Yuma Territorial Prison

Posted: 01.27.2021 | Updated: 10.27.2025

The worst criminals in the early days of the Arizona Territory probably spent some time in Yuma Territorial Prison. The prison operated from 1876 to 1909, and just over 3,000 inmates passed through its iron gates. Though the prison was coed, only 29 of the inmates were women.

Like any prison, life at Yuma was tough. The desert heat, stone walls, and massive watchtower created a hellish environment fit for hardened criminals. Outlaws from all over the West feared having to go to Yuma. The place has seen everything from suicides to attempted escapes to riots.

Keep reading to learn the dark truth about the Yuma Territorial Prison. After that, book yourself a ghost tour with Phoenix Ghosts and explore Arizona ghost stories in person… if you dare!

Is the Yuma Territorial Prison Haunted?

While the prison is now Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park, ghosts of prisoners past remain tethered to the site.

• Visitors often hear blood-curdling screams and pleas for help, rattling chains, and the occasional echoes of music from the Yuma Prison Band.
• An area called the Dark Room is haunted by the apparition of a creepy little girl.
• A dark presence dwells in Cell 14, where an inmate committed suicide.

It seems that many of the criminals at Yuma never found freedom. Their spirits are forever doomed to be locked up in the roughest prison of the Old West.

History Of Yuma Territorial Prison

Yuma Territorial Prison was only open for only 33 years. Yet in that short time, it became infamous. The prison was authorized by the legislature in 1875. It was built by prison laborers, many of which spent time there once it opened in 1876. Seven prisoners walked into Yuma Territorial on opening day.

In 1882, construction of the infamous watchtower finished, giving prison authorities a full view of the inmates. A year later, F.S. Ingalls took over as warden and made some major changes to Yuma Territorial. He built a small building that housed an engine room, a blacksmith, a carpenter, a tailor and a shoe shop. He and his wife, Madora Ingalls, helped to upgrade the quality of life for the prisoners.

F.S. Ingalls switched the prison over to electricity, building one of the first generators in the West in 1884. Madora brought educational opportunities to the prison and helped set up the library. At the time, it was the only library in town. Thomas Gates stepped in as warden next. His administration brought a policy of “firm but fair” punishment.

The Gates Riot

A riot broke out in 1887 when seven inmates tried to escape. After seizing firearms from the guards, they took Warden Thomas Gates hostage and used him as a human shield as they charged the front gates. Unfazed, Gates told his guards to shoot and not worry if he gets hit. The guards obeyed the command and began to shoot.

In response, an inmate stabbed the warden in the back. Then a trustee stole the warden’s handgun and shot the attacker dead. When it was all over, guards had shot at least four inmates dead and wounded one. The riot later received the name “the Gates Riot,” after the warden.

By the early 1900s, the prison had become overcrowded, and work began on building a new prison. In 1909, authorities began moving prisoners to a new facility: Florence Prison.

Yuma Union High School occupied the Yuma building between 1910 and 1914. When the school played against Phoenix and won in a huge upset, they were taunted by the opposing team, who called them “criminals.” The students took the name with pride. To this day, their mascot is the criminal.

After becoming a squat for vagrants and their families during the great depression, Yuma Territorial Prison remained unused until the 1940s. During WWII, the prison guard tower was used for spotting. The prison also operated as a museum up until the 60s. In 1961, Yuma Territorial became the third state park in Arizona and remains a popular attraction in the area.

Harsh Life at Yuma Territorial

Life at Yuma Territorial Prison was full of harsh conditions. The open-air prison exposed inmates to the bare heat of the desert. They also had the Arizona wildlife contend with; snakes, spiders, and scorpions often wandered into prison cells. Folks considered it one of the most feared and hated prisons in the West. But despite what outlaws and criminals thought of the place, the reality was quite different.

In some ways, Yuma Territorial was a model prison for living conditions. Inmates had electricity, ventilation, a hospital, a 2,000 book library, literacy classes, and a prison band. Locals began to call the prison “The Country Club on the Colorado.” From their perspective, criminals were living better than they were. The average home in Yuma was nowhere near as luxurious as the prison. Inmates also hardly served their time in full. The prison administration was very lax and would hand out parole hearings like candy.

Even still, prison penalties were quite rough in the late 1800s compared to modern times. The Dark Room at Yuma exemplified this fact. Guards often stripped inmates down to their underwear before throwing them into the Dark Room. The solitary cell was a 10-square-foot room with only a tiny vent for daylight.

