Show Utah State Prison First Established as Federal Institution in Days Before Pony Express Arrived u Dispute Exists as to Exact Year in Which Penitentiary Was Constructed Editors Editor's Note This Is the first of ot a series of twelve articles by bya a a Telegram staff stal writer on the history and activities of Utah's state prison Others will follow ollow daily dally By WENDELL VENDELL ASHTON It was back in the days when the pony express was still unheard of and Salt Lake was a town of people that the present state prison was es e. There I. I is some dispute as to the exact exact ex act year in which the penitentiary was erected on i its present site southeast south east ast of the city Some say it began as aA aAa ast as asa a federal t prison in 1857 while others contend that walls the were built i ii in 1859 In any event the adobe ture ure was constructed before the sixties six ties ies and soon became the home hom of notorious cattle thieves bandits bandl and murderers of the frontier The first prison was built on the theold theold theold old Eldridge property which comprised com corn a small farm at the time First Plans Laid First plans for a state prison were laId aid in 1850 just three years after Brigham Young led the first company of ot I. I L. L D. D S. S pioneers Into Salt Lake valley By act of congress September 9 1850 a provision approved by President Pres- Pres ideaL dent Millard Fillmore FilImore established Utah as a territory Attached to the tile measure was as an appropriation for the erection of a territorial prison south east cast of the city Because the first settlers rs in Utah came to convert the desert into a garden gar den and build permanent homes the criminal element was conspicuous by its ts absence Hence the pioneers had little need for a prison until a few years later when transients from mining camps began to drift into town Territorial Prison The old territorial prison built bum of adobe from top to bottom including l walls towers and administration I buildings resembled a Spanish for tress The prison comprised four main buildings two cell houses the mess hall halt and the administration quarters The first three mentioned buildings were surrounded by an adobe wall approximately 18 feet high Quarters in the two cell houses homes both with slanting timber roofs were anything anything any any- thing but desirable For some time prisoners slept In bunks containing S. S S i r y 4 7 t f 3 4 I SSi S Si I- I j t i 7 X v T v jf V. V r f I iS A r Two views of the original territorial prison three berths There was little room in n each The mess hall hail vas was not as hI high h as ashe the he cell ll houses From the outside it looked like a stable Guard Houses There was a guard house at each corner of the wall and the administration adminis- adminis a story three affair stood atthe at athe atthe the he northwest corner of the walL Inthe In Inthe Inthe the front wall on the west were two entrances each of which was large enough for a wagon to pass through In Itt 1885 the federal government un under der contract started to build the present present pres pres- ent rock wall which was completed d din in n 1890 What is now the No 2 cell house louse at the prison was constructed in n 1885 replacing the old adobe tures The present No 1 cell house was not built hullt until the prison became a state institution Needed SeasonIng The water conditions at the prison were anything but desirable in territorial ter days The drinking water was vas taken aken from Parleys Parley's creek which flows lows near the prison They still tell tella I a story about the water supply It seems that a newcomer at the prison pris pris- on n was served his water in a cup In those hose days prisoners were not allowed to o converse at the mess table The newcomer reached for the salt and pepper S This soup needs a little se seasoning season season- son Ing ng he exclaimed as he gazed upon the he cup of murky water Another prisoner elbowed him and then hen said out of the corner of his mouth The soup aint up yet up-yet Yet et aint as dark as that That's yer water |