Alton in Madison County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Ruins of First State Prison in Illinois

Ruins of the First State Prison in Illinois Marker image. Click for full size.

By Michael Manning, March 11, 2006

1. Ruins of the First State Prison in Illinois Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

Ruins of first state prison in Illinois. Built in 1830-31. Unsanitary conditions aroused persistent criticism from Dorothea Dix, pioneer in prison reform. All inmates were transferred to Joliet prior to 1860. During the Civil War many Confederate prisoners were incarcerated here and deaths averaged six to ten a day.

Erected by Illinois State Historical Society.

Marker series. This marker is included in the Illinois State Historical Society marker series.

Location. 38° 53.479′ N, 90° 11.371′ W. Marker is in Alton, Illinois, in Madison County. Marker is on William Street north of West Broadway (Route 100), on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 217 William Street, Alton IL 62002, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Lincoln-Douglas Debates! (approx. ¼ mile away); Discover History All Around Alton (approx. ¼ mile away); First Soybeans Planted in Illinois, 1851 (approx. ¼ mile away); Ryder Building

Ruins of the First State Prison in Illinois image. Click for full size.

By Michael Manning

2. Ruins of the First State Prison in Illinois

(approx. 0.3 miles away); The Duel That Never Happened (approx. half a mile away); Smallpox Island (approx. half a mile away); A Changing Waterfront (approx. half a mile away); Great River Floods (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Alton.

Categories. • War, US Civil •

By Michael Manning, March 11, 2006

3. Ruins of the First State Prison in Illinois

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Credits. This page was last revised on April 2, 2017. This page originally submitted on August 24, 2014, by Michael Manning of Woodlawn, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 579 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 24, 2014, by Michael Manning of Woodlawn, Tennessee. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.