behind her husbands image and many of there successful bank robberies.

Al Capone: Capone's career in crime started young and he quickly worked his way to the top. He controlled a huge criminal empire that was bringing in $10 million per year back in the 1920's. Capone was convicted in 1931 for income tax evasion and sent to Atlanta Federal Penitentiary before being transferred to Alcatraz. Capone finished his time in Alcatraz on January 6, 1939 and was transferred to Terminal Island in California to serve a one year misdemeanor sentence. From there he was released on November 16, 1939 and after a short hospital stay returned home to Florida.

The army began sending military prisoners to the fort on Alcatraz Island in 1860 and for many years after the Civil War the island was used more and more for detaining prisoners. In 1907 Alcatraz was formally designated as a military prison and by 1912 a large concrete cell block was constructed which is still there today.
While under military control Alcatraz functioned mainly as a medium security prison. Over the years it became too expensive to operate and the War Department decided to close the prison in 1934 at which time the army transferred Alcatraz to the civilian Bureau of Prisons.

Alcatraz Finally Closes:

After 29 years of operation as a federal prison Alcatraz finally closed on March 21, 1963. It simply cost too much to operate the facility, nearly three times as much as other federal prisons. Being an island, everything had to be shipped food, clothing, supplies, even fresh water. The federal government determined it was more cost effective to build a new facility than to keep Alcatraz open.

In 1972 Congress established the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Alcatraz Island was included as a part of it. In October of 1973 Alcatraz was opened to the public for the first time and interest has continued to grow over the years. Each year more than 1.3 million people visit the island.