The prison was built in stages over many years, mostly by the convicts themselves, a good example of "hard labor". The present cell block was built in 1896, the prison wall was extended
north in 1911 and a 400-man cell block built within in 1912, a theatre was built in 1918-1919, the administration building in 1930-1931, and dormitories, a storage building and a visitor centre were built between 1910 and 1930. A maximum security building, also used as a women's ward was built circa 1918.
Self sufficient, the prison had its own water well and water tower, power house, hospital and school.
The prison was still in use when entered in the national register on September 3rd, 1976, but was decommissioned by the end of the decade.
The Powell County Museum has online a
great article on the prison.
1959 Riot
On the afternoon of April 16, Jerry Myles and Lee Smart led a band of inmates in a violent riot against prison authorities. Seizing a rifle from the catwalk guard, they took control of the 1912 cell house.
Forcing their way into the administration building, the rioting inmates shot and killed Deputy Warden Ted Rothe and then took 19 prison employees and 5 inmates (stool pigeons) as hostages. The inmates threatened to burn the hostages alive if any attempt was made to rescue them.
In a daring rescue plan formed by Warden Floyd Powell, National Guardsmen fired a bazooka at the northwest tower of the cell house where the rioting inmates were headquartered. The blast stunned the inmates long enough for a rescue team to free the hostages. Myles and Smart were found dead in the third floor of the tower, apparently a double suicide.
Although the riot drew attention to the numerous problems within the prison, it would be another twenty years before the old prison was closed down.
If you look at the cell house tower, you can still see the damage caused by the bazooka shell fired during the rescue attempt.
From the sign