Description: "Scene at the Ohio Penitentiary, Columbus," illustration from "Historical Collections of Ohio" by Henry Howe, 1847. The view was taken within the inner enclosure of the penitentiary, and shows inmates and guards in the courtyard. The Ohio Penitentiary opened in Columbus in 1834 and continued to house prisoners until 1979. The state had built a small prison in Columbus in 1813, but as the state's population grew the earlier facility was not able to handle the number of prisoners sent to it by the courts. The Ohio Penitentiary in the nineteenth century reflected the common belief that prison was more for punishment than for rehabilitation. Conditions within the prison were primitive. Prisoners first slept on straw mattresses, although eventually beds were built. Food was very simple, usually consisting of cornbread, beans, and bacon. Prisoners were required to work in one of the prison industries, which made everything from harnesses and shoes to barrels and brooms. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL04165
Subjects: Ohio Penitentiary (Columbus, Ohio); Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Prisons; Prisoners
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Seven photographs circa 1969-1970 document the Ohio Penitentiary located at 254 West Spring Street in Columbus. They measure 5 by 7 inches (12.70 by 17.78 cm). Shown are the Death House, electric chair, dormitories, Identification Department photograph area, barber shop, and O. Henry Athletic Field. In 1885, the legislature required all executions to take place at the Ohio Pen rather than in the county where the crime occurred. The Death House was built in 1913 to house the electric chair, which was first used to carry out death sentences in 1897. The prison baseball field was named for famous author O. Henry (William Sydney Porter), who was imprisoned at the Ohio Penitentiary in the late 1890s on embezzlement charges. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om1909_1980944_002
Subjects: Ohio Government; Architecture; Prisons; Prisoners; Electrocution; Cameras; Barbershops; Television Receivers and reception; Athletic fields; Henry, O., 1862-1910
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Two inmates identified as Bebic (left) and Johnson (right) engaged in a boxing match at the London Prison Farm in London, Ohio, ca. 1949 - 1955. A note written on the back of the photograph indicates that Johnson won the match. Sports were an important part of the educational and recreational program at the London Prison Farm and their athletic teams were successful. Construction of the London Prison Farm began in the early 1920s. At that time, the institution was a branch unit of the Ohio Penitentiary. With completion in 1925 of its main building, the London Prison Farm was established as a separate correctional institution. It is now known as the London Correctional Institution. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL04480
Subjects: Sports; Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Prisoners; Prisons--Ohio
Places: London (Ohio); Madison County (Ohio)
 

Description: Dated April 28, 1934, this is a photograph of the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, Ohio, that shows prisoners lined up outside the prison. Construction for the limestone Ohio Penitentiary began in 1832. The dining hall at the prison could seat 1,700 men and there were 1,685 cells, the older cells measuring 3.5 feet x 7 feet and the new cells 5 feet x 8 feet. Located on Spring Street in downtown Columbus, the Columbus Penitentiary was open from 1834-1984. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SC763_003
Subjects: Ohio Penitentiary (Columbus, Ohio); Prisons--Ohio; Prisoners and prisons; Photography
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph showing prisoners in formation at the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, Ohio, ca. 1860. The Ohio Penitentiary opened on Spring Street in 1834, and continued to house prisoners until 1979. The state had built a small prison in Columbus in 1813, but as the state's population grew, the earlier facility was not unable to handle the volume of prisoners sentenced by the courts. The Ohio Penitentiary in the nineteenth century reflected the common belief that prison was more for punishment than for rehabilitation. Conditions within the prison were primitive. Prisoners first slept on straw mattresses, although eventually beds were built. Food was very simple, usually consisting of cornbread, beans, and bacon. Prisoners were required to work in one of the prison industries, which made everything from harnesses and shoes to barrels and brooms. This image comes from a collection assembled in March 1929 by the F. & R. Lazarus Company to mark its 78th anniversary. The photographs and materials assembled in a scrapbook represented the origins and growth of Columbus since 1803. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: P92_B01_F04_58
Subjects: Columbus (Ohio)--History--19th century; Ohio Penitentiary (Columbus, Ohio); Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Prisoners and prisons;
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: View of Johnson's Island, while the American Civil War was happening this island was considered an ideal place to house POWs. Anyone kept there would have a hard time getting away from the place without any help because of the remote nature of the island. Despite this, Johnson's Island was in an ideal place for supply lines to reach. The prison was built without having much trouble if any getting the necessary materials for, and food was shipped in without issue. Even for the prisoners, life on Johnson's Island was not so bad, they were fed and they were treated relatively well as the prison was specifically made to house men of military rank who most often had rich relatives who were willing and able to send them extra money. This is in contrast to the atrocious conditions experienced in other facilities. The island became a part of a daring attempt to create chaos for the Union and force the Union army to divide its ranks and defend Ohio against an unexpected Confederate campaign. The audacious plot was thought up by Charles Cole and John Yates Beall. Cole managed to use his influence to win over Union officials in Sandusky and had a small number of Confederate soldiers become a part of the Union Army. The plan was for Beall to commandeer a civilian ship along with a number of Confederate soldiers. The plan was to use this civilian boat to take control of the Union ship stationed on Lake Erie. To successfully take control of the ship, Cole would eat dinner with the Union officers who would be drugged before Beall took control of the Union ship. The plot was foiled when Cole was found out as a spy, while Beall's men decided to revolt against him. In the end, Cole was arrested and put away, and Beall sentenced to death for his role in the scheme. The U.S. had no need for the island after the war, and eventually the island would be settled and used by civilians. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06733
Subjects: Civil War--Prisoners and prisons; Civil War 1861-1865; Erie, Lake; Erie County (Ohio)
Places: Sandusky (Ohio); Erie County (Ohio); Ohio
 

