Beginning
in 1911, the warden at the Cambria County Jail was
required to submit an annual report to the Prison
Board. On the surface these reports may appear quite
routine but it is “in the details” that the story
behind the walls of the “Old Stone Jail” emerges.
The following notes were extracted from the
minutes of the Cambria County Prison Board,
Office of County Commissioners:
1910’s
v March
6, 1911
-
Warden Knee’s salary was set at $2,000/year;
Harry Griffith, Deputy Warden $100/month; Christ Good
the Day Watchman and Davy Davis the Night Watchman
both at $75/month. Jail Physician- Dr. Jones at
$250/year and T. Mason Richards- Dentist at $100/year.
v May
11, 1913
- Prisoners
are authorized by the Prison Board to work on the
Pittsburgh/Cresson Pike.
v Jan.
5, 1914
-
The Prison Board assigned the Warden to take up
the matter of prisoners working at the County Poor
Farm. .
v
Jan.
12, 1916
- Penn
Traffic Co. of Johnstown won the bid for 100
mattresses needed at the jail. The bid was $2.33 per
mattress.
v May
8, 1917 -
Penn Traffic Co. was the low bidder on a “car
load” of flour (205 barrels) at $13.75/per bbls. The
prison now bakes bread for the prisoners, the County
Home, the Children’s Home and the County Farm.
v Jan.
9, 1918 -
Warden Knee began an annual report which
included the population by race and sex, the cost of
maintaining prisoners per day ($.35) and meals ($.14)
and the number of teeth extracted by the dentist (36
in 1917). ninety-seven
inmates were considered “insane” and sent to state
institutions. $5,612 was collected in 1917 for keeping
Johnstown City prisoners and from fees collected from
“discharged prisoners”.
An experimental farming project was begun on
five acres of land at the County Farm. The market
value of the produce grown is estimated at $1,277.
Warden Knee commented on the project: “The outside
work has proven a success in every way.”
1920’s
v January
1921 -
The City of Johnstown’s prisoners’ fee for
1920 were $39,016.34.
v January
1922 -
Warden Knee appealed to the prison board for
relief in keeping “insane” prisoners. State
institutions were full causing a burden on local
jails. He recommended that Cambria County build an
institution for the “insane” and for “delinquent
and destitute children”.
v January
1929 -
$200 was approved for books and magazines.
Also, Warden Knee estimated the average prison stay is
37 days.
1930’s
v January
1932 -
Cambria County instituted a parole board. A
yearly budget for the jail was established at
$28,000.
v January
1933 -
Warden Knee
submitted an overview report from 1911, when the
prison board took management of the jail, until the
end of 1932.
v January
1937 -
There were two suicides reported at the jail
for this year.
In 1947 Warden Knee
retired and the annual reports became sporadic.
When reports were submitted they mostly dealt
with finances.
1950’s
- 1960’s
v January,
1957 -
The
warden, John B. McHugh, requested that the board
hire three cooks and three firemen from within
the prison population at a rate of $.50/per day.
v May,
1958 -
A prisoner was released and sent to California.
Warden McHugh was reimbursed $70.64 for the bus
ticket.
v January,
1960
- The
prison board opened bids for 55 loaves of bread per
day. The winning company was Harris Boyer, Johnstown
at $.15/loaf.
v April,
1962 -
Peter Bonfanti was hired as a guard at the rate
of $238/month. Florence Scotilla was hired as a matron
at the rate of $50/month.
The
Old Stone Jail Today
In the Spring of 1997, the overcrowded “Old Stone Jail” was
abandoned for a new facility on Manor Drive. An
ingenious plan to use the former cell block to house
the Cambria County Records and Archives was soon
developed. Presently, the “Old Stone Jail” is
leased by the Cambria County Historical Society.
This exhibit was developed through a local
history grant provided by the Pennsylvania Historical
and Museum Commission and with the co-operation of the
Cambria County Office of County Commissioners.
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