Denver Public Library Western History/Genealogy Digital Collections

- Bird in a gilded cage
- Holding a parakeet on her finger, this female inmate at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, aims a kiss at its beak. A potted philodendron and toothbrush are on the interior sill; bars and screen block the window.
- Canon City (Colo.)--1950-1960.; Prisoners--Colorado--Canon City--1950-1960.; Women--Colorado--Canon City--1950-1960.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1959
- The Colorado State Penitentiary in 1878, showing the first stone wall
- The penitentiary complex in Canon City, Colorado, consists of a pair of three-story structures (one with a mansard roof) and the surrounding wall and tower, with a gated arch in the foreground. All are of random ashlar stone. Trees front the main...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1880-1890.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1880-1890.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1878
- Colorado Penitentiary interior buildings
- Convicts work at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, in a hole near buildings destroyed during the riots of 1929. Rubble, a wheelbarrow, and lumber are in the area. The stone walled City Ditch is in the foreground.
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Prison laborers--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1930
- Administration building
- This two-story stone building at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, has arched, barred windows, bracketed eaves, and an ornate lookout tower on its roof. An incised panel over the door reads: "Colorado State Penitentiary," and a pole...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1890-1900.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1890-1900.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1890 and 1900?]
- Old front entrance closed 1960's
- The three-story entrance building at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, is made of rusticated stone with barred sash windows, an open porch serving the first and second floors, and bracketed eaves. Loudspeakers top the porch, and the...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1900-1910.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1900-1910.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1900
- Colorado Penitentiary escapes
- Earl L. Budd, uniformed guard at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, has his hand on the stone below a hole. An embroidered patch on his arm reads: "Colorado State Prison."
- Canon City (Colo.)--1960-1970.; Prison guards--Colorado--Canon City--1960-1970.
- 1965
- The dairy and hog barns with the hogback in the background
- Two-story stone barns at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, have a shingle, hipped gable roof, brick chimneys, and adjoining silos with conical roofs and elevators. Iron "S" brackets line the brick wing, and rock walls and wooden gates...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1900-1910.; Barns--Colorado--Canon City--1900-1910.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1900-1910.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1900?
- Canon City locals selecting apples for purchase
- Mounds of apples are on tables at the State Penitentiary farm in Canon City, Colorado. Men and women carrying baskets in a variety of hats pick through them. Crates are stacked around, and trees are in the background.
- Canon City (Colo.)--1880-1900.; Apple orchards--Colorado--Canon City--1880-1900.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1880 and 1900?]
- Exercise yard cell H #4
- Convicts mill in the sunken exercise yard at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado. Stone stairs with a pipe bannister lead up to the main yard. A shelter has a wheelbarrow and rubble under it. Stone wall, bare trees, and four-story...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Prisoners--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1930
- Prison festivities
- Soapboxes fill a horse-drawn wagon at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado; an inmate holds the reins. Lettering on the wagon reads: "Colorado State Prison." Men pose in western clothes and have paper tags hanging from their shirts; two...
- Horse-drawn vehicles--Colorado--Canon City--1920-1940.; Canon City (Colo.)--1920-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1920-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1920 and 1940?]
- Prison festivities
- A horse-drawn, hand operated crane-wagon at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, carries a rock and inmates, including one in a striped uniform. A canopy on the wagon reads:"1876 Prison Products 1876." Men pose in western clothes and...
- Horse-drawn vehicles--Colorado--Canon City--1890-1900.; Canon City (Colo.)--1920-1940.; Prisoners--Colorado--Canon City--1890-1900.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1920 and 1940?]
- Punch press and shear tag plant
- Inmates in striped coveralls sit at stamp mills at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado. Electric lamps, conduits and switchboxes cover the interior concrete walls, and a guard in a white shirt and tie looks on. License plate blanks are...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Interiors.; License plates--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Prison laborers--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1934
- Colorado prison break
- Laying inside of a soft top truck after his 1947 escape and recapture from the State Penitentiary in Canon City, John Smalley is flanked by crouching men in winter coats. The interior dashboard has "Willy's" embossed in the center over gauges.