After sundown, a prisoner in the Dark Room was enveloped in complete darkness. They would get one meal of old bread and water a day. If the inmate was an attempted escapee, they received the added bonus of a ball and chain locked to each ankle. The Dark Room was also known as the “Snake Den,” as snakes and scorpions would find their way in. Whether they came in through the ventilation shaft or were tossed in by a sadistic guard will never be known.

Deaths and Notable Inmates

Out of the 3,069 prisoners that passed through Yuma Territorial, 111 died within the prison walls. Most inmates died from tuberculosis, which was ravaging the country at the time. The most common crimes among the inmates were murder, grand larceny, and polygamy. At the time, the federal government was cracking down on polygamists. A disproportionately high number of inmates were Mormons from nearby Utah.

Yuma had quite a few notable inmates. Mexican anarchist and revolutionary Richard Flores Magon served 18 months at Yuma for violating neutrality laws after planning the takeover of a mine. His followers fought with Pancho Villa during the Mexican Revolution.

Pearl Hart, also known as the “Bandit Queen,” received a sentence of five years in Yuma after robbing a stagecoach. It was one of the last known train robberies of the Old West. Pearl used her feminine charm to serve only two years of her sentence.

Ghosts at Yuma

Many of the prisoners at Yuma Territorial Prison never got their freedom, even in death. Ghosts and paranormal occurrences are common at Yuma. Both staff and guests have been haunted by the inmates who still occupy their jail cells. While ghosts appear all over the old prison, the main cell block and the Dark Room seem to have the most activity. Though, the jail cells are known to be quite haunted as well. Visitors report feeling a sense of dread and uneasiness upon entering the jail cells. Some even hear the faint voices of the inmates.

Rattling chains are a familiar noise, probably from the ball and chain that was used to punish attempted escapees. Some have even heard the faint sound of music, memories leftover from the Yuma Prison Band. Visitors and staff frequently hear blood-curdling screams and cries for mercy. They assume it’s the ghosts of those confined to the Dark Room.

Dark Room

The Dark Room is the most haunted part of the prison. It’s open for visitors to enter. Most who do enter immediately get a sense of being watched, as if they’re not alone in the room. Staff says that the ghost of a small girl inhabits the Dark Room. She pokes, prods, and pinches visitors with her cold fingers. She may be one of the children of the many homeless families who lived in Yuma Territorial during the Great Depression.

A staff writer from the Arizona Highways magazine attempted to stay in the Dark Room for 48 hours to recreate the full prisoner experience. She shackled herself to the ringbolt with a jug of water and a loaf of bread. She only made it 37 hours after insisting that she wasn’t the only one in the room.

Cell 14

An inmate named John Ryan once occupied Cell 14. Ryan was incarcerated for “crimes against nature,” meaning he committed a sexual offense, most likely rape. Both the guards and prisoners hated him, and he ended up committing suicide in his cell. Visitors who walk by Cell 14 report feeling cold spots, chills, and shivering.

A few other ghosts are quite well known to staff. The spirit of a female inmate sings in the visitors’ area in the morning. A ghost named Johnny lives in the gift shop. He likes to rearrange the coins in the cash drawer; however, he leaves the bills alone.

Haunted Arizona

Yuma Territorial Prison was where the worst outlaws of the Old West were sent to serve their time. Arizona’s settler days were chock full of train robbers, cowboys, coal miners, and Mexican revolutionaries. They left behind a bloody history that shaped Arizona’s culture and urban legends.

Feeling brave enough to visit haunted places in Arizona for yourself? Book a haunted Phoenix ghost tour today and prepare yourself for a fun and frightening adventure!

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Sources:

• https://www.gypsyjournalrv.com/2019/03/ghosts-of-yuma-territorial-prison/
• https://azstateparks.com/yuma-territorial/about-the-prison/park-history
• https://www.truewestmagazine.com/article/the-yuma-territorial-prison/
• https://www.yumaprison.org/historical-background.html
• https://andreadowning.com/2016/08/31/yuma-territorial-prison-the-dark-cell-and-ghosts/
• http://www.weirdus.com/states/arizona/ghosts/yuma_prison/index.php
• https://www.yumaheritage.com/article/yuma-territorial-prison-best-haunted-destination-in-the-country