Boron Prison of the Past Traditional Cache
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Boron Prison of the Past
Located six miles north of Kramer Junction sits a former Federal Prison Camp. The boarded up prison facility is located on the site of the old Boron Air Station also known as the Boron Air Force Radar Facility. It was managed by nearby Edwards Air Force Base and consisted of several barracks and administration buildings spread out over a few hundred acres. The site holds a large radar dome at the peak of the hill. This facility served as a housing facility for nearby Edwards Air Force Base.
The Federal Government turned the property into a prison in 1978 later naming it Boron Prison. This prison was one of around 47 minimum-security federal prison camps in the country. The Boron Prison housed 540 male inmates. The facility had no walls, fences, bars, gun towers or guns. Guards were nattily attired in gray slacks, powder-blue shirts, maroon ties and navy blazers. Amenities included a swimming pool and two full-time recreation directors.
Some inmates, who were allowed to leave the prison unescorted, spent their days working in nearby communities, and their evenings, umpiring games for the local Little League. Inmates in the prison worked assembling parts for military vehicles and rebuilt forklifts for the army.
The prison closed in April 2000. Its inmates and workers were moved to the newly built prison in Adelanto, 40 miles south on Highway 395 near Victorville. The facility in Adelanto houses 1,152 male inmates and 256 female prisoners.
There were a couple of reasons that caused its closure, one was its water supply. The prison drew its water from Edwards Air Force Base, but had to augment that with water piped in from Boron about six to seven months a year which cost about $100,000 annually. The total water usage added at least $500,000 to the prison’s annual overhead cost. It cost about $8 million a year to run the prison.
The Second reason for its closure was the aging structures. Some of the buildings were built in the 1930’s and 1940’s. It was not fiscally wise to invest at this aging location.
The loss of the prison was a blow for Boron, which has watched its population drop from 5,000 residents before its closure in 2000 to about 3,000 today. The town had also been hit by defense cutbacks at the neighboring Edwards Air Force Base.
In February of 2010, a fire destroyed a wing of the former administration building. With water having to be trucked in, it took five fire fighting units, from across the High Desert, several hours to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading further.
The site still serves a purpose. The domed structure, at the hilltop, is still in use by the U.S. Air Force and the Federal Aviation Administration. Venturing past the sign is at your risk. It seems like many have gone in without any problem with just site seeing. What are we saying, do whatever you want to do... safely!..
The Replacement Cache has been upgraded to a 1.5-1.5 from a 1-1. The old location you can actually drive up to it, roll down the window, reach, grab, sign, and replace the cache without getting out of your vehicle. NOT ANYMORE!!!!!! Thanks for visiting!!!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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