~ The Tropical Island Prison Older Than Alcatraz~

[Heathcliff]

The Dry Tortugas, a small group of islands about 70 miles off the coast of Key West, Fla., were purchased by the United States from Spain in the early 1800s.

The area is one of the smallest and most remote National Parks and it protects the reefs, islands and sea life and historic shipwrecks.



It is also the home of Fort Jefferson, built as a strategically placed military fort to combat piracy in the Caribbean.

Interruption from the Civil War and supply issues prevented completion of the fort. In 1935, Franklin D. Roosevelt declared Fort Jefferson a national monument and it became a part of Dry Tortugas National Park in 1992.



Fort Jefferson's most famous inmate, Dr. Samuel Mudd, was infamously known for his involvement in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln, who was shot by John Wilkes Booth.

During the assassination, Booth broke his leg and sought the help of Mudd and stayed at his residence until the next day.

Mudd was later arrested for conspiracy and for harboring Booth. He was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment at Fort Jefferson.

Mudd was later pardoned by President Andrew Johnson.



Photographer Steve Rich shot Fort Jefferson from a private plane -- you can see the tip of the plane wing on the left.

"Access to the island can only be done by seaplane or by boat," Rich said. "We saw sharks, stingrays, and shipwrecks." Three-hundred species of birds, 30 species of coral, nurse sharks, and the occasional crocodile can also been seen in the park.

. . . credits to the source

[naruto789544]

wow... this is a cool place to go to... it's a real vacation haven...

[Prime™]

Fascinating. For some reason, I'm drawn to such places.

I remember when I visited Bermuda, there was this old building (clock tower) that they have converted into a shopping mall. The way they made it wasn't cheesy at all. I really appreciated the old architecture and for them to use it as such, I thought it was a great idea and made sense. Maganda padin pagkagawa just with a little twist of our modern sensibilities.

Heck even our own Fort Santiago is very fascinating and impressive. Nagagandahan ako even though most of these old forts had a dark history, I couldn't deny its allure.

Catch your like Schy

[Heathcliff]

. . . ganun naman yata talaga, the most beautiful places have the most obscene and dark historical past. They were greately remembered and famous for what had transpired on that place...but in modern times, kung ganyan ang prison camp...aba okay! ...naka bartolina ka nga..pero luxury paradise naman..

thanks for taking time to comment and  for passin by Sir Prime and Naruto..