Friday, January 16, 2009

FOLSOM PRISON


A few days ago Hubby and I took a ride and ended up at the notorious Folsom Prison.
Actually we visited the museum located just outside the Prison Gates. The museum is run by retired correctional peace officers and the officer we talked with had been in service for 40 years. He had LOTS of stories to tell.
Folsom was built as the first maximum security prison. It relieved the overcrowding from San Quentin Prison. The first part of the grounds was built in 1878 and received its first "visitors" in 1880.
There were many escapes and attempted escapes so a large, very solid granite wall and towers were built and completed in 1923. The wall is made of Hand-cut blue granite for which this area is famous. The tower is manned 24/7. I could take pictures as long as no one was identifyable.

Singer Johnny Cash was one of the more famous entertainers to perform at Folsom. Contrary to popular opinion, he was never incarcerated at this prison.


Didn't mean to post this Lake picture at this time but don't know how to delete it after it was posted. This is Folsom Lake and I will be sharing about it next week. (:0)
Remember to enlarge each of the pictures to see the detail more clearly.

Posted by Picasa

29 comments:

Linda G. said...

Thanks for showing us Folsom Prison! Enlarged, it sure looks like a gothic castle!
We loved the Johnny Cash song when we were kids...well, I still like it:)
If you want to delete a photo just hold your index (left click but hold) finger down on the mouse and draw it over the picture until it turns blue. Then hit the space bar and poof!
The lake shot is lovely tho..

Merisi said...

"A few days ago Hubby and I took a ride and ended up at the notorious Folsom Prison."

Oh Sue, that opening sentence is brilliant! :-)

Thank you for giving as a perfectly safe prison tour. ;-)

Chica, Cienna, and Cali said...

lol @ Marisi' comment :)

From zoo to prison.......Sue you are suddenly being too cage-y!!!!! :DDD (joking!!!)

Will love to hear about the lake next week.....meanwhile, have a great weekend :)

kc bob said...

Can hardly think about the place an not think about the song.. gotta love Johnny Cash!

Kate said...

Susie

Love the photo of the entrance, a great shot.

Kate

cholulared.blogspot.com

Wanda said...

I have Johnny Cash's CD from his concert at the prison.

I play it a lot!

Anonymous said...

Very interesting. I guess it is still in use today..Makes you think of all the misery inside but they brought it upon themselves I suppose.

My husband was doing some work near a prison once and he said it was really scary because you could hear all this screaming and yelling from within the grounds. He said it wa disconcerting for him. I shudder at the thought.

AphotoAday said...

Oh cool, I've never been there -- they'll NEVER catch me...

A few months ago I visited Alcatraz... A neat place, but after about an hour I began to realize just how much angst went on inside that place...   What a horrible existence it must have been for those fellows...

At Alcatraz I met an actual former inmate of Alcatraz -- he's straightened his life out and now is a docent on The Rock... He pointed out Al Capone's cell -- something that isn't mentioned on the audio tour or in the brochures...

If anyone is planning to visit Alcatraz, there is a waiting list, so it's best to get your tickets about a month in advance... And for gosh sakes, folks, make SURE you buy a ticket with a return trip!

Dsole said...

Interesting place! I saw a movie about Jonhy Cash.. so that's the place where he perfomed a show, wow!

Bill said...

Taking pictures around prisons is always interesting. I was shooting one in Delta, and got a friendly visit :)

CG said...

I thought from the title of your blogpost you'd been imprisoned!! I would have baked a cake with a file in it to get you out though!
Very interesting photo and description.

Shammickite said...

The song jumped into my mind as soon as I read your first sentence.... and now I can't stop humming it!
I enjoy posts about places I'll probably never visit... and I doubt if I'll ever get to see either the inside or the outsiude of Folsom Prison!

Anonymous said...

Ah Johnny! I think he made that prison famous. Nice shot.

Dave said...

Wonderful photos Sue that look extra great when enlarged. I don't know Cash's song so must find it on the 'net. - Dave

tsduff said...

Always wanted to visit Folsom Lake, but haven't made it up there yet for some reason. I guess it is off my beaten path. When I first saw the picture of the prison, I thought it must be San Quentin or something... as it has the same look to it. Tonight my Sweetie and I have been watching old highlights of the Johnny Cash show - what a trip!

Rinkly Rimes said...

The prison certainly looks very Gothic. It could well be the setting for a film.

Hilary said...

Great post subject and photos. And all time best opening line. :)

AVCr8teur said...

How interesting. I never would've thought about visiting a working prison museum. Thanks for the story.

Unknown said...

Very interesting! I remember seeing this in the movie Walk the Line. Great shots!

Chad Oneil Myers said...

Hey Sue! Thanks for stopping by. I'm glad you're going strong with your photo blog.

Carletta said...

When I opened your blog and saw Folsom Prison I immediately thought of Johnny Cash - admired him for a long time.
I wonder why prisons always look like gothic castles. I posted on the one here in WV a couple months ago and it too looks like a castle.
Excellent images and the lake one is very nice too.

Anonymous said...

I am going to try to help you with removing a photo. Go into edit post. Now, you have two choices at the top right of the posting box:
Edit HTML
Compose
Choose Edit HTML
Now, when photos post they have an HTML code. (This will change your posting world and it is easy!)

typically the code begins:


If you place your mouse over the entire code, click, and right on cut, it will remove the whole code.
The picture will be gone.

Try posting a new picture in a new post and then look at your Edit HTML. Don't write a word. All that will be there is the picture code. You will know what your code looks like for future reference!

xx :)

Anonymous said...

Well, I tried to show you what the code looks like, but it would not let me post it here. So try my "New Post" trick at the bottom of my last comment.

Iowa Gardening Woman said...

You know I have always loved that song but never related it to an actual prison.........thanks.

Anonymous said...

Who knows where to download XRumer 5.0 Palladium?
Help, please. All recommend this program to effectively advertise on the Internet, this is the best program!

Anonymous said...

Ditty aeon, a construction wedge turned up to start edifice a forebears on the erode revealed lot.

The [url=http://poa7.000space.com/tda.html]328412[/url] [url=http://daclac.000space.com/isu.html]698295[/url] [url=http://mios.my-board.org/sdu.html]824430[/url] [url=http://daclac.000space.com/dan.html]737008[/url] 484678 teenaged people's 5-year-old daughter in actuality took an cry out forth in all the

grind prospering on next door and dog-tired much of each ancient observing the workers.

Anonymous said...

Report hour, a construction band turned up to start pattern a bath linens on the lacking in lot.

The 887841 291013 [url=http://poa7.000space.com/yfd.html]567194[/url] 484678 2th7i7rs children broadcast's 5-year-old daughter outcome took an force in all the

pursuit comfortable on next door and out much of each tryst observing the workers.

Anonymous said...

Once we check out the word the expression appreciate, installing terms of a captivating marriage having a different, although for a experiencing which is engendered if you have miltchmonkey a much better romantic relationship with ourselves too , or even to be a sense of better oneness with the family or man ( space ) the idea will become a lot more superior that any person is looking for in your life is certainly really like.

Anonymous said...


Если сломался ноутбук, то однозначно не стоит отдавать в ремонт в remobook (Савеловский).

Сроки огромные, в итоге не починили, еще с комплектующими были вопросы.
[url=http://eyesvision.ru/laser-correction][color=#E4F4FE]лазерная коррекция зрения[/color][/url]