Denver Public Library Western History/Genealogy Digital Collections

- Canon City execution room
- Levers, switches, and a pulley with a weight and a square can hang outside the gas chamber at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado. Wood molding frames a slotted window in the wall, and doors flank the apparatus.
- Gas chambers--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1960-1970.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1930 and 1940?]
- Building gas chamber
- Vents and a chimney rise from the gable roof of the gas chamber at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado. Brick lintels and sills finish the windows in the stucco wall. A man stands by a wood scaffold.
- Gas chambers--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Construction--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1931
- Building house around the gas chamber
- Vents rise from the gable roof of the gas chamber at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado. Coiled wire hangs from the eaves, and a brick lintel and sill finishes the window in the stucco wall. A man stands by a wood scaffold, and a loose...
- Gas chambers--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Construction--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1931
- Transferring rock from sandstone to wall construction site
- Rough cut rock fills the low bed of this horse drawn, hand operated crane-wagon at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado. A man holds the reins, another stands by the crane, another is in the background.
- Horse-drawn vehicles--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Construction--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1934
- C.S.P. rimmer press, embosser press
- Interior view of the workshop where Colorado license plates are manufactured at the Colorado State Penitentiary in Canon City (Fremont County), Colorado. Men sit and stand near two large machines identified as a rimmer press and an embosser press....
- Colorado State Penitentiary--1930-1940.; Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; License plates--Colorado--1930-1940.; Machine shops--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Prisoner laborers--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.
- 1934 June 29
- The Canon City high school bus
- Men and children look out of a circa 1915 touring car in Canon City, Colorado. Its roof and sides are wood, and letters on it read: "Canon City School Dist. No. 1 Bus No. 4."
- School buses--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.
- Nov 8, 1931
- #1 Ranch Road under construction
- In the distance, inmates of the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, perform roadwork with horses near them. A 1920's truck is on the dirt road and lumber is piled in the foreground.
- Road construction workers--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.
- 1932
- Jesse Hulse penitentiary captain
- Jessie Hulse (possibly), Captain at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, poses in a dark suit and tie.
- Correctional personnel--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1930 and 1940?]
- Saddle presented to Warden Roy Best by employes of C-S-P
- Roy Best, Warden at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, stands by a sorrel horse wearing an ornate, tooled leather saddle. Lawn and bare trees are in the background.
- Prison wardens--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Tynan, Thomas J.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1932 and 1954?]
- Warden on horseback
- Astride a sorrel horse, Warden Roy Best of the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, wears a white shirt, tie and straw cowboy hat. He is on a dirt road in an orchard.
- Prison wardens--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Best, Roy.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1937
- Grudge fight C.S.P.
- Shirtless convicts at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, wear boxing gloves and fight. Guards and a crowd of inmates look on. Behind the spectators are a scoreboard and stone prison walls topped by wires, electric lights, and a guard...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Boxing--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Prisoners--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1934
- 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
- Rock work at pen. ranch
- The gated arch at the State Penitentiary ranch in Canon City, Colorado, is made of random stone masonry. Curved walls and gable topped pillars flank the dirt road, and stone lined ditches are to the side. More stone walls and the stucco dairy...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1935
- Tramway thru east gate Colo St. Prison
- Rough stone walls at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, have a faceted frame guard tower at the center, next to an arched opening. Pipe railings top the wall, railroad tracks pass through it, and an ore car is in the background. A man...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Watch towers--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1934
- Midway canteen and diner
- Stone buildings surround the "Midway" at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado. The dining hall has factory windows with open panels, and a faceted guard tower is in the center, with cellhouse 6 behind it. Men are in an area enclosed by...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1930 and 1940?]
- Cell houses #6 and #7
- Five-story concrete cell blocks at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, have buttresses and barred windows on all sides. White globed lamps and grated windows flank the entry; incised panels above it and topping the pediment read:...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1939 and 1942?]
