Roy Best became warden at a time when the physical plant had been destroyed in the riot of 1929. While rebuilding the plant may have been an overwhelming task for a lessor man, Best had bigger ambitions for the growth of the prison from the beginning of his first term. His plan involved creating new industries, vocational training for prisoners, and major changes and improvements to the prison ranches. He may have found the guidelines for this plan in the "Report of the Governor's Special Committee to Investigate the State Penitentiary."

Best believed vocational training was a necessary element in reducing the problems of the prison system that had generated the riot of 1929. Governor William Adams appointed a "special committee" to investigate the riot of 1929 and its report also maintained that part of the cause of the riot was idleness among prisoners. The committee's recommendation for employing prisoners was to use prisoners to work on public roads, in agriculture, and industries that could be created within prison walls. The reasoning for full inmate employment as stated in the committee report was:

"There are two classes of prisoners (trustees and prisoners confined within the walls at all times) in the institution (Colorado State Pennitentiary), both of whom should be provided with work,

(c) to reimburse the state and the taxpayers to some extent for their maintenance."

In his first Biennial Report to the state legislature in 1932, Best asked for appropriations to accomplish his vocational objectives. "I believe that we should have two or three plants where men can be trained to do useful work so that they will be better fitted to cope with the problems of the outside world when they are released."

In 1948 an article published in the Caņon City Daily Record highlighted Best's career and identified the many industries he supported. They included a furniture and paint department, knitting mills, tailor shop, automobile plate factory, highway sign plant, soap and insecticide plant, rug factory, sheet metal shop, electrical shop, blacksmith shop, laundry, and canning plant. While some of these industries existed before Best's time, he improved upon past production and built new facilities for all of them. He even went as far as labeling products he was producing with his own name. Best Toilet Soap along with other Best products were well known in the area.

Best's vocational program included training for all prisoners who were willing and able to work. Prisoners were also given the opportunity to make items for the Curio Shop, which sold these items to visitors of the prison. Money made through the sale of these items was given back to the prisoner who made them. They could then spend this money in the prison canteen or on occasion for luxury items from sites outside the prison. The money the prisoners earned could also be saved for use at a fresh start upon their release from prison.

Best's industry row was the finest in the United States according to the Caņon City Daily Record. "It (industry row) is a model of its kind and penal authorities from all over the United States and Canada have come to Caņon City to make studies." Best's plan for the economic growth of industry row and its contributions enabling the prison to improve upon its financial self-sufficiency is evident throughout his Biennial Reports. No one can deny Best's impact in this arena and it was only surpassed by the phenomenal growth of the prison's ranches and gardens during his tenure.

Ranches and Gardens

Roy Best had a lifetime of ranching experience. During his tenure at the prison, he used this experience to increase the amount of ranch property owned by the prison and improve the economic output from these properties. Although he did not specifically identify his expectations for growth, this industry made obvious strides each year.

Ranch #1

Ranch #1, which was acquired by acting Warden John P. Allen on May 15, 1932, was located off of MacKenzie Avenue between Caņon City and Florence. Previous to it's acquisition in 1932, it had been leased by the state from several different owners. The state appropriated $25,000 as initial payment for the ranch in 1932.

When Best became warden in August, 1932 he followed through with plans to move the operations of the dairy herd and the turkey industry to Ranch #1. That same year both the dairy cows and turkeys were moved from their current locations near the prison to the newly acquired Ranch #1. This required the construction of a new road, cow barn, corrals, silos, and turkey brooder houses. A bunkhouse with dining facilities for the seventy-five prisoners in charge of the turkey herds and dairy production was built in 1932. All of these buildings were built from rock quarried on the premises or adobe brick made on site.

The dairy barn was considered to be one of the most sanitary and modern of its day. It was built of reinforced concrete with a four-ply asbestos roof. It included a high-pressure boiler and refrigeration system for the milk house. Attached to the barn were a one hundred fifty ton silo, numerous corrals, and various sheds. The corrals accommodated the treatment of sick animals, calving of cows, and weaning of calves.

Best developed an excellent turkey business on the ranch. In 1933 it consisted of over nine hundred and eighty bronze variety turkeys, and by 1936 it had grown to two thousand three hundred. Best was well known for giving turkeys away to individuals of influence during Christmas when he visited the capital. In fact when Best would arrive in Denver he would make a special effort to meet a specific number of secretaries and aids before his appointment with either the governor or legislators. Best would assure that each of these individuals had been given a turkey for their holiday season, and by the time he got to his appointment, he had all of the information he needed to insure a successful outcome.

Most of the food produced from the ranches went to feed the prison population. According to Best's reports, it was self-sufficient and actually began to show a profit by 1934.

