There are times in life that some people need to be reminded to act with respect and oblige their neighbors. To be polite and obey the rules of the land. For the most part people pass along this road we call life and live up to the expectations of others because most people are basically good people. For the people traveling another road there is a need to contain behavior that is not socially acceptable. This is why the city of Concord built a jail as soon as our ancestors became established.
The early incarcerations within our community were for the most part limited to minor scuffles with the local constables. There was a City Marshall located on Main Street and he did have a jail cell to hold any person that might come into question, most visitors to the old Concord jail were charged with intoxication or fighting and spent limited time behind bars. The Concord Marshall eventually hired two Deputies to enforce the law in our community. The first three Marshals and their Main Street jail were the extent of the law.
It was on March 10th, 1853 that the Concord city charter officially created the Concord Police Department. With the establishment of the Concord Police Department there were officers hired to enforce the law. With a more rigid law enforcement within the city we find more people being arrested and consequently more people being sent to prison.
The Main Street jail used by the Marshals was soon replaced by a small prison near Concord High School. With increased use the need to construct a larger prison was discussed and approved with a location between our present-day Beacon and Tremont Streets. This prison was constructed in 1812 but only one man was found to occupy the new prison in 1812 for a period exceeding several months. As time passed the population of convicts developed further with law enforcement. By the year 1831 there were 82 prisoners incarcerated at the 1812 prison and the inmates were forced to sleep in the halls and the infirmary. The prison was overpopulated and the state decided to add a building addition to the north side to accommodate the increased demand for space.
As the years continued, we find the New Hampshire State Prison between Beacon and Tremont Streets to be used routinely. In some cases, the need arose to incarcerate a woman or two with a segregated area enforced. There was one woman in particular that was sentenced to prison, the problem being the fact that she was the mother to a little six-month-old girl. Her sentence was strictly enforced and she was to spend the next several years at the old prison, bringing her little girl along with her. The baby girl was just six months old and spent the next five years of her young and innocent life with her incarcerated mother. The child was loved by both the inmates and guards and ran innocently down the corridors both inside and outside of the prison. The little girl remained both loved and content until her mother was released from prison, perhaps the only young child ever to spend time incarcerated at the New Hampshire State Prison.
Another unique episode involved the prisoner Josiah Pike. Mr. Pike was incarcerated and sentenced to death for his crimes. His execution was scheduled for the year 1869 and people did feel somewhat uncomfortable spending time around Josiah Pike. His demeaner was very positive and he made friends quite easily. As his time was spent in the New Hampshire State Prison there was a certain amount of leniency provided by the guards surrounding Mr. Pike. It has been said that life in prison was a bed of roses for this condemned man, for his last year was spent quite eloquently for a prisoner. He was allowed to have woman visit with him within his cell where he prayed along with them. This prisoner with a touch of celebrity attracted many women to his prison cell and he would sing along with them and clap his hands. The young woman would then pat his cheeks with their soft fingers entwined in his hair. The ladies brought fine food and confections to the cell and fed him these delicacies. Mr. Josiah Pike, a convicted killer, was allowed these pleasures the last year of his life and made every effort to embarrass the state for his incarceration. Some of the young ladies infatuated with the notorious Josiah Pike felt he died a martyr, for with his death there were local ministers, wives, daughters and friends that mourned his loss after his execution by the state of New Hampshire.
The new prison was built in 1878 and remains to this day on North State Street in Concord. The days of incarceration in black and white striped suits, ordered to only look downward at the floor and placed alone in a solitary cell were coming to an end. With the public more educated and the science of psychology becoming more relevant the treatment of prisoners changed. The W. F. Whitney Company set up shop at the new State Prion and provided all of the training, tools and materials for the prisoners to manufacture wooden chairs, which were sold at a profit by the W. F. Whitney Company. The prisoners warmed to the idea of working to manufacture chairs when the company offered them compensation based upon their output. The prisoners learned about incentives and became very motivated to output more completed chairs each week. Some prisoners in the late 1800s made as much as $30 per month producing chairs at the New Hampshire State Prison.
The opportunity to earn revenue while incarcerated also allowed the inmates to learn a skill, so rehabilitation was also thought of very highly. The prisoners used their money to purchase tobacco, chewing gum, and books to relax. One prisoner purchased a complete set of law books and studied diligently to become a lawyer upon his release. There was recreation and a chance to play baseball in the prison yard and a local musician visited the prison several times each week to teach the prisoners how to play musical instruments. Soon concerts were held for the public with both the prison band and the band of prisoners performing. The warden allowed his thoughts on rehabilitation to progress even further when a young mongrel puppy was brought to the guard house. The puppy had been injured when it was struck by a vehicle and the stranger sought medical assistance to save the innocent animal. Both the guards and the inmates provided the medical care, love and attention for the puppy.
As the injured dog was returned to good health the warden allowed the dog to spend the rest of his years as a fellow inmate at the New Hampshire State Prison on North State Street. From a young baby to a life long loyal companion, the solid brick and granite walls of the New Hampshire State Prison have housed both those in need of rehabilitation as well as some very interesting stories since the earliest days of law enforcement in Concord.