Heart Mountain War Relocation Center
Encyclopedia
The Heart Mountain Relocation Center, named after nearby Heart Mountain
, was one of ten internment camps
used to incarcerate Japanese Americans excluded from the West Coast during World War II
under the provisions of Executive Order 9066 signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
. The Heart Mountain Relocation Center was located in Park County between the towns of Cody
and Powell
in the northwestern corner of Wyoming
, 60 miles (96.6 km) east of Yellowstone National Park
and 45 miles (72.4 km) south of the Montana
state line.
The location for the center was selected because it was remote and yet convenient. The land was managed by the federal Bureau of Reclamation, which before the war had initiated a major irrigation project in the area and had already constructed canals, buildings, and some infrastructure. The site was adjacent to a railroad spur and depot where internees could be off-loaded and processed.
More than two thousand laborers, employed by the Harza Engineering Company of Chicago and the Hamilton Bridge Company of Kansas City, began work on the center in June 1942. The workers enclosed 740 acres (299.5 ha) of arid buffalo grass and sagebrush with a high barbed wire fence and nine guard towers. Within this perimeter, 650 military-style buildings were constructed under the direction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. These buildings, laid out in a street grid, included administrative, hospital, and support facilities and 468 residential dormitories to house the internees. All of the buildings were electrified, which at the time was a rarity in Wyoming. Thousands of acres of surrounding land were designated for agricultural purposes, as the center was expected for the most part to be self-sufficient. Internees also worked on irrigation projects. The center opened on August 11, 1942 when internees began arriving by train from the Pomona, California, Santa Anita, California, and Portland, Oregon assembly centers. By January 1, 1943, the camp reached its maximum population of 10,767 internees. This made the Heart Mountain Relocation Center, at the time, the third largest community in Wyoming. The center closed on November 10, 1945, when the last of the internees were allowed to return to their West Coast homes. After World War II, much of the land was tilled for irrigation agriculture. Most of the center's buildings were sold off to local residents or allowed to decay.
Nevertheless, the site of the Heart Mountain Relocation Center is thought to retain the highest integrity from among the ten internment centers constructed during World War II. The street grid and numerous foundations are visible. Four of the original buildings survive in place, although a number of others that were sold and moved after the war have been identified in surrounding counties and might one day be returned to their original locations. In early 2007, 124 acres (50.2 ha) of the center were listed as a National Historic Landmark. The federal Bureau of Reclamation owns 74 acres (29.9 ha) within the landmark boundary and currently administers the site. The remaining 50 acres (20.2 ha) have been purchased by the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation, a non-profit organization established in 1996 to memorialize the center's internees and to interpret the site's historical significance.
Internees in relocation centers were still subject to the draft, and this generated a backlash in the form of a resistance movement. The Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee was particularly active in this resistance, encouraging internees and other young Japanese American men to avoid military induction. Seven members of the committee were convicted for conspiracy against the Selective Service Act, and 85 internees were imprisoned for draft law violations.
Despite the opposition, 799 young Japanese American men, volunteers and draftees, from the center served in the American military. In late 1944, Heart Mountain internees erected an Honor Roll near the main gate that listed the names of all of its soldiers, eleven of whom were killed and 52 wounded in battle. This wooden tribute stood for five decades until the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation removed the deteriorating display for preservation. An accurate reproduction now stands where the original tribute was placed. The original Honor Roll is being conserved and restored.
Heart Mountain (Wyoming)
Heart Mountain is an 8,123-foot klippe just north of Cody in the U.S. state of Wyoming, sticking up from the floor of the Bighorn Basin...
, was one of ten internment camps
Japanese American internment
Japanese-American internment was the relocation and internment by the United States government in 1942 of approximately 110,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese who lived along the Pacific coast of the United States to camps called "War Relocation Camps," in the wake of Imperial Japan's attack on...
used to incarcerate Japanese Americans excluded from the West Coast during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
under the provisions of Executive Order 9066 signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
. The Heart Mountain Relocation Center was located in Park County between the towns of Cody
Cody, Wyoming
Cody is a city in Park County, Wyoming, United States. It is named after William Frederick Cody, primarily known as Buffalo Bill, from William Cody's part in the creation of the original town. The population was 9,520 at the 2010 census...
and Powell
Powell, Wyoming
Powell is a city in Park County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 5,373 at the 2000 census. Powell is an All-America City and home to Northwest College.-Geography:Powell is located at ....
in the northwestern corner of Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
, 60 miles (96.6 km) east of Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
and 45 miles (72.4 km) south of the Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
state line.
