Photo's: Historic United States Disciplinary Barracks (Ft. Leavenworth KS)Before and After

Fellow Freeper StarCMC allowing me to use her site to host these photo's | May 8, 2005 | self / Chele / Former Military Chick

[Former Military Chick]

Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary. There are several prison's in the greater Leavenworth area besides the military and federal penitentiary. - FMC

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This actually a distance photo, from a viewing deck, as you can see far away, again, this is the "Big House" the Federal Penitentiary. - FMC

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For the life of me I cannot remember the type of animal (type of live stock) that is in the photo. Buffalo?? But, they are actually as well known as the Prison (federal pen). - FMC

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Another view of the new military prison. - FMC

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Plaque by the entrance of the old cemetery. - FMC

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While I would not go out seeking this spot, those who were condemned many years ago, actually have a nice resting place. The weeping willow is magnificent. - FMC

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First stone I came upon. - FMC

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I am actually enclosing this one, because I like the angle and final result. - FMC

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Another angle of the USDB cemetery. - FMC - FMC

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The German headstones are all the way at the back of the cemetery. -FMC

When I originally posted this on FR and the Kodak Gallery site, I had been asked many times about the German grave marker's and the flowers and if I could find out what it is all about, as of this posting the following is what I have uncovered.<>

On August 25, 1945, seven U-boat POWs were executed at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas for the beating and hanging of another U-boat man--Werner Drechsler--at Papago Park POW camp in Arizona in March 1944. The U-boat men felt justified for their actions, as it was determined Drechsler had been working with American authorities to gain military information from other POWs.

On the back row, of the fourteen POW graves, the seven graves to the far right are the U-boat men's, from left to right...

Plastic bouquets and small faded flags were already in place at each headstone, indicating the local woman was still visiting this site quite regulalry.

A local German-American woman visits regularly by all accounts, and plastic flowers were still evident on many of the gavesites.

The other seven of the fourteen gravesites were German POWs executed for two separate deaths of another German POW, from left to right, with date of execution.

Walter Beyer, July 10, 1945
Berthold Seidel, July 10, 1945
Hans Demme, July 10, 1945
Hans Schomer, July 10, 1945
Willi Scholz, July 10, 1945
Erich Gauss, July 14, 1945
Rudolf Straub, July 14, 1945

***The first five (older sergeants in the Afrika Korps) were found guilty in the beating death of Johann Kunze at Camp Tonkawa in Oklahoma in November 1943. Kunze had been determined to have given the Americans information about secret installations in Hamburg, which would have been useful in Allied bombing raids.

***The last two (sergeants) were found guilty in the strangling death of Horst Guenther near Camp Gordon, Georgia in April 1944. Guenther had stood accused of warning American authorities of an ntended prisoner work stoppage and also that he liked jazz music, both indicating anti-German sentiments.

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German POW grave marker. - FMC

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German POW grave marker. - FMC

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I believe this is the last one to be buried at this site. -FMC

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The old "United States Disciplinary Barracks", it is currently being demolished but they were kind enough to give me access to photograph what is still standing. -FMC

Entrance. - FMC

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I cannot describe this in a way that convey's the depth they put this prison into the earth. It is deep, indeed. Any cell's down there, well, you would never break free. - FMC

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Watch towers. - FMC

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Other watch towers. - FMC

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I took this one because I thought it odd, to have just the top stoop with all the barb wire and not the rest of the stairwell. - FMC

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Directorate of Programs and Services. -FMC

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Medical and dental services - FMC

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Evidently they still do use this as a current job in the prison (embroidery). - FMC

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Where JAG was housed. - FMC

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Have to tell you I am not sure what the purpose of the sunroom at the back of the building was for. - FMC

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This is the first of 2 images, showing how vast the Prison was in it's day. - FMC

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This is the same image as above only I zoomed and you can see the watch towers. - FMC

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Installation and furniture repair and Parole and Classification - FMC

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Another entrance to the old prison - FMC

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The rocks you see to the left, along side the prison, is the actual rock that was used when the prison was first constructed, inmates putting it one on top of the other, real hard time for sure. - FMC

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This the other side of the above sun room photo, who knows what it was used for. - FMC

[Former Military Chick]

First I wanted to take time to thank StarCMC, my fellow Freeper was gracious enough to host the following photo's so that I may share them with the rest of you.

