Camp Tulelake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Camp Tulelake |
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| Tule Lake, California | |
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| Coordinates | 41°58′08″N 121°34′05″W / 41.9688°N 121.5681°W |
| Type | Prisoner-of-war camp and Japanese American incarceration |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Condition | Restoration |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1933-1935 |
| Built by | Civilian Conservation Corps |
| In use | March 1943 - 25 April 1946 |
Camp Tulelake was a special government facility in Siskiyou County, California. It was about five miles west of Tulelake, California. The United States government first built it in 1935. This was during the Great Depression, a time when many people had no jobs.
The camp was part of a program called the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). This program helped young men get job training and work. They worked on projects like the Klamath Reclamation Project. This project helped manage water for farming.
Later, during World War II, Camp Tulelake changed. In 1942, the Tule Lake War Relocation Center was built nearby. This was one of ten camps where Japanese Americans were held. They were forced to leave their homes on the West Coast. About two-thirds of these 120,000 people were American citizens.
Camp Tulelake was renamed the Tule Lake Isolation Center. It was used to hold Japanese Americans who protested their unfair treatment. It also housed Italian and German prisoners of war (POWs). These POWs worked as farm laborers in the area. After the war, in 1946, the camp was given to the Fish and Wildlife Service. Today, some of the old buildings are being fixed up. They are part of the Tule Lake National Monument.
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How Camp Tulelake Started
Camp Tulelake was built in 1933. It was part of a plan called the New Deal by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. This plan created work programs to help people find jobs. Camp Tulelake was one of many camps built for the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).
The CCC program gave jobs and training to young, unmarried men. They were usually 17 to 23 years old and from families needing help. They could work for six months to two years. The camp had 23 buildings, including offices and homes. Most buildings were built by the young men themselves. Mexican-American stonemasons even built a long rock wall around the Refuge Headquarters.
Life in the CCC Camp
CCC workers earned $30 a month. Most of this money ($25) was sent home or saved. The program focused on manual labor. Workers helped conserve and develop natural resources on government lands. They built things like water control structures. For example, a CCC camp in Oregon dug irrigation ditches. This helped increase the Clear Lake reservoir's water capacity.
When the United States entered World War II, many CCC workers left to join the military. Because of this, Camp Tulelake closed in 1942.
Camp Tulelake During World War II
In February 1943, the CCC's Camp Tulelake became a special prison. It was called a War Relocation Authority (WRA) Isolation Center. It was about 10 miles from the main Tule Lake War Relocation Center. The main center was one of ten camps built in 1942. These camps held Japanese Americans who were forced from their homes.
Tule Lake Isolation Center
In March 1943, over 100 Japanese American men from the main Tule Lake camp were arrested. They were sent to the Isolation Center. These men had protested their unfair imprisonment. They had refused to answer "yes" to confusing questions on a "loyalty questionnaire." While held at the Isolation Center, they helped fix up the old buildings. They repaired pipes and electrical systems. After a few months, some were sent back to the main camp. Others were moved to different prisons.
In July 1943, the main Tule Lake camp became a "Segregation Center." This meant it was used to punish people who did not cooperate with the WRA. It also held those who actively resisted camp rules. Barbara Takei, whose mother was held at Tule Lake, said the camp showed "the government's abuse of power." This abuse was against people who spoke out against being held there.
The WRA also used the Isolation Center for another purpose. They brought in 243 Japanese American workers from other camps. These workers were used to harvest crops. This was because many Tule Lake prisoners refused to work. They wanted safer working conditions. The new workers were paid more. They stayed at the Isolation Center for their safety, away from angry protesters.
Since 1994, the Tule Lake Committee has held an annual "Tule Lake Pilgrimage." This is a trip to remember the past. The US government apologized for the injustices in 1988. They also paid money to those who were held in the camps. The Committee wants to protect the entire Tule Lake site. In 2008, both Camp Tulelake and the main camp became part of the Tule Lake National Monument.
Frank Tanabe's Story
One person held at the camp was Frank Tanabe. He later volunteered to serve in the US military. He joined a unit mostly made of Japanese Americans. He helped by questioning Japanese prisoners in India and China. When asked why he served the same army that imprisoned him, Tanabe said, "I wanted to do my part to prove that I was not an enemy alien... that we were true Americans."
In 2012, Frank Tanabe was 93 years old and very ill. He gained attention for having his daughter help him fill out his last election ballot. He was seen as a patriot. Tanabe passed away on October 24, 2012. His family did not say who he voted for.
Italian and German Prisoners of War
During World War II, many local farmers and workers joined the military. So, the Tulelake Growers Association asked the US government for help. They wanted prisoners of war (POWs) to help with the harvest. In May 1944, 150 Italian POWs were sent to the area.
The US officials then changed Camp Tulelake to hold more POWs. German POWs were moved there from another camp in Oregon. They added fences, barbed wire, guard towers, and searchlights.
In October 1944, the camp held 800 German POWs. These POWs could travel freely in the area. This was a freedom not given to the Japanese American citizens held in the nearby camps. The POWs helped plant, tend, and harvest onion and potato crops. They stayed and worked in the Tule Lake area until the camp closed in 1946. Some POWs wanted to stay in the area after the war. They tried to get land through a lottery, but none were successful.
Protecting the Historic Site
In 2012, officials wanted to build a new fence around the nearby Tulelake Municipal Airport. The fence would be 8 feet tall and 3 miles long. It was meant to keep animals off the runway. However, groups working to protect the Tule Lake War Relocation Center and Camp Tulelake opposed this fence.
The proposed fence would go around most of the old prison barracks. This would make it hard for visitors to see the site. It would also damage the historical importance of the camp. The "Stop the Fence at Tulelake Airport" group explained that a fence would prevent people from understanding the camp's size. It would also hide the history of "mass exclusion and racial hatred."
Opponents say the fence would especially affect former prisoners and their families. They visit the site often to remember their experiences. They want to walk through the large camp. This helps them imagine what life was like for those held there. They want to feel the distances people walked each day for meals, school, and laundry. They want to remember the past and mourn their losses.
Actor George Takei was held at the camp as a child with his family. He has spoken out against the fence. Takei said, "We must not permit this history to be erased... by destroying the integrity of the site." He believes it should be open for future generations to learn from.
Images for kids
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Camp Tulelake when it was a Civilian Conservation Corps camp.
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