Ruins of First State Prison - Alton, IL
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 38° 53.479 W 090° 11.373
15S E 743754 N 4308471
Closed as a state facility in 1860, reopened during the Civil War by the Feds, and then, finally closed in 1865 wand demolished in 1870.
Waymark Code: WMNT1T
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 04/28/2015
Views: 3
County of site: Madison County
Location of site: Williams St. & Broadway Ave., Alton
Marker erected by: Illinois State Historical Society
Marker text: Ruins of the first state prison in Illinois. Built in 1830-31. Unsanitary conditions aroused persistent criticism from Dorothea Dix, pioneer in prison reform. All inmates were transferred to Joliet prior to 1860. During the Civil War many Confederate prisoners were incarcerated here and deaths averaged to ten a day.
After the selection of Alton as the site of a penitentiary, William Russell donated 10 acres to the state for its construction. An additional two acres were purchased approximately two miles north of this site, in an area called Buck Inn, for use as a burial ground for inmates who died in prison. When the penitentiary opened for occupation in 1833 there were only 24 cells. In 1846 an additional 96 cells were added. By 1857 the total number was 256.
The location of the prison was less than ideal. The southern wall was within eight feet of the water line of the Mississippi River. The prison yard was not flagged or McAdamized and had very poor drainage. It was muddy, flooded mess during heavy rains. The prison hospital was located in the basement without windows and it flooded easily. The sanitary conditions in the prison were made worse by the lack of an on site well. Water was collected from a nearby stream in barrels and transported to the prison. Prisoners had no bathing privileges.
In 1847, Dorthea Dix, famed social reformer, visited the prison and reported the legislature that the conditions at the prison were deplorable. She said this was the only prison in the United States where prisoners were required to stand while eating. She stated "No outlay of money can convert this prison into a secure, commodious durable establishment." By 1857 the legislature saw the need to replace the institution and plans wee made to construct a new prison at Joliet, selected because the majority of the inmates were from Cook County. The first prisoners were transferred to Joliet in 1857 to begin work on the construction. The last prisoners were transferred to Joliet in 1860.
The Alton Military Prison closed July 7, 1865 when the last prisoners were released or sent to St. Louis. The buildings were torn down over the next twenty years until only a small remnant of the cell block remained. Stone from the prison buildings is found in walls and other structures all over Alton area. The land was developed into a park and playground named after the Joel Chandler Harris character "Uncle Remus" from Song of the South. The remnant of the cell block was moved to its present location in 1970 when the lot was paved for ConAgra Company parking.