The opening of the McNeil Island prison is set in the context of the geographic characteristics of Puget Sound and the history of the Territory, including the dramatic controversies and confrontations as pioneers and developers brought steamboats, the telegraph, and the railroads, expelled the Chinese from the region; and fought the early political battles to build State government and its institutions. This history portrays the people who picked the prison site, built the prison, nurtured it through its early years, and brought it to a model of excellence for its time. Patterns and changes in daily prison life are recounted, and the strengths and weaknesses of the wardens are portrayed. Some of the more notorious inmates housed at McNeil Island are mentioned, including Alvin Karpis, Robert Strouse, Mickey Cohen, and Charles Manson (before he gained notoriety from the California killings). The prison survived repeated proposals for its closing; the author suggests that it was headed by some wardens of vision who endeavored to promote a humane and rehabilitative quality of life. The closing of the prison as a Federal institution is attributed largely to the Federal Bureau of Prisons' commitment to housing inmates in smaller facilities. Other factors were the high cost of operations and maintenance (daily operations depended on a marine fleet) and the need to replace basic facility systems. It more was costly to build a new facility than to remodel and renovate the old. The appendixes include a chronological outline of major events in the prison's history; chapter notes and a subject index are provided.