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Cypress
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7641
Registered: 3-12-2006
Location: on the bayou
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Mood: undecided
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Natalie Ann, Thanks for the photos.
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Natalie Ann
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2819
Registered: 8-22-2003
Location: Berkeley
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You're right, of course, Art. I remember that photo of the gate - at the time the shape of it rang a bell, although I did not realize the bell was
attached to the prison/museum. Amazing they took something so historically sweet and made it so.... well.... never mind. Is it still that, ahem,
lovely bright color as in the photo?
Nena
Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.
.....Oscar Wilde
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Paula
Super Nomad
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Location: Loreto
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Nena, when I was in Mulege a few weeks ago it was srill under construction, and still cement gray. I think the clor photo was a projection by an
imaginative poster. Could it have been Pompano?
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Natalie Ann
Ultra Nomad
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Registered: 8-22-2003
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Right, Paula, you are definitely right - it was Pompano and I fell for it. Good one! Now I'm going to try to imagine that arch becoming a beautiful
entrance to the city.
Nena
Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.
.....Oscar Wilde
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toneart
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4901
Registered: 7-23-2006
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Natalie Ann
You're right, of course, Art. I remember that photo of the gate - at the time the shape of it rang a bell, although I did not realize the bell was
attached to the prison/museum. Amazing they took something so historically sweet and made it so.... well.... never mind. Is it still that, ahem,
lovely bright color as in the photo?
Nena |
Well, they are working on it every day, sometimes digging up the street and diverting traffic. It is still bare cement....no paint. I think it is
going to be a giant public toilet. I told Mely that when completed, nobody will be allowed out of town.
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Natalie Ann
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2819
Registered: 8-22-2003
Location: Berkeley
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| Quote: | Originally posted by toneart
I told Mely that when completed, nobody will be allowed out of town.
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Fact is, when the prison was a prison the prisoners were held to an honor system, as someone mentioned earlier. They left during the day to go to
work, then voluntarily returned each evening. If I remember correctly, pretty much everyone returned. Odd... perhaps the food was real good.   
Nena
Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.
.....Oscar Wilde
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toneart
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4901
Registered: 7-23-2006
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They started painting it yesterday. Yellow and muted orange, so far. The street is still dirt and rutty. They dig it up over and over again. Parking
is greatly diminished. Good WPA program though.
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Sharksbaja
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5814
Registered: 9-7-2004
Location: Newport, Mulege B.C.S.
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I heard that many locals like it. Authentic Baja! They think...."if the gringoos don't like it it must be ok"...
Prisoners were only allowed to commit crimes during daylight hours. Much like it is today.
DON\'T SQUINT! Give yer eyes a break!
Try holding down [control] key and toggle the [+ and -] keys
Viva Mulege!
Nomads\' Sunsets
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lindsay
Nomad
Posts: 189
Registered: 9-9-2003
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Mulege Museum Information
I've enjoyed all the posts with this thread and I have been off the board for a while so what a nice surprise to open the forum today after several
months of being away and have a message from David about the Mulege museum/prison.
Thanks also to Natalie Ann for all her great photos. During my 2 years of working with local high school students who were in a volunteer guide
program at the museum, I had the privledge of learning about the prison's history and the community history as well.
So, I will post some more details soon because a lot of great history was documented for signage that you can read about when you visit the
museum....if you are in Mulege, it's a great place to learn a lot of interesting info about the prison and Mulege's natural and cultural history.
As for a few interesting tidbits on the prison's history for now, here are a few:
1) The prison's design is based on the Cananea Prison in Sonora. This Sonoran prison also has a connection to the events leading up to the Mexican
revolution and was a prison that housed striking miners in the town of Cananea. The street leading up to the museum is called "Calle Cananea" in
reference to the Sonoran prison
2) I will need to check on the beginning of the prison's construction but by most accounts, the prison opened in 1907 and local residents were
actually conscripted (no choice) to take part in the prison's construction. Oral histories from local residents that were collected for the museum's
exhibits described very harsh conditions for the laborers and the military commander who was in charge of the construction project was very strict. I
will check this commander name and military rank but I believe that it was Capitaine Alvarez....the name I'm almost 100% on because when the oral
histories were being collected, this man I believe was the great grandfather of one of my high school students...interesting connection.
3) As for the prison's history, there's a ton of great stories and info which I will try to write about more next week. Natalie Ann's photos capture
some of this history, such as the prison artwork...the Virgin of Guadalupe drawing was done by a female prisoner (one set of cells that is in a wing
of the building separated from the main section of cells was exclusively for female prisoners) and this artwork is the only color drawing in the
building. Throughout the cells, you can find various artwork, poems and what appears to be prisoners' tallying their days in the prison.
So, it's late in San Diego now and I have to call it a day now but I will try to add more information here this week or by next week. Many great
stories and I really enjoyed the Mulege elders sharing this history with us during our time at the museum with the students.
Best wishes to all nomads!! Hasta pronto!!
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David K
Honored Nomad
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Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Thank you Lindsay!!!
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güéribo
Nomad
Posts: 239
Registered: 10-17-2014
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This was a great old thread. Any new information on the history of the Mulege prison?
[Edited on 4-10-2015 by güéribo]
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BajaBlanca
Select Nomad
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Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
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great to see an old Lindsay post - before I ever came to Baja, she was my boss at the school I taught at in La Jolla, California.....and toneart and
I taught at the same school in downtown San Diego even before I went to work with Lindsay .....talk about a small world!
I remember how Lindsay often went to Mulege and she would tell us stories about the town and especially the prison BEFORE I ever met Les and moved
here.
We now have a new travel goal because I have never been to that prison!
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güéribo
Nomad
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It's worth seeing. Last time we met a very nice docent who told some cool stories. There's more history there than just the prison. They have some
odd and interesting items.
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güéribo
Nomad
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Registered: 10-17-2014
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Including this coin purse made from a bull's . . .
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StuckSucks
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Where in town is the prison/museum located?
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güéribo
Nomad
Posts: 239
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If you drive through the welcome arch into the town proper, you can see it up on the hill. It's a big white colonial-looking building.
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Osprey
Ultra Nomad
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Registered: 5-23-2004
Location: Baja Ca. Sur
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A couple of times I camped (just for the night) in the palm grove beneath the old prison. A loud but funky trumpet got me up so I assume the prison
was still open then and it was the call for prisoners to return from their homes where they had spent the night. I was a reckless young dude back then
and for those first not quite awake yet seconds I thought the call was for my return too.
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güéribo
Nomad
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Osprey, what year would that have been? Great story.
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Osprey
Ultra Nomad
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Registered: 5-23-2004
Location: Baja Ca. Sur
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Well, I had my old truck so It must have been after the highway opened --- 73, 74?
Just after the trumpet got me up I walked out on the rocky spit on the north side of the river near the lighthouse with a bar of soap and on the
inside (the river side) washed my face and hair. I didn't see the filament jellies that filled my hands which I pressed right against my forehead. For
the 8 days left of the trip it appeared that somebody had hit me across the face with a biker's chain.
[Edited on 4-10-2015 by Osprey]
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güéribo
Nomad
Posts: 239
Registered: 10-17-2014
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The prison closed in 1974, when the Territory of Baja California Sur became the State of BCS (and another prison was built). So perhaps you were
there in its final days.
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