First State Prison

First State Prison is a Michigan historical marker in Jackson, Jackson County, dedicated 1958.

North end of Mechanic Street, Jackson

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This was the original site of Michigan’s first state prison, approved by the legislature in 1838. A temporary wooden prison, enclosed by a fence of tamarack poles, was built on sixty acres donated for that purpose here. In 1839 the first thirty-five prisoners were received. A permanent prison was built three years later. Beginning in the 1880s under Warden H. F. Hatch a greater emphasis was placed on the education and rehabilitation of prisoners. After 1934 the inmates were housed in the new prison north of Jackson.

TodayHistorical map

Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

Historical maps covering this location

1832 · Ohio Pocket Map (Mitchell, 1832) (Barry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1836 · Western States. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1845 · Ohio. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1850 · State Of Ohio (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1855 · A new map of the State of Ohio (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)

Western States, 1836, covering the location of First State Prison, with a pin at the marker's coordinates — Western States, 1836, covering this location. David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries. The pin is ours, placed from the marker's coordinates.

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Marker data: Michigan History Center
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