Old Idaho State Penitentiary

Prisons are notorious for their hauntings, and the Idaho State Penitentiary is no stranger to them. Like many haunted locations across the nation, the prison has made its imprint on the land, and the spirits of those who resided there remain.

Sitting on a vast 510 acres, the Old Idaho State Penitentiary is constructed of sharp sandstone, a sort of castle-like structure that acts as an extensive dungeon, keeping Idaho’s worst away from society. The buildings there stand exactly as they did since their construction, a stark reminder of the shame, humiliation, guilt, and suffering.

Why is the Old Idaho State Penitentiary haunted?

The horrors that occurred within the walls of this primitive prison left cells filled with angry spirits seeking revenge for their gruesome deaths. Keep reading to discover the nightmares inmates faced on a daily basis and how they make themselves known to those who tread on their territory.

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History of the Idaho State Penitentiary

Just east of Boise, Idaho, the Idaho State Penitentiary was established two years before Idaho received its statehood. Constructed in 1870, the single-cell building grew into a campus of several large structures, all surrounded by a 17-foot-tall sandstone wall. The stone for this wall was quarried by future inmates who also assisted in later constructions, essentially building their own prison.

Out of its 13,000 inmates, two hundred and sixteen of them were women. Two famous inmates were Harry Orchard and Lyda Southard. Orchard assassinated former Governor Frank Steunenberg in 1905, and Southard was known as Idaho’s Lady Bluebeard for killing several of her husbands to collect upon their life insurance.

The administration building was built in 1894, and a giant, arched entrance leads visitors into a tunnel that ends up at the interior gates of this massive stone prison. The rose garden and grassy area remain as a glimmer of beauty and color in an otherwise cold and dismal space. Before Cell House 5 was built, the death penalty was occasionally carried out right in the rose garden, a portable scaffold on display.

As with other prisons of the time, the Idaho State Penitentiary was practically a city in and of itself. It had its cell blocks, dining hall, commissary, hospital, barber shop, shoe shop, library, gymnasium, and chapel—just to name a few. There was also a heating and lighting plant, which provided the prison with its own electricity, heat, and water.

For inmates who were unable to coexist with others, a large underground stone-walled dungeon was built. Equipped with rings in the walls, inmates were brought down to this solitary confinement setup. Even worse was what was known as ‘Siberia,’ a severe solitary confinement cell that was made up of concrete walls, floors, and ceilings. There was no light, plumbing, or water. At least one prisoner is known to have died in Siberia.

The prison is now on the National Register of Historic Places and houses a museum containing the original buildings and cell blocks, and exhibits outlining prison life.

Horrid Conditions at the Territorial Prison

While the hand-cut buildings were pretty to look at, the conditions inside were insufferable. The sandstone walls retained all of Idaho’s heat in the summertime, essentially baking those inside. In the winter, the sandstone held the cold and froze inmates. Proper plumbing wasn’t installed until the 1920s, and with a lack of ventilation, many inmates fell ill during their time.

Inmates locked into solitary confinement cells could stay there for weeks to a month on average. They were only fed once a day and allowed a shower once a week. The only light came from a small opening at the top of the cell.

Due to the horrid conditions, the peace at the prison ended in 1935 when a ‘melee’ was started in the dining hall. A peaceful strike in 1966 demanded better living conditions and the reopening of the once-closed commissary. After their demands were ignored, a very hostile three-hour riot took place in 1971, resulting in about $25,000 worth of damage.

Two inmates were shanked, and another was killed in the shower area. Two years later, in 1973, more riots broke out. After this, all inmates were moved to a modern facility with air conditioning, the Idaho State Correctional Institution.

Deaths Inside The Prison

At least one hundred and ten inmates passed away at the prison due to old age, illness, suicide, or at the hands of another. Suicides were commonplace during the prison’s time, as the conditions were intolerable, and inmates suffered despair and mental breakdowns. One inmate, Douglas Van Vlack, jumped to his death to avoid execution for killing three people. Another inmate in Cell House Block Four killed himself in his cell, while three more inmates committed suicide in Cell House Block Two.

Some inmates lost their lives during the prison riots, while others were victims of violent attacks perpetrated by fellow inmates.

Six inmates were hung in the rose garden before death row was built, and the one man who was executed there fell victim to a botched effort. The gallows had a sort of trap door that opened so quickly that it shattered the viewing glass onto the family of the woman this man had killed. But he didn’t drop hard enough and slowly suffocated over the course of fifteen minutes as the woman’s family watched.

Hauntings at the Idaho State Penitentiary

Solitary Confinement Spaces

Cold spots and shadowy apparitions are commonly reported in the solitary confinement building, and it’s thought that at least one spirit is ‘stuck’ in the cell here, unable to move on after death.

The Rose Garden

It’s believed that many spirits who once were imprisoned here find solace and comfort in the rose garden. Some have great memories here, taking care of the bushes and enjoying the flowers that still bloom. A solid male apparition has been seen, dressed in prison-issued gardening clothes.

A portable gallows was set up in this garden during the prison’s early years, so visitors report seeing the spirits of those who were executed there. The Rose Garden spirits tend to harass visitors, and moving cold spots are felt year-round, especially in the summertime.

Cell House Block Five

The spirit of Van Vlack is said to still dwell in this cell block, making his presence known by draining batteries and appearing to visitors as a greenish light. The spirit of the man who died in the botched hanging is also said to reside at the prison, lingering near the death chamber. He can be heard as a disembodied gasping — a struggle for air.

Other full-bodied apparitions have also been reported in this cell block, and the sound of cell doors slamming shut is common.

Cell House Block Two

A large man nicknamed ‘Big Louie’ has been reported here. He’s known to shove visitors.

The Multipurpose Building

The spirit of a man who was brutally attacked and assaulted in the showers in August of 1971 pokes fun at visitors who enter.

Haunted Idaho

The Idaho State Penitentiary is home to both intelligent and residual hauntings. The lives lived, and lives lost at the prison make for a unique situation, an energy unlike any other in the West.

For more hauntings in the western United States, check out our blog!

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Idaho_State_Penitentiary

http://hauntedhouses.com/idaho/idaho-state-penitentiary/