- Canon City (Colo.)--1940-1950.; Prison escapes--Colorado--Canon City--1940-1950.; Smalley, John.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1948
- Warden Roy Best 1932-1954
- Warden Roy Best, of the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, poses in a cowboy hat and silk tie.
- Prison wardens--Colorado--Canon City--189-1900.; Canon City (Colo.)--1890-1900.; Best, Roy.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1932 and 1954]
- Warden William A. Smith 1890-1892
- Warden William A. Smith, of the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, poses in a white bow tie and "walrus" moustache.
- Prison wardens--Colorado--Canon City--1890-1900.; Canon City (Colo.)--1890-1900.; Smith, William A.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1890 and 1892]
- Warden Thomas J. Tynan 1909-1927
- Warden Thomas J. Tynan, of the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, poses in a black tie.
- Prison wardens--Colorado--Canon City--1880-1890.; Canon City (Colo.)--1900-1930.; Tynan, Thomas J.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1909 and 1927]
- Hanging cells
- A man stands on a wall next to two steel gates and the stone arched entry and guard tower at the Colorado State Penitentiary in Canon City (Fremont County), Colorado. A man leans against a stone pillar near a wall that marks the entrance to the...
- Colorado State Penitentiary--1920-1930.; Canon City (Colo.)--1920-1930.; Gates--Colorado--Canon City--1920-1930.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1920-1930.; Towers--Colorado--Canon City--1920-1930.
- [between 1920 and 1930?]
- Penitentiary, Canon City, Colorado
- View of Colorado State Penitentiary, in Canon City (Fremont County) Colorado; also shows the City Ditch, houses, and prison construction.
- Canon City (Colo.)--1860-1880.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1860-1880.; Colorado State Penitentiary.--1860-1880.
- [between 1869 and 1879]
- State penitentiary at Canon City
- View of the Colorado State Penitentiary complex, Canon City (Fremont County), Colorado; shows cell blocks, guard towers, the arched entry gate, and City Ditch.
- Canon City (Colo.)--1890-1900.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1890-1900.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1890 and 1900]
- Canon City - Colo. State Pen
- At the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, a group of men, women and children pose on a stone dock with a wall behind them. Outfits include a fur collar, winter coats and dress hats with ribbons, feathers and flowers.
- Canon City (Colo.)--1900-1910.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1900-1910.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1900 and 1910]
- C. S. P. gardens
- Fields of crops at the State Penitentiary farm in Canon City, Colorado, are flanked by roads; the stone garden house and outbuildings are at the end. Rock walls and a wooden gate form an enclosure in the foreground, with a hay feeder and loading...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Farms--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1934
- Ready for the handcuffs
- Inmates of the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, extend their hands to a man with handcuffs. A man on a horse looks on; a lariat hangs from his saddle.
- Canon City (Colo.)--1960-1970.; Prisoners--Colorado--Canon City--1960-1970.
- 1967
- Main Street looking west from the corner of 3rd, in 1868.
- Stone and brick buildings line dirt street in Canon City, Colorado. Two have arched windows, others have bracketed or stone cornices. Men and horses loiter; lumber and barrels are on boardwalk fronting a business with a sign reading: "Webb &...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1860-1870.; Streets--Colorado--Canon City--1860-1870.
- 1869
- Gas chamber shell
- Margaret Fliedner sits in a heavy wooden chair in the shell of a gas chamber manufactured by an unidentified iron works in Denver, Colorado. The chamber is ready for shipment to the Colorado State Penitentiary.
- Denver (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Gas chambers--Colorado--1930-1940.; Women--Colorado--Denver--1930-1940.; Fliedner, Margaret.
- [between 1933 and 1934?]
- Old Gray Mare
- A Colorado State Penitentiary guard in uniform looks on as a man bends over the "Old Gray Mare," a device used in Canon City, Fremont County, Colorado, at the prison, for disciplinary beatings. Rolled United States flags are on an interior shelf.
