Ohio Penitentiary Fire photograph   Save
Columbus Dispatch Photograph Collection
Description: Photograph taken during the Ohio Penitentiary Fire, showing rescuers carrying bodies, April 21, 1930. The fire killed 322 inmates, some of whom were stuck in their cells, and injured another 130. It was the worst disaster in American prison history. The prison, which was built in 1834, was notorious for having horrible conditions. At the time of the fire, the prison was at over twice its capacity. The origins of the fire have been debated, with some citing prisoners and others claiming an accident. Regardless of the origin, the fire prompted officials to address the overcrowding and establish the Ohio Parole Board in 1931. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL05668
Subjects: Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Fires; Ohio Penitentiary (Columbus, Ohio); Prisons--Ohio
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)