- Int. cell block #6 sergeant's desk, Officer Grey's
- Men in suits and uniforms stand behind an interior wooden desk at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado. Barred cells above and in the foreground have concrete balconies with pipe railings from the second floor up. A chalked sign hangs on...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Interiors.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1930 and 1940?]
- Green Hill orchard
- Men stand on the porch of a one-story frame dwelling near the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado; one wears an apron. A frame outbuilding has lettering on its roof: "Green Hill Orchard." Barrels, a wagon, and a rock lined path are in the...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Farms--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1935
- Hog farm behind prison
- Stone walled pig pens at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, are built on a slope at the base of the hogback behind the prison. Each has a shelter with a mounded hay roof; rock outbuildings with brick cornices line one side. Pipes, a...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Swine--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1930 and 1940?]
- Construction of fence inclosing dump grounds
- Pipe fence poles with angled top sections line this dirt road at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado. Narrow gauge railroad tracks climb the hill, topped with guard towers. A man in the foreground stands by barred gate or piece of...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Construction--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Fences--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1934
- Canon City death house
- The death house, at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, is made of brick and has a stone foundation. A man stands on the catwalk by a faceted stone guard tower on the roof; a frame gazebo is on the ground next to the barred door....
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1930
- Cell house 6
- Cell house 6, at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, is a rough concrete building with barred windows on both floors and electric lights mounted on the flat roof. The entry door is metal, with an open gate.
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1939
- 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
- Sergeant's desk
- Interior walls of a sergeant's office at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, are hung with a pendulum clock in a wood case, framed schedules, and a safe. A wooden balustrade crosses the foreground, and a man in a trenchcoat standing by...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Interiors.; Offices--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1930 and 1940?]
- Tower
- A faceted, rough concrete tower at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, has windows with braces; board trim surrounds the top.
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Towers--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1937
- 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?]
- Cells, stripes
- Prison cell bars fill this interior view of the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado. An opening for food trays frames the feet of a sleeping inmate, wearing socks and pinstriped pants. A patterned blanket covers part of the wall behind him,...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Cells--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1937
- Dorm at prison farm
- One-story stucco dormitory buildings at the State Penitentiary dairy in Canon City, Colorado, have terra-cotta tiled pediments and corner posts. Evergreens dot lawn contained by low stone walls which form a corner in the foreground. A manual...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1930 and 1940?]
- Extension tower 9 side angle from north gate
- Pipe rails edge the balcony and catwalk of this guard tower at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado. Of stone masonry with extruded joints, the square tower with faceted roof has a searchlight atop it. A uniformed man at the rail lowers a...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Watch towers--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.
- [between 1930 and 1939?]
- Iron pronged fence and wall
- Pointed prongs top this fence at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado. The sharp tips of the uprights alternately curve out to both sides. A cement wall with barred windows is in the background.
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Fences--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1937
- Int 67 Wharton's cell block #6
- Bars and an open sliding gate show the interior of this prison cell at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado. Patterned fabric and framed portraits are on the back wall over a mirror and a porcelain sink. Headphones hang over the iron bed,...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Cells--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1930 and 1940?]
- Cell house #3 being razed after 1929 riot
- Black and white convicts work atop ruins of a brick cell block destroyed during the 1929 uprising at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado. They hold iron bars and sledge hammers. On the wall below them, porcelain toilet bowls remain...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Prison laborers--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Prison riots--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1932
- 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
- Female prisoner
- Female convict at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, wears a striped slouch hat with band, wide collared dress with dot pattern and bow, and number card reading: Colo-State-Pen 18535.
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Identification photographs--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Prisoners--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1930 and 1940?]
- Garden
- Raised terrace gardens at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, are fronted by dirt road. A man and people in robes stand while others walk by the garden house. A one-story stone building has a hipped gable roof and portico with lathe...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Gardens--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1932
- General view of tag plant
- Conduits line the interior of the license plate factory at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado. Shaded electic lights hang from the concrete ceiling. Stamp mills with flywheels, a drill press, and sheet metal are stacked on palettes....
