Alcatraz Island is an island located in the San Francisco Bay, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) offshore from San Francisco, California. Often referred to as The Rock, the small island early-on served as a lighthouse, a military fortification, a military prison, and a Federal Bureau of Prisons federal prison until 1963. Later, in 1972, Alcatraz became a national recreation area and received landmarking designations in 1976 and 1986. Today, the island is a historic site operated by the National Park Service as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and is open to tours. Visitors can reach the island by ferry ride from Pier 33, near Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco The first Spaniard to document the island was Juan Manuel de Ayala in 1775, who charted San Francisco Bay and named the island "La Isla de los Alcatraces," which translates as "The Island of the Pelicans," from the archaic Spanish alcatraz, "pelican", a word which was borrowed originally from Arabic: meaning sea eagle. The United States Census Bureau defines the island as Block 1067, Block Group 1, Census Tract 179.02 of San Francisco County, California. There was no permanent population on the island as of the 2000 census. It is home to the now-abandoned prison, the site of the oldest operating lighthouse on the west coast of the United States, early military fortifications, and natural features such as rock pools, a seabird colony (mostly Western Gulls, cormorants, and egrets), and unique views of the coastline. The earliest recorded owner of the island of Alcatraz is one Julian Workman, to whom it was given by Mexican governor Pio Pico in June 1846 with the understanding that the former would build a lighthouse on it. Julian Workman is the baptismal name of William Workman, co-owner of Rancho La Puente and personal friend of Pio Pico. Later in 1846, acting in his capacity as Military Governor of California, John C. Fremont, champion of Manifest Destiny and leader of the Bear Flag Republic, bought the island for $5000 in the name of the United States government from Francis Temple.[12][13][14] In 1850, President Millard Fillmore ordered that Alcatraz Island be set aside specifically for military purposes based upon the U.S. acquisition of California from Mexico following the Mexican-American War.[15] Fremont had expected a large compensation for his initiative in purchasing and securing Alcatraz Island for the U.S. government, but the U.S. government later invalidated the sale and paid Fremont nothing. Fremont and his heirs sued for compensation during protracted but unsuccessful legal battles that extended into the 1890s. Following the acquisition of California by the United States as a result of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) which ended the Mexican-American War, and the onset of the California Gold Rush the following year, the U.S. Army began studying the suitability of Alcatraz Island for the positioning of coastal batteries to protect the approaches to San Francisco Bay. In 1853, under the direction of Zealous B. Tower, the Corps of Engineers began fortifying the island, work which continued until 1858, eventuating in Fortress Alcatraz. The island's first garrison at Camp Alcatraz, numbering about 200 soldiers and 11 cannons, arrived at the end of that year. When the American Civil War broke out in 1861 the island mounted 85 cannons (increased to 105 cannons by 1866) in case mates around its perimeter, though the small size of the garrison meant only a fraction of the guns could be used at one time. At this time it also served as the San Francisco Arsenal for storage of firearms to prevent them falling into the hands of Southern sympathizers. Alcatraz never fired its guns offensively, though during the war it was used to imprison Confederate sympathizers and privateers on the west coast. Due to its isolation from the outside by the cold, strong, hazardous currents of the waters of San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz was used to house Civil War prisoners as early as 1861.
