Alcatraz Water Tower, Water tower at Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, United States.
The Alcatraz Water Tower is a concrete tower on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, built to store water for the prison complex. It still stands on the island today and can be seen from many points along the walking paths.
The tower was built between 1940 and 1941 by the Federal Bureau of Prisons to supply water to the penitentiary. After the prison closed in 1963, it was kept as part of the protected historic site.
During the Native American occupation from 1969 to 1971, protesters painted messages on the tower that are still visible today. These painted words remind visitors that the island was also a place of protest, not only a prison.
The tower cannot be entered but is easy to see and photograph from the island's walking paths. The terrain on the island is hilly, so comfortable footwear makes the visit more manageable.
The island had no natural freshwater source, so water had to be brought over by boat from San Francisco twice a week to fill the tower. This made the water supply one of the most demanding logistical tasks of the entire prison operation.
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