- Colorado State Penitentiary--1920-1930.; Canon City (Colo.)--1920-1930.; Beating--Colorado--Canon City--1890-1900.; Prisoners--Colorado--Canon City--1890-1900.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1920 and 1930?]
- Canyon [sic] City, Colorado State Penitentiary
- A crowd of men are gathered outside the Colorado State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, probably members of the press and law enforcement during the October 3, 1929 prison break.
- Colorado State Penitentiary--1920-1930.; Canon City (Colo.)--1920-1930.; People--Colorado--Canon City--1920-1930.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1920-1930.
- [1929]
- Canon City, Colorado - penitentiary buildings
- View shows stone buildings at the Colorado State Penitentiary in Canon City (Fremont County), Colorado.
- Colorado State Penitentiary--1890-1900.; Canon City (Colo.)--1890-1900.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1890-1900.
- 1893?
- Aerial view of State Penitentiary
- Buildings, walls and guard towers at the State Penitentiary complex in Canon City, Colorado, are included in this aerial view. The City Ditch cuts through the wall by the West Gate, and goes underground by Cell Block #7. Structures have been...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1950-1960.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1950-1960.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1950 and 1960?]
- Bird's eye view of Colorado State Penitentiary
- State Penitentiary complex in Canon City, Colorado, consists of stone buildings and walls with faceted corner lookout towers. A spur of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad crosses the City Ditch in the foreground, which cuts through the...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1890-1900.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1890-1900.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1890 and 1900?]
- Canon City State Penitentiary
- State Penitentiary complex, in Canon City Colorado, consists of stone and brick buildings and an enclosing wall with faceted towers. The City Ditch cuts through, and in the background are the quarried hogback that provided the stone for the prison....
- Canon City (Colo.)--1920-1930.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1920-1930.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1920?
- New penitentiary hospital (80 beds) completed in Spring, 1962
- Bars cover the windows of the hospital at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, and a chain-link enclosure fronts the smaller wing on the flat roof of the two-story concrete structure. Lawn and sidewalks front the building; a bench is...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1960-1970.; Hospitals--Colorado--Canon City--1960-1970.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1960-1970.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1962 and 1970?]
- Orchard round Warden's Residence and no. from bell house and No 5 lower Colorado State Penitentiary, Canon City
- The Warden's residence at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, is a two-story stone building with a low-gabled roof and a faceted lookout tower and flagpole. Trees are behind a low stone wall lining the street in the foreground, and an...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1890-1900.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1890-1900.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1890 and 1900?]
- Old women's penitentiary
- Chain-link fence on a stone base surrounds the female department at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado. The two-story stucco structure has a cross-gabled shingle roof, terra-cotta trim and barred, sash windows. The second-floor porch...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1935
- Penitentiary riot 1929
- Smoke billows from the State Penitentiary, in Canon City, Colorado. This aerial view shows the prison complex, the Arkansas River, and the west part of town. Trees line River Street, and the park between the river and the prison has a round...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1920-1930.; Prison riots--Colorado--Canon City--1920-1930.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1920-1930.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1929
- Penitentiary riot 1929
- This aerial view looking east at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, shows the prison complex with the Administration Building, its extensions, and the tag shop gutted by fire. Inmates are in the sunken yard fronting the damaged...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1920-1930.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1920-1930.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1929
- Penitentiary riot 1929
- This aerial view looking north at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, shows the prison complex with the Administration Building, its extensions, and the tag shop gutted by fire. Inmates are in the sunken yard fronting the damaged...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1920-1930.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1920-1930.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1929
- Penitentiary riot 1929
- This aerial view looking east at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, shows the prison complex with the Administration Building, its extensions, and the tag shop, gutted by fire. Inmates are in the sunken yard fronting the damaged...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1920-1930.; Fires--Colorado--Canon City--1920-1930.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1920-1930.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1929
- State penitentiary recreation
- Faceted, frame guard towers and electric lights top walls at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado. Catwalks atop the walls are enclosed by chain link fence; men play baseball in a field and sit on the sidelines. At a lower level, flat...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1960-1970.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1960-1970.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1960 and 1970?]
