This panoramic view illustrates the U.S. Penitentiary Leavenworth around 1910. (Author’s collection.)
On the cover: Building a legend, the dome construction is seen here in 1931. (Courtesy Carl Zarter.)
U.S. Penitentiary Leavenworth
Kenneth M. LaMaster
Copyright © 2008 by Kenneth M. LaMaster
9781439634905
Published by Arcadia Publishing
Charleston SC, Chicago IL, Portsmouth NH, San Francisco CA
Printed in the United States of America
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2007931982
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OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS MANUSCRIPT ARE THOSE OF THE AUTHOR
AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE POSITION OF THE FEDERAL
BUREAU OF PRISONS OR THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
INTRODUCTION
One - THE OLD MILITARY PRISON
Two - THE EARLY YEARS
Three - FOR BAD MEN ONLY
Four - ESCAPE
Five - CELL HOUSES
Six - INMATE HANDS ARE NOT IDLE HANDS
Seven - WORK ASSIGNMENTS
Eight - SCENES
Nine - HACKS
Ten - PEOPLE, PLACES
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank the following whose help made this project possible: Deborah Bates-Lamborn, Jim Will, and Chuck Zarter. Their talents and photographs make this a great project. Thanks also goes to the National Archives and Records Administration, particularly Tim Rives and Joseph Sanchez for their help and research materials; Abbot Owen Purcell and Fr. Michael Santa of Benedictine College; and the research library of the Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth. Thank you to the following for supplying additional photographs: Kenny Meyer, Bob Logan, Jim Trum, Annabell Willcott, Les Hunnell, Sharon Williams, Dorothy Arnold, Rick Edgell, and the Alexander family. And for those who have shared more than a photograph, thank you to Mercedes Leonard-Dougherty, Agnes T. Kramer, Toni McLeod, Cheryl Mellavan, Pauline Brown, the Cogan family, the Warnke family, and the Haas family. A special thank you goes to David R. Phillips for the use of the photographs of E. E. Henry, R. S. Stevenson, Horace Stevenson, and P. L. Huckins.
INTRODUCTION
Go anywhere in the world and tell people you are from Leavenworth and you will probably hear, “When did you get out?” Known primarily as the home of a United States penitentiary, most people do not know it is much more than that. It is a town rich in history. It is home to the United States Disciplinary Barracks, Lansing Correctional Facility, and the Corrections Corporation of America, Leavenworth Detention Center, run by U.S. marshals. Leavenworth is also the original home of the buck knife, C. W. Parker Carousel and amusements, and famed frontiersman Buffalo Bill Cody. Fort Leavenworth supplied early settlers heading west and served as the starting point for exploration of the Santa Fe and Oregon Trails. It provided protection for fur traders from the incursions of Native Americans. Gen. George Armstrong Custer and his famed seventh cavalry were frequent visitors. It is home to the Command and General Staff College, the place where generals are made. And it is the final resting place and hallowed ground of American military men and women who have given their all.
Col. Henry H. Leavenworth and members of the Third U.S. Infantry ascended the Missouri River in 1827 in search of land suitable for a permanent cantonment. After much exploration of the eastern side of the river, it was determined there was no suitable land for a military post. Leavenworth located land on the western side of the river that was quite suitable, 20 miles further up the river. On September 19, 1827, official approval was granted and Cantonment Leavenworth was born. Under direction of the secretary of war, the name was changed to Fort Leavenworth in February 1832.
The city of Leavenworth was established in 1854 and 10 years later construction began on the Kansas State Penitentiary. In 1874, the U.S. Department of War established the military prison at Fort Leavenworth. In 1891, Congress approved the Three Prisons Act, which called for the construction of three prisons, one each in the East, the West, and the South. On July 1, 1895, over vigorous protest by the Department of War, Congress directed the transfer of the military prison to the Department of Justice and the U.S. Penitentiary Leavenworth was born.
Construction began on the new institution located on the southwest edge of Fort Leavenworth in March 1897. For the next 30 years, inmates worked from sun up to late afternoon seven days a week in all types of weather constructing their new home. Early guards were along side to insure an honest day’s work. The rules for guards were almost as stringent as those for the inmates. Day after day, brick by brick, the institution began to take shape. Along the way, escapes, riots, and minor disturbances slowed things down, but they never stopped progress. In 1903, the first 400 inmates were moved into a temporary dormitory located inside what would become the laundry building. The last of the inmates were moved in January 1906, and the military prison was returned to the Department of War.
