Alton Prison is a place of great historic significance, having stood witness to many important events over more than 150 years. Most notably, it played an important part in the Civil War. See the remaining sections of wall still standing and visit the nearby Confederate cemetery and war memorial. This is a wonderful spot to get a sense of both local and national history.
The structure was built in 1831, making it the oldest prison in Illinois. Stand on this site and imagine the prison as it would have looked when it was first built and its 24 cells were intact. It was initially seen as being advanced in the standard of living it provided for its inmates. Constant solitary confinement was the norm at the time, but this prison blazed a trail toward more humanitarian conditions by allowing its prisoners to interact. However, by 1860 it was shut down due to bad sanitation.
When it opened again during the Civil War, it was used to detain Confederate prisoners, with 11,745 prisoners passing through over the course of the war. Given the volume of prisoners, it is perhaps unsurprising that conditions were poor and disease was rife. In 1862, a disastrous smallpox epidemic killed hundreds of the men housed here. Cross the river from the prison’s ruins to find the Confederate memorial that lists the names of those who died in this outbreak. The memorial is located in the green space of the Lincoln Shields Recreation Area on the bank of the river.
Drive about 5 minutes north to find the Confederate cemetery, where many of the men listed on the memorial are buried. Here, too, is another memorial, overlooking the neat rows of white gravestones that make this grassy park so sombre.
Find Alton Prison’s ruins at the intersection of William Street and Broadway in the town of Alton. The ruins are free to visit. The impressive Mississippi River flows by close to the site, making this a scenic place as well as a historic one.