- Colorado Penitentiary at Canon City
- The State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, is a complex of two and three-story brick and stone buildings with arched windows; a brick stack emits black smoke by the administration building, with its belfry and blind arch in the gable. A horse...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1890-1900.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1890-1900.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1890 and 1895?]
- Colorado State Penitentiary, Canon City
- State Penitentiary complex in Canon City, Colorado, consists of stone buildings and walls with faceted corner lookout towers. A spur of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad crosses the City Ditch in the foreground, by a guard tower and stacks...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1900-1910.; Aerial views.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1900-1910.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1900
- Penitentiary at night
- Floodlights illuminate the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado. Stone walls meet at a square corner tower, topped by a faceted guard house with a chain link railing. Bare trees line the street, on which are parked 30's and 40's sedans and...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Watch towers--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1940 and 1950?]
- Colorado State Penitentiary about 1884
- The State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, consists of three-story stone buildings surrounded by stone walls, with a square corner tower. The two-story Administration Building is built into the wall, and has arched windows, and a cottage roof...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1880-1890.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1880-1890.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1884
- Colorado State Penitentiary Canon City 1893-94
- The State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, is a complex of three-story stone structures; the Administration Building is flanked by extensions; all are surrounded by a stone wall with faceted corner towers. A brick smokestack rises from the...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1890-1900.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1890-1900.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1893 and 1894?]
- Colorado State Penitentiary
- State Penitentiary buildings in Canon City, Colorado, are two- stories with bay and barred windows.
- Canon City (Colo.)--1920-1930.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1920-1930.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1920-1929?]
- Colorado State Penitentiary
- Stone walls of the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, line the sidewalk. A horse drawn water wagon on the dirt street is in front of a faceted tower with a balcony. A stone gate next to it is carved with entablature, and the original...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1900-1910.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1880-1890.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1900 and 1910?]
- Colorado State Penitentiary
- Stone walls of the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, are lined with bare trees and sidewalk. A few men walk along the sidewalk. A faceted tower with sash windows, a balcony, and battlements are in the foreground. Smoke rises from inside...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1900-1910.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1900-1910.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1900 and 1910?]
- First penitentiary opened June 13, 1871
- The Colorado State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, is a three-story stone structure with a mansard roof, dormers, and chimneys. Frame, saltbox outbuildings adjoin, with stovepipes, an awning, and piled firewood. Others are in the area, and a...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1870-1880.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1870-1880.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1872 and 1873?]
- Colorado penitentiary break 1947 escapees John Klinger escaped convict died
- A man performs an autopsy on John Klinger after his escape attempt from the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado. He uses a hemostat and pliers to peel back the scalp and ear, revealing bloody brain matter. In the background a tank and hoses...
- Autopsy--Colorado--Canon City--1940-1950.; Canon City (Colo.)--1940-1950.; Dead persons--Colorado--Canon City-- 1940-1950.; Prison escapes--Colorado--Canon City--1940-1950.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1948
- Aerial view of penitentiary after riot
- Fire gutted structures at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, include the administration building, its flanking cell blocks, and the license plate shop. The City Ditch winds through the prison complex, and prisoners mill in the sunken...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1920-1930.; Fires--Colorado--Canon City--1920-1930.; Prison riots--Colorado--Canon City--1920-1930.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1929
- Apple orchard maintained by the Colorado State Penitentiary
- Inmates at the State Penitentiary orchard in Canon City, Colorado, pose among crates and tables mounded with apples. They wear long sleeved shirts, suspenders and soft hats. Guards in suits and a variety of hats oversee; a horse drawn buggy (with...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1920-1930.; Apple orchards--Colorado--Canon City--1920-1930.; Prisoners--Colorado--Canon City--1920-1930.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1920 and 1930?]