Take a Trip to Alcatraz Island - What Will You Know?
If you happen to be in San Francisco, then you can't miss Alcatraz Island, an isolated and notorious island in the San Francisco Bay. With its grim history and promising future, it is now one of the city's most critical landmarks and tourist destinations.
If you are really interested in the past of the island, you will learn that it is home to a discarded notorious prison, an early military fortification as well as the nation's oldest operating lighthouse on the west coast. It was used for military purpose during the Mexican-American War and then its function was changed from defense to detention, being used as a prison for the most notorious criminals, which brought a dark mystique to the island.
Among the big names detained here, you will find Robert Franklin Strond, "the Birdman of Alcatraz", George "Machine Gun" Kelly and Al Capone. The majority of them were sent here because of its isolation and solidity. However, many escaping attempts had been made in this so-called escape proof prison. Frank Morris, John Anglin and Clarence Anglin even successful escaped in 1962. This escape was the subject of a 1979 film "Escape from Alcatraz".
Maybe you already know that this penitentiary saw its final closure in 1963. It is General Robert Kennedy who brought an end to the infamous history of the island, but the infamy will accompany it for many years to come. Many reasons resulted in the closure of the prison, such as the high operating expense, pollution caused by the inmates, prison staff and their families as well as the erosion of the building by salt water.
Wandering along the island, you will be surprised to find that the place is dotted with Civil War period buildings and other historic sites. Besides, there are numerous species of faunas and floras here, some of which had believed to be extinct.