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Jun 13, 2018 · Before the U.S. Army claimed Alcatraz in 1853, the “Rock” was just that – a gently sloped, graywacke sandstone island covered with scrub brush and guano. There was no natural source of water, and no evidence of any human habitation.
By the turn of the century, the prison’s population had swelled to more than 400, and another prison complex was hastily built on the parade ground. Called the Upper Prison, it consisted of three wooden cell houses with two tiers each, surrounded by a stockade fence.
Alcatraz, former maximum-security prison located on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, off the coast of California. Alcatraz, originally envisioned as a naval defense fortification, was designated a residence for military offenders in 1861, and it housed a diverse collection of prisoners in its.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
On August 11, the first group of 137 prisoners arrived at the island, guarded by 60 special FBI agents and U.S. Marshalls. During Alcatraz’ tenure, it jailed some of the most notorious criminals in American history including Al Capone, Robert Franklin Stroud (Birdman of Alcatraz), and George “Machine Gun” Kelly.
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Alcatraz Island was the site of a notoriously harsh prison based off the coast of San Francisco, California, this isolated position earning it the name of “The Rock”. However, prior to becoming a prison, Alcatraz Island had a long history as a military base.
United States Penitentiary, Alcatraz Island, also known simply as Alcatraz ( English: / ˈælkəˌtræz /, Spanish: [ a l k a ˈ t ɾ a s] "the gannet ") or The Rock, was a maximum security federal prison on Alcatraz Island, 1.25 miles (2.01 km) off the coast of San Francisco, California, United States.