Following the war in 1866 the army determined that the fortifications and guns were being rapidly rendered obsolete by advances in military technology. Modernization efforts, including an ambitious plan to level the entire island and construct shell-proof underground magazines and tunnels, were undertaken between 1870 and 1876 but never completed (the so called "parade ground" on the southern tip of the island represents the extent of the flattening effort).[18] Instead the army switched the focus of its plans for Alcatraz from coastal defense to detention, a task for which it was well suited because of its isolation. In 1867 a brick jailhouse was built (previously inmates had been kept in the basement of the guardhouse), and in 1868 Alcatraz was officially designated a long-term detention facility for military prisoners. Among those incarcerated at Alcatraz were some Hopi Native American men in the 1870s.[19]
In 1898, the Spanish-American war increased the prison population from 26 to over 450. After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, civilian prisoners were transferred to Alcatraz for safe confinement. On March 21, 1907, Alcatraz was officially designated as the Western U.S. Military Prison, later Pacific Branch, U.S. Disciplinary Barracks, 1915.[16] In 1909 construction began on the huge concrete main cell block, designed by Major Reuben Turner, which remains the island's dominant feature. It was completed in 1912. To accommodate the new cell block, the Citadel, a three-story barracks, was demolished down to the first floor, which was actually below ground level. The building had been constructed in an excavated pit (creating a dry "moat") to enhance its defensive potential. The first floor was then incorporated as a basement to the new cell block, giving rise to the popular legend of "dungeons" below the main cell block. The Fortress was deactivated as a military prison in October 1933, and transferred to the Bureau of Prisons
D-Block
was the most secure and it is where the most troublesome prisoners were held. It had forty-two cells and D-Block clamped down with the most restrictions for its inmates. It is also the most active for Alcatraz history hauntings. Six of these cells were referred to as "the Hole," and prisoners were stripped and isolated here. One of these was called "the Oriental" and it was reserved for the most sever punishment. A story is told of a prisoner in the 1940s who was locked up in the Oriental. One night he constantly screamed to the guards that a creature with glowing eyes was trying to kill him. Guards thinking it was a practical joke left him there. Sometime during the night the prisoner's screams ended. In the morning when they checked his cell, the prisoner was dead with odd markings on his neck as if he'd been strangled. No guard was ever charged for the death, but nobody else could have entered the cell -- at least no one from this world. Later, guards would report that there would be an extra body during their head counts. And like any good ghostly report, the body would simply vanish without a trace when they tried to verify.
Alcatraz History Hauntings
Other than Casper, ghosts do not have a history of being friendly or happy. Ghosts haunt those places associated with pain and misery. Alcatraz fits that bill admirably. From the 1850s up to 1933, Alcatraz served as a military prison for deserters and other miscreant soldiers. From 1934 to 1963, the prison served as a Federal Penitentiary for the meanest hard timers in the United States prison system. The prison long held a reputation as a tough sentence with its cramped cells, lack of privileges, torture, deprivation, violent inmates, and physical discomfort. As you can imagine, some of these prisoners died on the Rock, some violently, others by natural causes.
No doubt all died bitterly. In addition, let's not neglect the region's indigenous people prior to the Spanish and later Americans claiming their land. Native Americans who ran afoul of their tribes were also banished to the island as punishment. No doubt the unearthly howls, screams, cries, and abrupt clanging noises at Alcatraz emanate from these residual spirits in this rocky portal to the paranormal world.
Haunting Reports
There are many odd haunting reports witnessed by prisoners, prison guards, and from the prison staff's families who dwelled on the island as well. There were reports of various sorts of eerie experiences—noises, closing doors, foul smells, and general strangeness. Occasionally, there will be physical sightings of these surreal apparitions. The following are some examples of these hauntings:
Warden Johnston
One story has the first warden, James A. Johnston hearing a woman crying and sobbing, while showing the prison to visitors. This otherworldly sobbing came from within the prison walls. And when the crying ceased, a cold wind blew past the unnerved group. The straight-laced no-nonsense Warden Johnston never offered an explanation about this creepiness.
Warden's House
The warden's house on Alcatraz has long since been burned down, but it was also a common sight for ghostly visitations. One such visit occurred during a Christmas party. Several guards saw a mutton-chopped man wearing a gray suit and brimmed hat, a fashion style outdated since the previous century. With the guards looking on the room turned icy cold and as the fire in the old Ben Franklin stove inexplicably went out, the ghost vanished as stunningly as it had appeared.
Lighthouse
Another commonly reported phenomenon is the appearance of a lighthouse. The first lighthouse on the Pacific coast was built on Alcatraz in 1853. It was later torn down in 1909. But now, sometimes on foggy nights it will appear with a green light and strange whistle. Just as suddenly, it will disappear.
Utility Corridor
This is place where three inmates were killed by guards in a hale of bullets, in a failed attempt to escape. Bernard Coy, Joe Cretzer, and Marvin Hubbard were killed in the utility corridor after a staging a two-day struggle to escape in 1946. In 1976, a night security guard reported strange and unearthly clanging sounds coming from that corridor.
Laundry Room
Guards have reported smelling smoke coming from the abandoned laundry room. Upon investigation, there is no sign of any fire and the smell is gone.