As construction progressed, onlookers stood along Metropolitan Avenue and gazed. Early photographers in Leavenworth, such as E. E. Henry, the Stevensons, and P. L. Huckins, recorded daily progress with each flash of their shutters. Newspapers and magazines provided vivid details of the events as they unfolded. Souvenirs began to appear. Postcards, plates, and even sterling silver spoons were hocked in an almost circuslike fashion. All the while, the legend of Leavenworth grew.
As decade after decade passed, inmates came and went, including train robbers, businessmen, gangsters, serial killers, counterfeiters, assassins, hit men, those involved in organized crime, labor leaders, government officials, gang members, and international terrorists. The most notorious became synonymous with the legend of the institution.
As with any prison, there was tragedy. Twelve members of Leavenworth’s family have made the ultimate sacrifice, seven at the hands of inmates and the other five in institution accidents. Leavenworth has lost more officers than any other institution in the history of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The families of the fallen are always on our minds and in our hearts.
For the past 110 years, U.S. Penitentiary Leavenworth has been home to the country’s most vicious of criminals. It has also been home to one of the most professional correctional forces ever assembled. Many authors have tried to explain what it is like to live and work in America’s most recognizable prison, but if the written word paints a picture, then the photograph should tell a story.
One
THE OLD MILITARY PRISON
James French had held positions as a school teacher, prosecuting attorney, Indiana state representative, state senator, and warden of the Indiana State Prison. On July 1, 1895, the old military prison at Fort Leavenworth was transferred to the Department of Justice. The first U.S. penitentiary was born with French as its first warden. (Author’s collection.)
Built in 1840 as a quartermaster depot, these two buildings served as the first territorial capital of Kansas, soldiers’ assembly hall, chapel, and post school. In 1867, this was the site of the court martial of Lt. Col. George A. Custer on charges of dereliction of duty. The wooden barricade, built in 1875, enclosed what became the military prison. (Courtesy Leavenworth Public Library.)
The south entrance to th
e prison, along with the 2,000-foot-wall, was completed in 1877. The first military prisoners arrived from the military prison located at Alcatraz Island and were housed here in 1878. Known later as the south gate, this served as the main entrance into the facility. This area housed the armory, locksmith shop, visiting room, and commandant’s office. (Author’s collection.)
Inmates mustered outside their domiciles after each meal. They were accounted for prior to being released to their job assignments. Prior to 1875, military inmates were housed in jails and prisons all over the country. Many were subjected to less-than-humane conditions. Discipline included flogging, tattooing, and the ball and chain. Some were branded on the face with a D for deserter or a T for thief. (Author’s collection.)
The courtyard inside the facility contained inmate domiciles, workshops, a dining facility, and a hospital. For many inmates, this facility offered clean bedding, wholesome meals, and job opportunities. Inmates stood in silence and were not permitted to salute as the flag was raised or lowered. Guards were not permitted to use violence towards inmates unless it was in self defense. (Author’s collection.)
Inmates are marching in lockstep formation and escorted wherever they go. (Author’s collection.)
This photograph shows early inmate living quarters. (Author’s collection.)
The houses of Bluntville were located due north of the facility. The grassy hillside became home to the largest structure inside the facility, the castle. Congress approved and allocated the money in 1905 and construction began on the castle in 1908. (Courtesy James Will.)
This original architectural drawing by Frank K. Rowland, done in 1902, shows what the military had in mind for their new confinement facility. Several modifications were made and the final draft was approved in 1904. Like the justice department, inmates were used as the principle labor force, with many materials coming from the surrounding area. The cheap labor and abundant material saved the government over $400,000. (Author’s collection.)
The original north wall was extended to make room for the castle. The west gate area and powerhouse were also completed. Wings three, four, six, and seven housed inmates, while wing one housed the administration building and military police investigations. Wing two was originally an office and mail room and later the staff dining room. Wing eight housed the guard commander’s and duty officer’s area. Wing five was the inmate dining facility. (Author’s collection.)
Completed in 1921, the 366,000-square-foot castle contained 1,200 cells, a dining facility, a segregation area, offices, an inmate radio station, a commissary, a gymnasium, a movie-projection booth, a mail room, a chapel, and a death chamber. (Author’s collection.)
Early cells were located in the basement area of the castle. Known as base, this area housed maximum-custody prisoners, the segregation area, and the death chamber. Early punishment could include reduction in grade, loss of good time, loss of privileges, and a reduced diet. Inmates that attempted to assault staff, other inmates, or harm themselves could be shackled to the door. (Author’s collection.)
Wing five was the main inmate dining facility for the institution. Inmates entered through the rotunda and filled up the area from front to back. In later years, the dining room was converted to cafeteria-style dining. Inmates entering had to take one knife, one fork, and one spoon. As they left, they had to show each utensil to a guard for accountability. (Author’s collection.)
