111 E.
Grand St. P.O. Box 191, Monticello, Iowa 52310
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In the News |
| Local
authors, prison employees write historical book about Anamosa
Penitentiary |
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Beginning Monday, March 8, copies of the book “Anamosa Penitentiary” will be on sale for $21.99 at local retailers, online bookstores or through the Arcadia Publishing company at www.arcadiapublishing.com or by calling 888-313-2665. Local authors, and prison employees, worked together to write a photographic history of the famous Anamosa historical prison. Richard Snavely and Steve Wendl together have put 63 years into the prison. Wendl is currently a counselor at the penitentiary, and Snavely retired from the prison as a psychologist. Wendl has set up a Web site (www.asphistory.com) that has become a large source of information and photos related to the history of the Anamosa prison. The Anamosa Penitentiary Museum opened in 2001 in a building adjacent to the prison. The Museum Association is made up of local citizens and current and retired prison employees. Both of the authors were instrumental in creating displays for the museum. They are still uncovering stories about the prison. “Anamosa Penitentiary” is a part of the Images of America series with over 200 historical images of the penitentiary. In 1868, with Iowa fast outgrowing its only prison in Fort Madison, state lawmakers began thinking about building a new penitentiary. Several cities vied for the prestige and economic benefits the new prison would provide. Anamosa, a rapidly growing town of 2,000, was ultimately awarded the prize. From Wild West bad man Polk Wells and boy-murderer Wesley Elkins to heinous mass murderer John Wayne Gacy, many have passed through Anamosa’s iron gates and, with the quietly dedicated men and women who managed them, have contributed to the rich tapestry of Anamosa prison history. A portion of the proceeds fro the sale of the books will go to support the Anamosa Penitentiary Museum. Some of the book’s highlights include: • the construction of the penitentiary, built almost entirely by the inmates it housed, including the quarrying of local stone used. • the prison’s long history, even housing female offenders and Iowa’s criminally insane for over 80 years. • the unique architecture of the beautiful, yet forbidden structure. Snavely and Wendl will have a book signing on Saturday, April 17, at 2 p.m. at Borders in Davenport. |
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