I have to say, Freepers are the best!

I had posted them a week ago, but, none of them came out unless perhaps you were able to go to the Kodak website and view my photo album.

I have enclosed a bit of info on the German POW grave marker's below the photo's of what I learned as it regarded who and what they did to be buried in the military cemetery.

If there is anything you would like to add, let me know.

[Former Military Chick]

I am PINGING the kind folks who gave the first thread a chance that ended up not being able to be viewed by many.

As I said StarCMC was kind enough to host the photo's and I did add some info when you get to the German Grave marker's again thank you for giving the first thread a chance.

[12B]

Interesting stuff. Thanks!

[SpaceBar]

Actually a very nice pictoral essay. A bit rough on the bandwidth, but nice. Thank you for sharing.

[Hank Rearden]

Sorry, but this simply must be done . . . .

[Former Military Chick]

Hey Friends, have to tell you I hope that you will be able to enjoy these photo's especially if you are a military history buff. The old prison really is amazing and the photo's I took will never EVER do it justice. But, I do hope you get an idea of what I saw, and what those who faced punishment in the military system faced once convicted.

Look forward to everyone's opinion good, bad or indifferent.

[Former Military Chick]

While I am not new to photography I am new to posting photo's on Free Republic. I certainly would not like to make it so difficult for folks to view if there are problems with bandwidth. Feel free to PM on how I might do it better when I post photo's in the future.

Glad you enjoyed the pictures. I found it very interesting, the old prison, the grave yard, the well sterile looking new prison, that I must add NEW prison. Which is really like a college campus. There is no HARD LABOR. Not like the stone by stone labor it took to build the first USDB.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

That's good for a chuckle. Truthfully, I don't think that kind of thing is taught in the public schools any longer. Makes the kids feel bad about themselves.

[bdfromlv]

The federal prison has 5 to 7 buffalo in its pen by the prison camp at any one time. The federal prison was built by the military prison inmates in 1897 brick by brick.

[digitalbrownshirt]

Fascinating pictures. I'll throw out a couple of guesses for you.

The barbed wire cage at the top of the staircase probably allowed people to smoke outside without being able to actually get away. It's cheaper to cage the top instead of the entire structure and it provides less areas for convicts to find weak spots.

The sun room is probably just some perk that the CO had installed. Bases have all sorts of stuff like that, I wouldn't think a military prison would be too much different. I had a CO in Korea that insisted everything he could see from his office window be color coordinated. Guess who got to do the painting? They can pretty much get anything they want when they get that flag on their car.:D

[Former Military Chick]

1827 - Colonel Henry Leavenworth chose site for new fort.

• 1875 - Fort chosen as the site for a military prison. Within a year, Ft. Leavenworth housed more than 300 prisoners in a remodeled supply depot building.

• 1894 - Secretary of War conceded to the House Appropriations Committee that War Department could do without the military prison.

• 1895 - Congress transferred the military prison from the War Department to the Department of Justice. (July 1)

• 1895 - July 1 - the Department of Justice took over the plant and inaugurated the United States Penitentiary. Commandant of the military prison, James V. Pope. Warden of the USP, James W. French.

• 1896 - House Judiciary Committee recommended that the facility be replaced.

• 1896 - June 10 - the Congress authorized a new federal penitentiary.

• 1897 - Spring (March) - Warden French marched prisoners every morning two and one-half miles from Ft. Leavenworth to the new site of the federal penitentiary. (Work went on for two and one-half decades).

• 1899 - July 1 - Robert W. McClaughry was appointed Leavenworth's 2nd Warden.