Each of the four main cell houses contained enough cells to house 400 inmates. Six floors, known as galleries, housed medium-custody prisoners. Each cell house contained a shower and offices. Each inmate was assigned a counselor and was subject to daily cell inspections. (Author’s collection.)
Institution legend claims this electric chair was purchased from the California Department of Corrections where it was used once. Complete with control panel, a bank of lights indicated when there was sufficient electricity for an execution. Though never used, it became a novelty for staff to have their pictures taken in. (Author’s collection.)
After the state of Kansas reinstated the death penalty, a lethal injection table and viewing area were constructed. A dead man’s cell was constructed and covered with Plexiglas. A guard was posted outside the cell on constant vigil to ensure the inmate did not cheat the executioner. (Author’s collection.)
Located in the center of the rotunda was the control center. This area was responsible for issuing keys and equipment that staff needed during their shifts. Additionally this area was responsible for counts, housing changes, institution journals, and emergency notifications. The upper control center was responsible for the opening and closing of cell house doors. (Author’s collection.)
This is the second-most famous dome in Leavenworth. Standing 130 feet above the rotunda, this dome could be seen for miles around. For staff, it was a glimpse of where they worked; for inmates, it was a dim reminder of their home. (Author’s collection.)
This view looks down the hallway of the administration building shortly after the castle is vacated. This hallway was home to the records office and command sergeant major’s office. (Author’s collection.)
A once-prominent fixture on the landscape of Fort Leavenworth is gone, as the wrecking ball takes its toll on the castle. (Author’s collection.)
This aerial view of the United States Disciplinary Barracks shows the entire complex from the entrance at the south gate to the recreation yard beyond the castle. The institution’s motto, “Our mission, your future,” indicated the military’s belief in rehabilitation. Enclosed behind these walls were an education department, a mental health facility, a chaplain’s division, a barber school, furniture refinishing, an upholstery shop, and an automobile repair and maintenance shop. (Author’s collection.)
Two
THE EARLY YEARS
Work began in March 1897 on the new federal prison located on the southwest corner of Fort Leavenworth. Set aside was 700 acres on which the main facility was built and enclosed on 16 of the acres. The new prison contained 1,200 cells, featuring a barred door, electric lights, and running water. (Author’s collection.)
This close-up view of the institution appeared as a postcard around 1908. Cell houses are under construction while most of the rotunda has yet to be built. (Courtesy Jim Will.)
Here inmates are at work just outside the original east wall. This wall originally ran north and south directly behind the institution hospital. The extreme north wall of what became the train chute is visible while inmates work the area that became the institution ball park. (Courtesy the Alexander family.)
The first section of wall being constructed marks the birth of a legend. Once complete, the wall stood 40-feet high. To discourage escapes, the wall extended 40 feet below the surface. (Courtesy Chuck Zarter.)
Located on the northeast corner of the construction site, the brick factory operated from 1897 until 1936. Running at full capacity, the factory produced more than one million bricks per month. (Courtesy Benedictine College.)
Stacks of building material are located on the northwest corner of the institution. A crane was constructed to assist with loading and unloading of trains and moving materials from one area to another. (Courtesy Benedictine College.)
West of the institution, a stone quarry provided the materials used in the foundations of the wall and buildings. Mule-drawn wagons delivered quarried stone to the construction site. Later a small steam engine and rail line were added. (Courtesy James Will.)
Inmates working the stone-cutting shop were tasked with cutting, shaping, and finishing all of the limestone used on the front of the institution. While some stone was quarried, other was purchased and delivered by train from quarries near St. Louis. (Courtesy Benedictine College.)
This photograph shows the foundation of the first cell house springing up and the institution taking shape. A steam winch was used to lift the stone into the trench; afterwards inmates manhandled it into place. (Author’s collection.)
Here is an exterior view of
D cell house. This was the second cell house completed and photographs of the unit were used as publicity for the Stewart Ironworks Company. (Courtesy Jim Will.)
This is an interior view of A cell house prior to the construction of cells. (Author’s collection.)
Robert W. McClaughry, a Civil War veteran, Chicago police chief, and warden of the Illinois State Reformatory and State Prison, succeeded James French as warden at Leavenworth on July 1, 1899. During an interview, the new warden was asked what inmates could expect if they got out of line. McClaughry replied, “Leavenworth is hell.” (Author’s collection.)
A wooden barricade and guard boxes were built to insure the custody and control of inmates. According to the Leavenworth Times, visitors could ask the warden for a tour of the site at anytime. Train loads of visitors arrived daily from Kansas City to view the construction. (Courtesy Chuck Zarter.)
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