What to do with criminals in the Wyoming Territory of the 1860s? The military at Fort Sanders had been prevailed upon to accept civilian prisoners, but that wasn’t a viable long-term solution. By 1872, Federal funds had been appropriated to build a territorial penitentiary near Laramie. The site chosen for construction was within the boundaries of the Fort Sanders Military Reservation.
At first, there were few prisoners. That didn’t stop Warden N.K. Boswell from putting the convicts to work. He negotiated with the owner of a local brickyard, who employed the prisoners in hard labor. Most of the convicts were guilty of grand larceny or manslaughter.
In the early years of operation, the prison was plagued by escapes. Nearly a quarter of the inmates managed to find their way to freedom.
Learn more about the Wyoming Territorial Penitentiary in the Lawrence A. Cardoso papers at UW’s American Heritage Center.
For more information, visit the American Heritage Center site.