Wyoming Frontier Prison Ghost Hunt, Rawlins, Wyoming

History

Nestled in the rugged heartland of Wyoming, the Wyoming Frontier Prison stands as a monument to a bygone era of American penal history. Designed by the same visionary architects behind Alcatraz, this castle-like granite fortress began its imposing rise in 1888, with land acquired from the railroad.

Despite financial hurdles that delayed its completion until 1901, the prison soon became infamous as the abode for the most hardened criminals and those convicted of lesser crimes, previously held in Laramie. Almost immediately, it was plagued by overcrowding as it absorbed the influx of wrongdoers, marking the beginning of its storied and turbulent history.

The prison’s early years were defined by a punitive ethos aimed at breaking the spirits of its inmates. With 104 dark, cramped cells lacking electricity, running water, and adequate heating—a situation that persisted until hot water was introduced in 1978—the conditions were harsh and unforgiving.

In 1906, the introduction of a dungeon house for the most violent inmates highlighted the desperate measures taken to enforce discipline within its walls.

Security was a constant challenge, underscored by a series of dramatic escapes and tragic incidents, including the killing of Guard Ed Samuelson by an armed inmate in 1907.

The prison’s population was unruly and dangerous, necessitating the eventual construction of concrete walls and towers in 1915, which curbed mass escape attempts until a notable breach in 1927.

Throughout its operational years, the prison adapted, with new cell blocks and facilities added to accommodate its evolving role in the justice system.

Inmates contributed to national efforts, from manufacturing broomsticks and shirts to producing high-quality woolen blankets for the military during World War II—a contribution that earned the prison the Navy E award.

The shadow of death loomed large over the prison with the completion of the death house in 1912. Initially, executions were carried out using the Julien Gallows, a grim apparatus that often resulted in slow, agonizing deaths through strangulation.

This macabre method was replaced in 1936 by a hydrocyanic acid gas chamber, heralding a new, albeit equally grim, era of capital punishment that lasted until 1965.

After 80 years of operation, the Wyoming Frontier Prison closed its doors in 1981. Today, it has been transformed into a museum, preserved by the Old Pen Joint Powers Board.

Its dark history, marked by tales of suffering, brutality, and the ghosts of its past, continues to fascinate and horrify visitors. Now, it serves not only as a reminder of the penal system’s evolution but as a chilling destination for those drawn to the spectral remnants of its notorious legacy.