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Interiors.; License plates--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1934
- Guard on high wall
- Rifle held across his lap, this guard at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado looks down to the yard below, over the chain link railing topping a prison wall. He wears a khaki uniform, tie, and soft hat. The City Ditch, trees, crags, and...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Prison guards--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1937
- Guards
- Guards pose at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado. They wear khaki shirts and (some) dark pants, ties, badges, and soft or straw hats; some carry flashlights. Concrete wall with barred windows and awnings, and cast iron Corinthian...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Prison guards--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1937
- Hog pens
- Plank and stone walls surround hog pens at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado. A wooden loading chute is in the foreground; a sod roofed shed, hopper type feeder, and woodpiles are within the enclosure. Dirt road follows one side, weedy...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Prisoners--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Swine--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1932
- Lime kiln
- Rock walls at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, enclose this facility. The backside is an earth embankment with an arch cut into it. Men sit on random drystacked wall, with a ladder below; others work in the enclosure behind them....
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Kilns--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1934
- Lathe and drill press in tag plant
- Prisoners at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, pose by metalworking machinery, wearing coveralls. Inmates (one Black) are by a worktable fronting an interior office with windows. Electric and water conduits, lights, and a gas heater...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Metalwork--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Prisoners--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1934
- Nelson, FN Arnold #16489
- Arnold Nelson, convict at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, poses for his mug shot (front and profile) in a suit jacket and pattered tie with a number card reading: Colo.State.Pen 16489.
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Identification photographs--Colorado--Canon City--1930- 1940.; Prisoners--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Nelson, Arnold.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1930 and 1940?]
- Road block on a bridge : possibly a prison break from Canon City
- Men block a wooden bridge following a break from the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado. Some have rifles and helmets, others are in suits and Fedora hats. Water is below and a 1930's sedan is in the foreground. A delivery truck and...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Prison escapes--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1930 and 1940?]
- Old hog pens
- Rubble and foundations of hog pens at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, fill a flat, central area. Bluffs flank it, and a stone shed, faceted guard tower, and wall are at the far end. Power poles and lines follow one side. A man...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Swine--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1932
- Sandstone water wagon
- Black inmates at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, wear pinstriped golf hats and numbered shirts. They pose with a two-wheeled wagon carrying a 55 gallon drum on its side. A spigot and pipe with holes emits streams of water....
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; African Americans--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Carts & wagons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Prisoners--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1936
- Work crew coming in and going through electric search
- Convicts with arms crossed at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, pass through the interior "electric eye gate". Spindle balustrade flanks the mechanism.
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- [between 1930 and 1940?]
- Dairy barn ranch
- Open beams span the interior ceiling of the State Penitentiary dairy in Canon City, Colorado. Shaded, hanging electric lamps are centered over the concrete floor, which is flanked by feeding Guernsey cows, facing out. Open factory windows line some...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Dairy farming--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1934
- Activity labelling
- Using a rubber stamp, this convict at the State Penitentiary in Canon City, Colorado, applies numbers to pinstriped prison overalls identical to the ones he is wearing. A clipboard is on the table by his hand.
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Interiors.; Prison laborers--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1937
- Activity machine shop
- Knitting machines at the State Penitentiary, in Canon City, Colorado, have spools of thread held above circular armatures. An inmate in pinstriped overalls operates a lever connected to a pulley and belt arrangement; tubes of white fabric fall into...
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Interiors.; Machine shops--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Prison laborers--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1937
- Activity making stop signs
- A convict wearing a pinstriped shirt and pants takes an unpainted sign from a press at the State Penitentiary, in Canon City, Colorado. The sign and the die in the machine interior read: "Thru Stop."
- Canon City (Colo.)--1930-1940.; Interiors.; Prison laborers--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Prisons--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Traffic signs & signals--Colorado--Canon City--1930-1940.; Colorado State Penitentiary.
- 1937