The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1913-02-27
From The Shllpater Gazette.
CITUATED on a plateau over
looking the beautiful st. Croix

l.
CITUATED on a plateau over
looking the beautiful st. Croix
- river, two miles south of
Saltwater, reached from this city
by the electric railway of the Twin
City Rapid Transit Co., and the
Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and
Omaha railway, is the new state
prison, contracts for which are
practically completed. and the
buildings of which are in part oc-
cupied by inmates and in use for
manufacturing purposes.
SITE UNEXCELLED
The site selected for this modern
bastile is in many respects ideal. 1t |
overlooks Lake ST. Croix at suffi-
cient height to afford excellent
drainage and an ample stream of
the purest spring water that gushes
out from under the high hills to the
west, traverses beautiful meadow
for half mile or more, and is con-
fined and carried to the high water
tower inside the prison walls fur
nlshes a sufficient amount of that
necessary article, not only for do
mestic uses, but as well for protec-
ton from fire. Scattered through
out the yard are many fire hydrants,
with ample pressure, and a COM
plete system of automatic sprink-
lers has been installed so that the
danger from fire is reduced to the
minimum.
AMPLE GROUND
The ground purchased by the
state for prison purposes comprises
some 156 acres, chiefly the old
homestead of the late Joseph Perro,
of pleasant memory. The prison
Enclosure consists of % acres of
ground, surrounded by reinforced
concrete wall on three sides, the ad
ministration building and the two
wings of the great cellhouse COM
prising the east wall facing the st.
Croix.
Twenty-Five acres is some inclos-
ure, as Mr.. Olson, the contractor
and builder of the new prison will
testify, but it is not too much for
the proper disposition of the i'm
mense buildings that are and will
be erected therein and too in addition
give room for the movements of a
thousand or more persons in their
daily tasks.
Outside the prison wall to the
north is mall that runs the entire
length of the states property from
east to west and is three hundred
feet in width, in the nature of an
approach or setting for the entire
institution. When, in few years
this mall and the property of the
state east Of the administration
building, the latter overlooking the
st. Croix to the east, shall have
been graded, sodded, parked and
otherwise beautifed, one may imag.
inc what an attractive spot this viii
have bee come-referring of course
entirely, to outside the prison walls
Looking to the best interests o
the state as well as its wards, th'
board of control has, in addition t.
acquiring the acres spoken of, takel
an option on an additional l6O acre
of fine farm land to the south OF tn
Perro property, known as tn
O'Neal farm, and these acres to
gether with those first acquired Wi
be "farmed" and gardened," th
crops being used by the inmates G
the institution and if there be a
excess, shipments may be made
other institutions Of similar chal
acter throughout the state.
EXPENDITURE JUSTIFIED
The limits of newspaper artlcl
preclude the possibility Of an e.
tended description of the bnildlns
and the mass of machinery and ~
lures that are necessary to the con
pletion of this modern place of il
carceration and, let us hope, reforr
but IN everything that has bee
done in the erection of this splendi
piece of work particular care b