• 1901 - November 10 - Joseph Waldrupe was the first correctional officer to be killed (records dating back to 1901) in the line of duty at Leavenworth.

• 1903 - Enough space was under roof to permit the first 418 prisoners to move into the new federal penitentiary.

• 1904 - First Cell house completed

• 1906 - February 1, all prisoners had been transferred to the new facility, and the War Department appreciatively accepted the return of its prison.

• 1910 - May, the Attorney General approved construction of a separate cellblock for females on the penitentiary grounds - plan was later abandoned.

• 1913 - June, T. W. Morgan, editor of a newspaper in the small Kansas town of Ottawa, was appointed Leavenworth's 3rd Warden.

• 1919 - Construction of the cellblocks completed.

• 1926 - Construction of the shoe shops completed.

• 1928 - Construction of the brush and broom factory completed.

• 1930 - May - the Bureau of Prison's became a federal agency within the Department of Justice.

• 1930 - September 5 - Carl Panzram becomes the first to be executed (records dating back to 1927) by hanging at Leavenworth.

• 1934 - December 11 - President Franklin Roosevelt authorized the first federal prison industries as a public corporation.

• 1938 - August 12 - Robert Suhay and Glenn Applegate the first double execution (records dating back to 1927) by hanging at Leavenworth.

[texasflower]

Thanks for the repost. I saw all of them before, but had to do a "view image" separately.

This is much better. Interesting photos and thanks for taking the effort to post these again.

[Former Military Chick]

Hey friend, if it were not for you, I would not be able to share these photo's with our fellow Freepers.

I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I hope you will enjoy the finished project!

Again, a huge applause for your generosity!

[Former Military Chick]

PING

Howdy, Some may have a repeat PING, and I apologize for that, but I am attempting to share these photo's with my fellow Freepers.

I do love history. While I love military history, some installation's provide little when it comes to year's long ago.

So, Ft Leavenworth provided wonderful historic scenery to photograph. Some photo's speak for themselves. Other's I have done some research but only touching the surface.

Leavenworth, is rich in history. Beyond the United States Disciplinary Barracks, there are several prison's the most well known the Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary.

As I have said in the past, I hope you enjoy viewing Leavenworth through the lenses of my camera.

Should you want other's photo's or interested in something else let me know. I am always happy to assist a fellow Freeper!

[Former Military Chick]

PING TO COMMENT #14

[familyop]

Thanks for the great photos. It's grim topic matter, but it's good and necessary history. There are a few interesting historical sites around Ks. Have you ever been to or near Smoky Hill (AF/AG range), outside of Salina? I trained and trained others right next to it (Army reserve component--out of NBTC). We saw a castle-like structure about thirty miles from there, on another hill. I was told that it was an old Spanish fort. ...true?

[Former Military Chick]

I am not certain, but, will gladly look into that for you.

Yes, it is a grim subject matter but I to agree it is history and we should share this with our children.

I hope they learn it in school but if not, then perhaps one can review the thread with children and/or grandchildren and for you, enhancing this subject with your own reflections.

We are currently stationed at Ft Leavenworth, so I am learning as I go.

[Gucho]

Great gallery with interesting info - thank you.

[Happy2BMe]

I recall once sending a USAF O-3 to Leavenworth for trafficking in cocaine and marijuana. The interesting thing about him was that he was also a 'JAG' officer, as was his father (O-6) who tried his best to get him off. He was also charged with adultery with an NCO's wife.

(His 'JAG' officer status I'm sure went over very well inside the 'Big House.')

It was amazing how he fell down some stairs on his way to Leavenworht - seems he had been mouthing off a wee bit much or something like that.

I don't know if they still mandate it, but years ago to help 'keep things clean' inside the prison, prisoners were required to polish the bottoms of their shoes as well as the tops.

On a sad note, America now has the bleak distinction of housing more prisoners than any other country in the free world. And a large percentage of them are illegal aliens.

[Former Military Chick]

Glad you were able to view and enjoy them this time round.