Oct 14 - Wyoming historic state prison and Cheyenne area

We started our day at the Historic Wyoming State Prison. This prison was built in 1901 and closed in 1981. We waited for the 10:30 tour and it was really worth it. It is hard to believe that we have come as far as we have in our penal systems. The original cell block held 132 men, 2 to a cell, 3 stories of cells. There was one “pot belly stove” in the block and we were told that it kept the temperature about 20 degrees warmer than outside. Our guide said that was really tough when the temperature dropped to -40 degrees in the winter. She also showed us the shower area which was not heated and only had cold water. The inmates were required to take one shower a week even in the coldest of winter. We saw a punishment pole where the men were tied and whipped while the rest of the inmates could hear the screams. We also went to the death house and saw the gas chamber. The tour was very educational but also depressing. This morning the temperature was about 35 degrees and there was no heat in the prison. We were very cold during the tour and we were only there for 1 hour. It certainly made me understand why we have had the changes we have in our prisons. From there we headed to McDonalds for a hot cup of coffee and then toward Cheyenne. Although we saw some snow in the mountains we also saw a change in the landscape to a more desert type landscape. James made a couple of pictures of the hills with unusual rock formations. We continued to see herds of pronghorn antelopes on the roadside and we saw our first windmill farm in Wyoming. We also began to see gas well pumps. The sky was so blue that I can’t describe it. I don’t remember our sky being that blue. As we got into Cheyenne we saw a small herd of pronghorns between the interstate and the exit road. They didn’t seem a bit bothered by cars and trucks. They are not as skittish as deer in our area. In Cheyenne we stopped at the historic district where they have a park centered around a railroad depot. We also noticed that there are a lot of historic store buildings in that area. We spotted a sign advertising “Sand Creek Massacre” and when we got back to the room I researched it on the internet. It is about U.S. troops who massacred a tribe of women, old men and children who believed they were under the protection of the United States. If you look it up, it is very interesting. We went to the capital and were allowed to look through on our own. We were told that the ceilings in the rotunda, the Senate room and the House room were Tiffany glass ceilings. They were beautiful. The staircases were beautiful and they had a large monument in the rotunda honoring an Indian chief. When we left there we found a STARBUCKS and then headed to Colorado where we are staying in Fort Collins (about 50 miles from Denver.)