History of Alcatraz
Alcatraz Island is located in the San Francisco Bay. When the Spanish landed on the island in 1775 they named it La Isla de los Alcatraces; also referred to as the Island of the Pelicans (Alcatraz Prison).
Then in 1847 the US military took over the island. Soldiers were sent here as prisoners during the Civil War.
Alcatraz was thought of as evil even before it became a prison. It was home to many Native Americans who believed that evil spirits were contained here. The first people recorded that had cold eerie feelings within the building were the Miwok Indians…they believed the chunk of rock was evil (Spring). Alcatraz was used as an isolating place for the natives who violated tribal laws. When tribal members would later visit the island to collect food, some would claim to feel the presence of evil spirits (Ghosts of Alcatraz).
In the late 1850s, the first inmates to occupy Alcatraz were military prisoners who were put to work building a new prison that later became known as "The Rock"(Montaldo).The prison of Alcatraz became a federal prison in 1934 and closed in 1963 (Taylor). Inmates kept here were given minimum priveldge. The only things the prisoners were given was food, clothing, shelter, and medical care. If the inmates did not follow the rules they were taken to the strip cell or the hole on D block. Here the incorrigible prisoners were kept isolation.The fact that Alcatraz was built on an island and kept so isolated from public view, tales of inmates being tortured and of their bitter spirits coming back to haunt the halls of Alcatraz began to circulate (Montaldo).
The Utility Corridor
The utility corridor is one of the areas of the prison which some claim is the most haunted with paranormal activity. Three prisoners were shot by a guard after an attempted escape. Of these prisoners were Coy, Cretzer, and Hubbard. It is there that in 1976 a night security guard reported hearing unexplained eerie clanging sounds coming from inside (Montaldo).
Cell 14D
One of the cell holes known as 14D is considered the most haunted part of Alcatraz. It is said by many to be haunted by spirits. Some visitors and or employees claim to get a feeling of coldness and a sudden intensity. Some rangers refuse to go there alone (Reported Phenomena).Tales have been told of an event in the 1940s, when a prisoner locked-in 14D screamed throughout the night that a creature with glowing eyes was killing him. The next day guards found the man strangled to death in the cell. No one ever claimed responsibility for the convict's death, however the next day when doing head counts, the guards counted one too many prisoners. Some of the guards claimed seeing the dead convict in line with the other inmates, but only for a second before he vanished (Montaldo).
Unexplainable Noises
It has been said that while Warden Johnston was showing guest around the prison something out the ordinary happened. What’s been circulating is that Warden and his group heard sobbing from the inside of the prison walls. Shortly after the sobbing a whirl of cold wind circulated across the group.Also, visitors have claimed to hear crying and moaning in cell blocks A, B, and C. Everything from screaming, to crying, to running, sweep throughout the structure (Spring).
The Paranormal
Even guests and families who lived on the island claimed to occasionally see the ghostly forms of prisoners and even phantom soldiers (Alcatraz Prison). There are not many people on the island who have no encountered a ghostly presence.After the shooting of the guards committed by the inmates who tried to escape in 1946 occurred, people began seeing apparitions of the guards inside the cells where they had been killed. Even people who claimed not to believe in ghosts even said they felt a weary feeling inside the cell where the guards were supposedly seen.
Source: alcatrazhaunting.blogspot.com
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