The location for the center was selected because it was remote and yet convenient. The land was managed by the federal Bureau of Reclamation, which before the war had initiated a major irrigation project in the area and had already constructed canals, buildings, and some infrastructure. The site was adjacent to a railroad spur and depot where internees could be off-loaded and processed.
More than two thousand laborers, employed by the Harza Engineering Company of Chicago and the Hamilton Bridge Company of Kansas City, began work on the center in June 1942. The workers enclosed 740 acres (299.5 ha) of arid buffalo grass and sagebrush with a high barbed wire fence and nine guard towers. Within this perimeter, 650 military-style buildings were constructed under the direction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. These buildings, laid out in a street grid, included administrative, hospital, and support facilities and 468 residential dormitories to house the internees. All of the buildings were electrified, which at the time was a rarity in Wyoming. Thousands of acres of surrounding land were designated for agricultural purposes, as the center was expected for the most part to be self-sufficient. Internees also worked on irrigation projects. The center opened on August 11, 1942 when internees began arriving by train from the Pomona, California, Santa Anita, California, and Portland, Oregon assembly centers. By January 1, 1943, the camp reached its maximum population of 10,767 internees. This made the Heart Mountain Relocation Center, at the time, the third largest community in Wyoming. The center closed on November 10, 1945, when the last of the internees were allowed to return to their West Coast homes. After World War II, much of the land was tilled for irrigation agriculture. Most of the center's buildings were sold off to local residents or allowed to decay.
Nevertheless, the site of the Heart Mountain Relocation Center is thought to retain the highest integrity from among the ten internment centers constructed during World War II. The street grid and numerous foundations are visible. Four of the original buildings survive in place, although a number of others that were sold and moved after the war have been identified in surrounding counties and might one day be returned to their original locations. In early 2007, 124 acres (50.2 ha) of the center were listed as a National Historic Landmark. The federal Bureau of Reclamation owns 74 acres (29.9 ha) within the landmark boundary and currently administers the site. The remaining 50 acres (20.2 ha) have been purchased by the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation, a non-profit organization established in 1996 to memorialize the center's internees and to interpret the site's historical significance.
Internees in relocation centers were still subject to the draft, and this generated a backlash in the form of a resistance movement. The Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee was particularly active in this resistance, encouraging internees and other young Japanese American men to avoid military induction. Seven members of the committee were convicted for conspiracy against the Selective Service Act, and 85 internees were imprisoned for draft law violations.
Despite the opposition, 799 young Japanese American men, volunteers and draftees, from the center served in the American military. In late 1944, Heart Mountain internees erected an Honor Roll near the main gate that listed the names of all of its soldiers, eleven of whom were killed and 52 wounded in battle. This wooden tribute stood for five decades until the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation removed the deteriorating display for preservation. An accurate reproduction now stands where the original tribute was placed. The original Honor Roll is being conserved and restored.
Heart Mountain Wyoming Interpretive Learning Center
The Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation opened the Heart Mountain Wyoming Interpretive Learning Center on August 20, 2011. The museum features photographs and artifacts of its prisoners, two replicated barracks, and exhibits about camp life and the impact of the incarceration. The centerpiece of the ILC is the Mineta/Simpson Friendship Hall, a theater/multipurpose area named in honor of former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta and retired U.S. Senator Alan Simpson, who met as Boy Scouts from opposite sides of the barbed wire fence surrounding the Heart Mountain compound. Their friendship has spanned more than six decades.Notable Heart Mountain internees
- Kathryn DoiKathryn Doi ToddKathryn Doi Todd is an Associate Justice of the California Second District Court of Appeal, Division Two, having been appointed to the post by Governor Gray Davis in 2000....
(born 1942), Associate Justice of the California Second District Court of Appeals. - Frank S. EmiFrank S. EmiFrank S. Emi was a leading figure of the Fair Play Committee, an ad hoc group who protested the drafting of Japanese Americans during World War II until they were given full citizenship rights.-Biography:...
(1916–2010), civil rights activist. - Sadamitsu "S. Neil" FujitaS. Neil FujitaSadamitsu "S. Neil" Fujita was an American graphic designer known for his innovative book cover and record album designs.-Background:...
