To the men confined there, it is not only the ultimate in isolation but the most ironic because they are there in the midst of the activity of a busy harbor with small craft darting to and from San Francisco, Oakland, Alameda, Berkeley, Richmond, and Sausalito; within sound of the honking horns of a ceaseless procession of automobiles crossing the bridges; within sight of ocean lines as they glide through the Golden Gate to far away ports in the vast Pacific, and within sight and sound of air clippers and their buzzing motors, all reminding them that life is near but freedom far.

Warden James A. Johnston - "Alcatraz: Island Prison"

During its grim history there have been many deaths on Alcatraz, including some of the original construction workers, 45 Civil War soldiers, 8 guards and inmates murdered by other prisoners, 5 suicides and 15 inmates who died of natural causes.

Alcatraz is allegedly a very active location with a variety of different phenomena reported - from the clinking of cutlery and plates in the long-unused cafetaria to the terrifying presence of an angry, disturbed and violent spirit in the solitary confinement area known as "The Hole".

The 22 acre island of Alcatraz was named in 1775 by the Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala, who charted the San Francisco Bay. He called the island "La Isla de los Alcatraces" - said (though it is disputed) to mean "Island of the Pelicans". To later inhabitants such as Al Capone and "Machine Gun" Kelly, it was simply "The Rock".

The island has seen many uses - military outpost, fort, military prison and ultimately the most infamous federal prison in the USA. Alcatraz is now a National Park.

Governor John Charles Fremont purchased the island from Francis Temple when the USA claimed California (formerly a possession of Mexico). He realised that it offered a prime location for defensive fortifications and hoped to make a profit by re-selling Alcatraz to the Federal authorities; but the government invalidated the sale and declared Alcatraz to be its property without giving Fremont any payment or compensation. Fremont and his heirs took their claims to court and the issue dragged out for many years, but the USA never recognised him as the owner of Alcatraz. 

The U.S. Army surveyed the island a number of times, but made no real use of Alcatraz until 1848, when the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican American War and formally ceded California to the U.S.A. On November 6th, 1850, President Millard Fillmore signed an executive order that established Alcatraz as a military fort to protect the new boom city of San Francisco from possible invasion by hostile seafaring vessels.

The Plans initially called for defences with 53 guns, plus blasting to landscape the perimeter of the island - creating steep slopes which made the fortress difficult to invade on foot. $500,000 was allocated for the project. However, shortly after building began (in early 1854), it was decided that an additional 155 iron seacoast cannons should be added.

On June 1st 1854, the lighthouse on the island became fully operational - the first to be built on the Pacific coast. At the outbreak of the Civil War, the defences at Alcatraz were stiffened again with 124 more cannons. It was also during the Civil War that Alcatraz became a military prison. Its first inmates were two naval officers and two soldiers who refused to take an oath of loyalty to the U.S.A.

When, in April 1865, news of President Lincoln's assassination reached San Francisco, not all of the citizens were grief-stricken. In fact, many celebrated and there were clashes between Pro-Lincoln and Anti-Lincoln factions. The civil and military authorities promptly declared that anybody who publicly cheered Lincoln's assassination would be arrested. 39 civilians were jailed on Alcatraz under this bogus law. They were released after serving two months on the island.

The outbreak of the Spanish American War in 1898 brought a huge number of prisoners to Alcatraz. As this influx stretched its ability to securely contain so many inmates, it was decided that the facility needed major renovations. In preparation for this work, the armaments on Alcatraz were removed in stages. By 1901, there were no fully functional artillery pieces remaining on the island. In all its years as a military post, the cannons on Alcatraz had never fired a shot in anger.

In 1933, the Federal Bureau of Prisons took control of the island. Further building work ensued. During 1934, Alcatraz became an escape proof, maximum security prison, which contained only the most hardened and dangerous convicts. The first inmates received numbers 1 to 32. Frank Bolt - sentenced to serve five years for Sodomy - had the distinction of being Federal Prisoner #1. He was followed by Charles Copp (Robbery/Attempted Assault); Leon Gregory (Robbery, Assault and AWOL); Joseph Harrison (Sodomy); Forrest Henry (Robbery and Assault); Clyde Hicks (Sodomy); Ralph Hills (Robbery and Assault); Albert Hoke (Robbery); Alan Hood (Sodomy); and Frederick Holme (Sodomy and False Enlistment) to round out the first ten inmates. Al Capone was the first celebrity on the first train to Alcatraz, arriving in August 1934. He was given number 85.