Description: Thomas Davis was electrocuted December 15, 1911, for the murder of two Hungarians (one named Paul Hegyi) in a strip of woods north of Circleville in Pickaway County, Ohio. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL08091
Subjects: Ohio History--State and Local Government--Law; Capital punishment--Ohio; Death row; Prisoners and prisons
Places: Pickaway County (Ohio)
 

Description: Food on tables in the dining hall of the Ohio State Penitentiary. The Ohio State Penitentiary also known as the Ohio Penitentiary operated from 1834-1984 in downtown Columbus, Ohio. It was known for its poor conditions and at its peak in mid 1950s it housed more than 5000 prisoners. Some of its more famous inmates were General John H. Morgan, who famously escaped the prison during the Civil War, "Bugs" Moran, O. Henry, Chester Himes, and Sam Sheppard, whose story is said to have inspired the movie "The Fugitive." Until 1963 when death penalty was halted in the State of Ohio, it was a site of executions. In 1930 the prison experienced the deadliest prison fire in United States history as it killed 322 inmates and injured 150. For some time after the Ohio Penitentiary closed in 1984, the building was used as a training site by the Ohio National Guard and for Halloween festivities as "The Haunted Prison". It also served as the setting for the 1985 TV movie "Love on the Run.". The building was eventually sold by the state to the city of Columbus in 1995 and demolished in 1998. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL07751
Subjects: Ohio History--State and Local Government--Law; Columbus (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.; Columbus (Ohio)--History--19th century; Columbus (Ohio)--History--20th century; Historic buildings--Ohio--Columbus; Historic sites Ohio; Prisons--Ohio; Prisoners; Capital punishment--Ohio--History
Places: Columbus (Ohio)
 

Description: Exterior view of the Ohio State Penitentiary. The Ohio State Penitentiary also known as the Ohio Penitentiary operated from 1834-1984 in downtown Columbus, Ohio. It was known for its poor conditions and at its peak in mid 1950s it housed more than 5000 prisoners. Some of its more famous inmates were General John H. Morgan, who famously escaped the prison during the Civil War, "Bugs" Moran, O. Henry, Chester Himes, and Sam Sheppard, whose story is said to have inspired the movie "The Fugitive." Until 1963 when death penalty was halted in the State of Ohio, it was a site of executions. In 1930 the prison experienced the deadliest prison fire in United States history as it killed 322 inmates and injured 150. For some time after the Ohio Penitentiary closed in 1984, the building was used as a training site by the Ohio National Guard and for Halloween festivities as "The Haunted Prison". It also served as the setting for the 1985 TV movie "Love on the Run.". The building was eventually sold by the state to the city of Columbus in 1995 and demolished in 1998. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL07752
Subjects: Ohio History--State and Local Government; Columbus (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.; Columbus (Ohio)--History--19th century; Columbus (Ohio)--History--20th century; Historic buildings--Ohio--Columbus; Historic sites Ohio; Prisons--Ohio; Prisoners; Capital punishment--Ohio--History
Places: Columbus (Ohio)
 

Description: The hospital ward in the Ohio Penitentiary. The Ohio State Penitentiary also known as the Ohio Penitentiary operated from 1834-1984 in downtown Columbus, Ohio. It was known for its poor conditions and at its peak in mid 1950s it housed more than 5000 prisoners. Some of its more famous inmates were General John H. Morgan, who famously escaped the prison during the Civil War, "Bugs" Moran, O. Henry, Chester Himes, and Sam Sheppard, whose story is said to have inspired the movie "The Fugitive." Until 1963 when death penalty was halted in the State of Ohio, it was a site of executions. In 1930 the prison experienced the deadliest prison fire in United States history as it killed 322 inmates and injured 150. For some time after the Ohio Penitentiary closed in 1984, the building was used as a training site by the Ohio National Guard and for Halloween festivities as "The Haunted Prison". It also served as the setting for the 1985 TV movie "Love on the Run.". The building was eventually sold by the state to the city of Columbus in 1995 and demolished in 1998. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL07753
Subjects: Ohio History--State and Local Government--Law; Columbus (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.; Columbus (Ohio)--History--19th century; Columbus (Ohio)--History--20th century; Historic buildings--Ohio--Columbus; Historic sites Ohio; Prisons--Ohio; Prisoners; Capital punishment--Ohio--History
Places: Columbus (Ohio)
 

Description: The monument memorializing Camp Chase in Columbus, OH. The reason for Camp Chase being built was twofold, it was designated as a place for preparing enlisted men for war. In addition, Camp Chase served as a prison for various people who were either captured soldiers, or were confederate sympathizers. Camp Chase was no small prison either, estimates for the high point go as high as several thousand men kept in the camp in a cramped densely populated environment. The camp was by no means easy for those who were unfortunate to be captured and put in the prison. Infections spread quickly here in the rough cramped conditions, and it was not uncommon for large numbers of men to die from illness. Further complicating the entire situation was the inability of the Union to be able to consistently provide food to the inmates, supplies were scarce because of the war raging throughout the country. The structure shown in the picture was built to memorialize all those who had died in the camp. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06765
Subjects: Civil War--Prisoners and prisons; Civil War 1861-1865; Columbus (Ohio); Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery (Columbus, Ohio)
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio); Ohio
 

Description: James H. Snook, of Franklin County, was electrocuted February 28, 1930, for the murder of Theora K. Hix, at Columbus, Ohio. He was a white male, forty-nine years old and his occupation was a college professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine at The Ohio State University. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL08196
Subjects: Capital punishment--Ohio--History; Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Prisoners and prisons
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)