(1921–2010), graphic designer who served in the 442nd Infantry Regiment. - Bill HosokawaBill HosokawaWilliam Kumpai Hosokawa was a Japanese American author and journalist who worked for 38 years at The Denver Post, before retiring as the editorial page editor from that particular paper in 1984. Hosokawa retired from the newspaper industry in 1992.Hosokawa was also a prolific author...
(1915–2007), authorAuthorAn author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and journalistJournalistA journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
. - George IshiyamaGeorge IshiyamaGeorge Ishiyama was a Japanese-American businessman who was president of Alaska Pulp Corporation in Sitka, Alaska between 1983 and 2003.-Biography:...
(1914–2003), businessman and former president of Alaska Pulp Corporation. Also interned at Topaz. - Kiyoshi KuromiyaKiyoshi KuromiyaKiyoshi Kuromiya was an author and civil and social justice advocate. He was born in a Japanese American internment camp on May 9, 1943 in Heart Mountain, Wyoming...
(1943–2000), an author and civil and social justice advocate. - Robert KuwaharaBob KuwaharaRokuro "Bob" Kuwahara was a Japanese-born American animator best known for his work with Walt Disney and Terrytoons between the 1930s and 1960s....
(1901–1964), animator. - Norman MinetaNorman MinetaNorman Yoshio Mineta, is a United States politician of the Democratic Party. Mineta most recently served in President George W. Bush's Cabinet as the United States Secretary of Transportation, the only Democratic Cabinet Secretary in the Bush administration...
(born 1931), United States Secretary of TransportationUnited States Secretary of TransportationThe United States Secretary of Transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation, a member of the President's Cabinet, and fourteenth in the Presidential line of succession. The post was created with the formation of the Department of Transportation on October 15, 1966,...
under George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and United States Secretary of CommerceUnited States Secretary of CommerceThe United States Secretary of Commerce is the head of the United States Department of Commerce concerned with business and industry; the Department states its mission to be "to foster, promote, and develop the foreign and domestic commerce"...
under Bill ClintonBill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. - Lane NakanoLane NakanoTsutomo Nakano , also known as Lane Nakano, was an American soldier turned actor.-World War II:During World War II, Nakano was interned at the Heart Mountain Relocation Center. While there, he volunteered for service in the U.S. Army...
(1925–2005), an American soldier turned actor - Nyogen SenzakiNyogen SenzakiNyogen Senzaki was a Rinzai Zen monk who was one of the 20th century's leading proponents of Zen Buddhism in the United States.-Early life:...
(1876–1958), a Rinzai Zen monk who was one of the 20th century's leading proponents of Zen Buddhism in the United States.
See also
- Japanese American internmentJapanese American internmentJapanese-American internment was the relocation and internment by the United States government in 1942 of approximately 110,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese who lived along the Pacific coast of the United States to camps called "War Relocation Camps," in the wake of Imperial Japan's attack on...
- ManzanarManzanarManzanar is most widely known as the site of one of ten camps where over 110,000 Japanese Americans were imprisoned during World War II. Located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada in California's Owens Valley between the towns of Lone Pine to the south and Independence to the north, it is...
War Relocation Center - Densho: The Japanese American Legacy ProjectDensho: The Japanese American Legacy Project' is an award-winning nonprofit organization based in Seattle, Washington, which collects video oral histories and documents regarding Japanese American internment in the United States during World War II...
External links
The National Park Service study on the relocation of Japanese Americans during World War II, "Confinement and Ethnicity," is out-of-print but can be consulted here for information on Heart Mountain and all ten relocation centers:- / Confinement and Ethnicity
- Heart Mountain Digital Preservation Project — History and photographs from the Hinckley Library, Northwest College, Powell, Wyoming.
- Fact sheet from the US National Park Service
- Casper Star Tribune article about the camp
- Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation
- http://library.bbhc.org/cdm4/results.php?CISOOP1=all&CISOBOX1=&CISOFIELD1=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOOP2=exact&CISOBOX2=Heart%20Mountain%20Relocation%20Center&CISOFIELD2=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOOP3=any&CISOBOX3=&CISOFIELD3=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOOP4=none&CISOBOX4=&CISOFIELD4=CISOSEARCHALL&CISOROOT=/JRS&t=aImages of Heart Mountain Relocation Center by Jack Richard, from Buffalo Bill Historical Center's McCracken Research Library]
- Guide to the Heart Mountain War Relocation Papers at the University of Montana Contains publications and other items produced at the Relocation Center
- Boy's Life December 1970 Scout troop 379 of Heart Mountain