Best had acquired a second mortgage on Ranch #1 to make many of the necessary improvements and there was a $23,000.00 payment due on this mortgage in 1936. He made repeated requests to the state legislature for money to pay off this mortgage, however, in 1940 the money still had not been appropriated. Best took matters into his own hands at this point and as indicated in his 1940 Biennial Report:

"In my last biennial I requested approximately $23,000.00 to pay off the mortgage on Ranch #1. This was not granted. However, an appropriation was allowed through transfer of funds from Industries to Land Purchase for the primary purpose of securing a hay ranch. We have endeavored to locate a suitable ranch, but our efforts have been unavailing. In view of this fact we asked for and received from the Executive Council permission to apply the necessary amount from the Land Purchase Fund to retire the indebtedness on Ranch No. 1, in the amount of $21,327.48, thereby effecting a very substantial savings to the State in the future interest payments.

Ranch #5

Ranch #5 was a property near the present day site of the Abbey. Warden Samuel Burris planted three thousand cherry trees on the property in 1927. Warden Crawford also began to make improvements on the property before the riot in 1929. His improvements included a bunkhouse and dining room. When Crawford made these improvements he saw the ranch as a viable investment and intended to make the $5,000.00 payment due to the owner at the time. This payment was not made due to the 1929 riot and no further action was taken on the property until 1932.

Best expressed his concern about the viability of this property as the ranch had not shown a profit in 1931 because of a spring frost, which severely affected the cherry crop. His Biennial Report to the legislature indicated that the state owed a total of $23,000 on the property. He recommended that the state pay the owner of the property the four years back interest due and either take care of the remainder of the debt due or return the property to the owner. He was apparently able to obtain a new contract with the owner that lowered the amount due to $18,000. The state appropriated $3,000.00 to put against this new balance. In 1934 the cherry crop was good but the price was very low and a light frost later in the year damaged 60% of the apple crop on the ranch. In spite of this situation the ranch still managed to make a profit and the state paid the remaining $15,000.00 owed on the ranch in 1936.

The clearing of the debt against the ranch allowed Best to make needed improvements in housing which provided for additional prisoners to work the ranch. This new housing provided for an additional thirty prisoners. The cherry and apple crop failures of 1935 and 1936 resulted in a decision by Best to change the focus of the ranch from fruit production to the raising of purebred sheep. He kept the numbers of sheep low as his primary purpose was the breeding of purebred stock. Best did however, continue to maintain the orchard during this time replacing many of the fruit trees.

Best's efforts doubled the profits made on the ranches between 1932 and 1940 that represents a substantial margin of profit for any business. Aside from the profit and the fact that the ranching industry helped to supplement the cost of feeding prisoners, the "cowboy" in Best took personal satisfaction in this success.

Report of the Governor's Special Committee to Investigate the State Penitentiary, December 4, 1929. Denver, Colorado.

Twenty-sixth Biennial Report of the Colorado Board of Corrections and Warden of the Colorado State Penitentiary, November 30, 1928. Denver: Bradford-Robinson PTG, C0., 1930.

Twenty-sixth Biennial Report of the Colorado Board of Corrections and Warden of the Colorado State Penitentiary, November 30, 1930. Denver: Bradford-Robinson PTG, C0., 1931.

Twenty-sixth Biennial Report of the Colorado Board of Corrections and Warden of the Colorado State Penitentiary, November 30, 1932. Denver: Bradford-Robinson PTG, C0., 1933.

Twenty-sixth Biennial Report of the Colorado Board of Corrections and Warden of the Colorado State Penitentiary, November 30, 1934. Denver: Bradford-Robinson PTG, C0., 1935.

Twenty-sixth Biennial Report of the Colorado Board of Corrections and Warden of the Colorado State Penitentiary, November 30, 1936. Denver: Bradford-Robinson PTG, C0., 1936.

"Roy Best Has Outstanding Record as Warden of Colorado's Prison." Caņon City Daily Record 2 July 1948.

LHC = Local History Center, Caņon City Public Library

MCP = Museum of Colorado Prisons, Caņon City, Colorado

1 MCP: Photograph of the calf pasture and dairy calves at Ranch #2, Watson Collection - Best Album.

2 LHC: Photograph of Warden Roy Best.

3 LHC: Photograph of the prison canning plant, Patterson Collection.

4 MCP: Photograph of the prison curio shop, Wilson Collection.

5 MCP: Photograph of the rimmer press and the embosser press, Booth Collection, June 29, 1934.

6 MCP: Photograph of the new dining room and bunkhouse at Ranch #1, Watson Collection - Best Album, June 7, 1933.

7 MCP: Photograph of the dairy barn at Ranch #1, Watson Collection - Best Album, November 4, 1932.

8 MCP: Photograph of the inside of the dairy barn at Ranch #1, Watson Collection - Best Album, March 8, 1934.

9 MCP: Photograph of the turkeys at Ranch #1, Watson Collection - Best Album, March 8, 1934.

10 MCP: Photograph of building construction at Ranch #1, Watson Collection - Best Album, March 8, 1934.

11 MCP: Photograph of fields and buildings at Ranch #5, Watson Collection - Best Album.

12 MCP: Photograph of the residence at Ranch #5, Watson Collection - Best Album.