Thanksgiving Day at the Pen, with the electric pen
Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in many different ways, large family dinners, visits to local restaurants, community suppers, football parties, etc.
But time was when the most coveted Thanksgiving party invitation was to visit the Penitentiary. The year is 1877, and we’ve just been invited to dine at the palace on Collins Street.
The Illinois State Penitentiary on Collins Street in Joliet was an ever-present landmark in Will County. Its imposing limestone walls and turrets gave it an almost regal appearance. But inside, things were far from regal. Long hours working in the stone quarry, carving and cutting marble, cigar rolling, boot making or any other department inside was physically exhausting. It was thought that a tired prisoner was less likely to run, and probably there is some truth to that.
On special holidays, the prisoners were given a day off, fed a large and generous meal, and treated to lectures by local do-gooders on the evils of whatever crime they were there for. A select few prominent citizens were invited to dine with the warden and participate in the celebrations of the day.
We read in the December 7, 1877, Wilmington Advocate: “Thanksgiving Day was observed at the penitentiary last Thursday in the customary manner. The prisoners were given a rest, a good square meal, and interesting exercises were held in the chapel, to which, a limited number of guests from this city were invited.”
The invitations that were sent out were very special ones. They were produced by means of an electric pen, the early ancestor of the copy machine. The electric pen was sold as part of a complete duplicating outfit, which included the pen, a cast-iron holder with a wooden insert, a wet-cell battery on a cast-iron stand, and a cast-iron flatbed duplicating press with ink roller.
The editor of the Joliet Republican also received an invitation. From the Republican Dec. 5, 1877: “True to our prediction, a neat little paper, printed at the prison, by means of the electric pen and press, has appeared. It has an attractive heading, ‘Illinois State Penitentiary, 1877, Thanksgiving,’ around which is twined and intertwined innumerable Madeira, Mistletoe, and Wandering Jew vines.
“On one side appears a fat meek-looking goose, on the other a huge turkey gobbler with tail and wings spread, feathers raised, and strutting proudly, the veritable picture of vanity, egotism, and courage, as if wholly oblivious of the war to the death about to be waged against his haughty tribe to appease the Thanksgiving appetite of human bipeds.
“All this work is artistically executed with the electric pen. On the first page, Gov. Cullom’s Thanksgiving proclamation appears, and under this an invitation, by the Warden, to the Thanksgiving services held at the prison. On the second page is the programme of the services which is quite interesting.
“On the third page are two columns of ‘Pen Points,’ from which we extract the following items:1858 vs. 1877 The first prisoner was received in Joliet prison in the year 1858, nineteen years ago, since which time nearly 12,000 prisoners have been committed to the Illinois State Prison at Joliet.
“Convicts’ dinner will be prepared from the following: 1 ton of fricasseed chicken, 40 bushels of mashed potatoes, 30 bushels of apples, 2,400 lbs. of wheat rolls, 300 gallons of coffee, etc., etc.
“An ordinary meal requires 30 lbs. of butter, 1,700 lbs of beef, 1,300 lbs. of pork, 10 bushels of beans, 300 lbs. of hominy, 300 lbs. of rice, 10 bushels of peas, 24 bushels of potatoes, 2,800 lbs. of cabbage, 10 bbl. of kraut, 1,200 lbs. of bread, and 250 lbs. of coffee.
“Statistics: there are now in the prison forty-four life time men, one for 99 years, one for 64 years, two for 34 years each, two for 30 years each inclusive, thirteen for 25 years each, twenty-nine from 20 to 24 years each inclusive, thirteen from 16 to 20 years each, and four hundred and forty-five serving one year sentences.
“The largest number of prisoners on hand on any one day was on Nov. 26th, 1877, when the count stood as follows: Males, 1843; females, 22; total, 1865.
“This prison memorial was executed with the electric pen and press by S. W. Wetmore.”
Happy Thanksgiving, gentle readers.
Sandy Vasko is Director of the Will County Historical Museum & Research Center and President of the Will County Historical Society.
