Sordid stories of Idaho inmates and present-day hauntings

Only minutes from downtown Boise lies the Old Idaho Territorial Penitentiary—a holding place for some of Idaho’s most notorious criminals and a final resting place for many a death-row convict awaiting the hands of justice. Surrounded by a high sandstone wall quarried by confined convicts, it served duty until 1973. Today, it is a haven and holding cell for alleged paranormal activity.

Because past inmates included infamous serial killers, legendary bank robbers and ruthless murderers, many believe that their ghosts remain earthbound—trapped within the walls of “Old Pen.”

As I pass through the Romanesque stone arch of the penitentiary, I am greeted by two young women, Kate and Ashley, wearing prison-guard shirts. Though their smiles are bright and wide, I nevertheless feel enveloped by an eerie, heavy presence.

They tell me that a 90-minute guided journey includes a solitary confinement stop (also known as “Siberia”), then proceeds to death row and finally to the gallows, where Ray Snowden was fitted with a noose in 1957—the last execution to take place at the State Penitentiary and the last hanging in Idaho.

Guests also can tour the women’s ward where Idaho’s “Black Widow” husband-killer was confined. Another stop is the beautiful but haunted rose garden, once lovingly maintained by convicts. A self-guided option also is available.

Territorial Prison to State Penitentiary

In 1870, a single cell-house was built to serve as a territorial prison in Idaho. By 1890, however, when Idaho gained statehood, the territorial prison became the state penitentiary.

The initial one-room soon proved to be inadequate for the growing inmate population, so prisoners were tasked over the years to build just about everything else that would restrict their freedom, including the maximum security building. (The second floor housed the gallows and trap door.) This was the last constructed building at the facility.

The local quarried sandstone—used extensively in the building of the prison—proved to be a poor insulator from the climate. Prisoners thus suffered greatly from oppressive heat in the summer and insufferable cold in the winter. Overcrowding and long stints in solitary confinement put many over the top. The intolerable living conditions resulted in several prison riots over the years.

Before the penitentiary finally closed its doors on December 3, 1973, more than 13,000 convicts—including 215 women—would call it home, and about 110 prisoners would die while behind bars. Of those deaths, 10 were from hanging—the choice of execution in those days. Shortly after it ceased operations, “Old Pen” was added to the National Registry of Historical Places.

Depraved Criminals & Prison Ghosts

The bars of Boise witnessed the dark depths of depravity, from bank robber Henry “Bub” Meeks of Butch Cassidy’s legendary Wild Bunch Gang to serial-killer Lyda Southard, the “Black Widow” accused of poisoning four husbands for insurance proceeds.

Meeks went insane and later died in an asylum, while Southard perfected her soup and apple pie recipe with arsenic boiled from flypaper. Harry Orchard, charged with assassinating a former Idaho governor, would serve 46 years in prison, the longest term at the Old Idaho Penitentiary. Offered parole in later years, he reportedly declined, opting to live out his remaining years behind bars.

Today, many claim that the Old Idaho State Penitentiary is haunted with ghosts of past prisoners. Some visitors claim to hear disembodied voices; others reportedly see apparitions and shadowy figures, or hear heavy footsteps on the catwalks when nobody is around. A few report being shoved or tapped on the shoulder by an unknown presence. Many claim that an overwhelming sense of sorrow surrounds those areas marked by extreme suffering and pain.

One thing is clear: the buildings and grounds host a potpourri of paranormal activity.

“In general people claim they ‘sense’ the most eerie feelings in Siberia (solitary confinement) and 5 House/Maximum Security [which houses Death Row and the Gallows],” says Amber Beierle, an interpretive specialist at the penitentiary. “Two docents have claimed to have locked the door to the Gallows only to come back some time later [to find it] wide open.

“No one can deny the heaviness of emotions the Old Idaho Penitentiary evokes,” Beierle adds. “For some this is easily explained by the years of suffering, death and destruction this unique site witnessed and [that] remains within its sandstone walls. Still, others claim to have real, tangible experiences with inmates and guards long gone from this place. Regardless of what you believe, the Old Idaho Penitentiary is a place that holds invaluable history and offers us a glimpse into a time and place that might otherwise be forgotten.”

Raymond Snowden may have been the last hanging in the gallows, but some say that his ghost still remains in the so-called 5 House. Having brutally stabbed his girlfriend and reputedly breaking her spinal cord intentionally as a last act of devilish dominance, Snowden never repented of his heinous crimes. Rather, he was fond of openly bragging of his dastardly deeds. Beware as he is said to frequent the gallows.

Then there is the specter of George Hamilton, who was convicted in 1895 of highway robbery. Subsequently sentenced to serve seven years at the State Penitentiary for his crime, Hamilton volunteered his talents to design and supervise the building of the prison dining hall. He was rewarded for his dedication by being granted a pardon three years later. Unfortunately, it was conditioned on the premise he leave Idaho. So heartsick was he, that he supposedly committed suicide in nearby Nampa.

Another place of pronounced paranormal encounters is the prison’s rose garden. This was the chosen site for six hangings before 5 House was built. According to Beierle, “Visitors have claimed to experience headaches and/or heard voices in the distance while walking through the Rose Garden.” Some even claim to have glimpsed the image of an inmate tending the delicate flowers.

If You Go

The Old Idaho State Penitentiary
(208) 334-2844
history.idaho.gov/oldpen.html

Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Memorial Day to Labor Day, from noon to 5 p.m. the rest of the year. Admission: $5, adults; $4 seniors; $3 children aged 6-12. Special rates for AAA members.

Karin Leperi is an award-winning writer and photographer who specializes in travel, adven­ture, nature and culture.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KARIN LEPERI