Alcatraz Island: The Jail of the most notorious Criminals

Alcatraz is a small island in San Francisco Bay. Once, it was developed with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison, and a federal prison. In 1775, Juan Manuel de Ayala, a Spaniard, explored the area and named it Isla de Los Alcatraces (Island of the Pelicans), Alcatraz in English. In 1848, Alcatraz, California, was taken under American control after the Mexican-American War ended. The United States built a fortress in the 1850s to protect San Francisco. However, it was never used, and it was made into a military prison in 1868. A new prison was constructed in 1909 and was completed by prisoners. It was called "The Rock", the Rock in San Francisco.

Alcatraz prison

Alcatraz jail

In 1934, the island became a Federal Bureau of Prisons Federal Prison. It was in use; the jail housed some of the most notorious criminals in American History. There were approximately 250 prisoners at first, each one living in a tiny cell measuring 9ft by 5ft by 7ft.

San Francisco Alcatraz

Robert F. Kennedy, Attorney General, closed the prison in 1963 after 29 years. The prison's transportation costs made it more costly than other federal penitentiaries. In 1969, a group of Native Americans occupied the island and held it until 1971, when they were forced to leave by federal marshals. In 1976, Island was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and in 1980, Alcatraz became accessible to the public to enable visitors. In 1986, it was designated a National Historic Landmark. Now it is home to the abandoned prison, the site of the oldest operating lighthouse. Today, the island's facilities are managed by the National Park Service as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area; it is open to tours. [source: History | Wikipedia | Legends of America]

First photo credit: Andy