Treacherous currents and the low temperature of the waters around the island made escape impossible (though Hollywood may hint otherwise, no inmates ever successfully swam or rafted their way to freedom). Ironically, the showers at Alcatraz provided pleasantly warm water - but this was not a generous gift to the prisoners...the far-sighted Warden was simply ensuring that none of them could enhance their ability to escape by building up a tolerance for frigid temperatures.

On May 2nd, 1946, inmates Bernard Coy, Joseph Cretzer, Sam Shockley, Clarence Carnes, Marvin Hubbard and Miran Thompson made an escape attempt. They were besieged in one of the cellblocks and never came close to getting off the island. The gun battle which ensued cost the lives of 3 convicts and 2 guards; 17 guards and 1 prisoner were also wounded. Two more convicts who took part in the aborted escape were later tried and executed.

Attorney General Robert Kennedy officially closed the doors of Alcatraz on March 21st, 1963. From 1963 to 1969 the prison was unoccupied. It is now maintained by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.   

The Most Active Locations On Alcatraz Island

The Warden’s House

The Hospital

The Laundry Room - this room would sometimes emanate a strong scent of smoke - as if something was on fire. The sensation of the choking smoke would drive guards out of the room. Having returned a few minutes later, they would find the area now completely smoke free. The phantom smoke occurred many times over the years.

Cellblock ‘C’  - notably the utility door where convicts Coy, Cretzer and Hubbard died during their escape attempt in 1946.

Cellblock 'D' - The most haunted area of Alcatraz (often called 'The Hole'). To most of those who go there, a feeling of sudden intensity pervades the cells and corridor. Some Rangers refuse to go there alone. It is intensely cold in certain cells - far colder than normal - especially in cell 14-D. This cell is often so cold that wearing a jacket barely helps - even the surrounding area is twenty degrees warmer.

A former guard has related stories about cell block ‘D’, particularly cells 12 and 14, and the frightening remnant energy lingering in the subterranean portion of the prison. During his period of service in the mid-1940’s, convicts were often confined in one of the 14 cells in that block. Cells 9 to 14 were called ‘the Hole’, because they contained no windows and had only one light (which could be turned off by the guards). On one occasion, an inmate was locked in ‘the Hole’. Within seconds, he began screaming that someone with glowing eyes was in there with him. Tales of a ghostly presence wandering the darkened corridors in clothing from the late 1800’s were a continual source of practical joking among the guards, so the convict's cries that he was being ‘attacked’ were ignored.

The man's screaming continued well into the night, until there was silence. The following day, the guards inspected the cell - the convict was dead, a horrible expression was etched on his face and noticeable handmarks were around his throat. The autopsy revealed that the strangulation was not self inflicted. Some say he was strangled by a guard who was angered by the man's screaming - but this was deemed unlikely. None of the guards ever admitted to doing the deed or covering up for a homicidal colleague.   

Many guards who worked on Alcatraz from 1946 through 1963 experienced something that was possibly paranormal at one time or another. From the outer rim on the grounds to the depths of the prison, there was constant talk of people sobbing and moaning, horrible smells, cold spots and seeing the ‘Thing’ with glowing eyes. Even groups of phantom prisoners and soldiers allegedly appeared in front of startled guards, guests and the families of staff (who lived on the island).

Sometimes the old lighthouse, long since demolished, seemed to appear out of a dense fog, accompanied by a ghostly whistling sound and a green flashing light which passed slowly around the island. The spectacle would then vanish before the startled eyes of guards and visitors. Phantom cannon shots, gunfire and screams often sent experienced guards falling flat on their stomachs thinking that prisoners had escaped and obtained weapons. Each time, there was no explanation.