CRONKITE NEWS SERVICE
YUMA — In the Hollywood blockbuster "3:10 to Yuma," a down-on-his-luck rancher attempts to deliver an outlaw to the territorial prison here.
Officials at Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park hope buzz from the movie simply delivers people.
The film has boosted numbers in recent weeks, said Jesse Torres, the park's manager. But it remains to be seen whether it will do what movies based on the gunfight at OK Corral did for Tombstone in the 1990s.
"I believe it's already generating some tourism to Yuma prison," said Ellen Bilbrey, a spokeswoman for Arizona State Parks.
Bilbrey said people have come to the park asking whether Ben Wade, the villain portrayed Russell Crowe, was a prisoner here. They're disappointed; there was no such outlaw.
Marie Edwards of Milton, W.Va., said the movie, a remake of the 1957 western starring Glenn Ford, inspired her to visit Arizona during a trip with her husband, Kenneth.
"There was a lot of killing in the movie, but I really enjoyed Ben Wade," Edwards said. "This prison is so fascinating."
Matthew Lyson of Detroit was so interested that he pulled off the Interstate 8 on his way to California, saw the movie here and then visited the park.
"I love western movies," Lyson said. "I figured the best place to see the movie is in Yuma, but I still think the older version is better."
The park has averaged 59,000 visitors a year since 2002.
Tombstone, home of Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park, saw a boost in visitors after the release of the films "Tombstone" and "Wyatt Earp" in 1993 and 1994, Bilbrey said.
However, the visitor count at the Tombstone park dropped from 70,000 in 2002 to 51,000 in 2006.
Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park commemorates a place nicknamed "Hell Hole of the West" and "Devil's Island." Its rock and adobe cells held a total of 3,669 people from 1876 to 1909, including cutthroats, murderers, thieves and burglars. Some of its inmates were women.
"The state really wanted to keep criminal element away from society," Torres said. "Even the Indians were paid $50 to bring back convicts who escaped, dead or alive."
Back in 1875, the Territorial Legislature originally planned for a prison in Phoenix. But two Yuma lawmakers managed to get it moved here.
About a third of the original prison remains. Some cells contain the original bedding and dirt floors, and visitors can tour the infamous "Dark Cell," where inmates designated for punishment were stripped to their underwear and fed bread and water. A museum holds inmate profiles, mug shots, garments and other historic items.
The prison cemetery looks much like it did in its day, with unmarked graves covered with rocks.
"The prison is a legacy of Old West history, and it's very important to look at the past and understand what life was like back then," Torres said.
At least for now, "3:10 to Yuma" is getting more people like Dan Peresich of Golden Valley to pull off the highway and soak up that history.
"I've gone through Yuma many times before but never stopped by," Peresich said. "I finally did, and I really like this place."
