- San Quentin Prison Museum San Quentin Museum Association Building #106, Dolores Way PO Box 205, San Quentin CA 94964 415/454-8808 R.A. Nelson, President California established a State Prison system in 1851 in response to increased criminal activity brought on by the sudden influx of men seeking their fortune in the gold fields. Originally a private enterprise, a temporary prison was set up on ...www.turnpike.net/~mystery/tmg/san_quentin.html