In the 1880 the Texas state prison had an interesting problem, what to do with the convicts to sick, lame or old to work in the convict leasing farms. Prison officials figured they could make as much per convict with state run farms then lease farms. They did, $500.00 per convict verse $175.00 per convict lease annually. So good was the profit in 1877 Texas Legislators agreed to purchase more land for state run farms and one of the first purchases was outside of Gatesville. The surveyor reported back to Austin; it’s a most beautiful valley suitable for raising cotton and food crops and the town is eager to supply workers. August 30 1887 a story in the Dallas Morning News “Gatesville Triumph, Reformatory for vicious boys to open”. Right from the start the reform school was stigmatized with vicious boys who will provide free farm labor for the state and surrounding farms. A far cry from what the Victorian reformers had in mind.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gatesville_State_School
After 90 years of scandal the doors finely shut on Gatesville’s house of pain and the facility was turned over to the Texas Department of Corrections. Today TDCJ houses female offenders in our old schools and among the well known stories that are told; the spirits of the little boys who are still there.
http://www.tdcj.state.tx.us/mediasvc/connections/SeptOct2005/features3_v13no1.html
So common is the talk of the essence of former inmates of that place, the Little Boys, that while visiting a female offender, she turned to the guard walking by, and referred to me as one of the little boys. The look on the guards face and her response said it all. The guard responded, we all know how rough it was for you, it appears you are doing all right?” There I was, in the converted bunk room of dorm 10 at Mountain View, a living member of a legacy etched in the prison lore of Christina Crain Unit, a member of Gatesville’s Little Boys.
