McNEIL ISLAND Federal Prison 47°12' 27" N 122° 40' 56" W Puget Sound, WA. |
The island was named in 1841 by Charles Wilkes during the US Exploring Expedition in honor of Capt. William Henry McNeill of the Hudson Bay Co. McNeill was at Fort Nisqually in 1841 and greeted Wilkes upon arrival in Puget Sound. (The spelling error of the Captain's name was never corrected for the spelling of the Island.)
Fugitive Buel H. Barclay Back to McNeil Island Federal Prison Original photo from the S.P.H.S.© |
1933-1935: Buel H. Barclay, one of the few men ever to have escaped from McNeil Island Federal Prison by swimming the cold waters of Puget Sound, in 1933. He was recaptured in Seattle in 1935 when he purchased a truck for use in his small crushed rock business. He had been living in Seattle under another name.
1938:
1942, November:
Q-86 Civilian and Army dignitaries participate in the ceremonies, McNeil Island Penitentiary, Puget Sound, WA. Click image to enlarge. Original photo from the archives of the S.P.H.S.© |
1984: The island was deeded to the State government.
2011, 1 April: The last remaining island prison in the country accessible only by air and sea was closed.
Around the time of the closing of the prison, the McNeil Island Historical Society was chartered for the purpose of educating the public about, and preserving the history of McNeil Island.
I started my career at McNeil island February 13,1977 and lived on the island until I was transferred in May 1979 when they began transferring us do to the prison closing loved it it was a great place to.work
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking time to read the Log and writing a snippet of your time on McNeil.
ReplyDeletesaltwater people