Heart Mountain Relocation Center facts for kids

Heart Mountain Relocation Center
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
Heart Mountain historical marker and mountain behind.
Location	Park County, Wyoming, USA
Nearest city	Ralston, Wyoming
Built	1942
Architect	US Army Corps of Engineers; Hazra Engineering; Hamilton Br. Co.
NRHP reference No.	85003167
Quick facts for kids Significant dates
Added to NRHP	December 19, 1985
Designated NHL	September 20, 2006

The Heart Mountain War Relocation Center was a place where Japanese Americans were forced to live during World War II. It was named after nearby Heart Mountain in Wyoming. This camp was one of ten such sites in the United States.

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt issued an order. This order forced over 110,000 Japanese Americans to leave their homes on the West Coast. They were sent to these camps, even though many were American citizens.

Construction of Heart Mountain began in June 1942. The camp opened on August 11, 1942. Japanese Americans arrived by train from temporary "assembly centers." Over three years, nearly 14,000 Japanese Americans lived at Heart Mountain. At its busiest, it was the third-largest "town" in Wyoming. The camp closed on November 10, 1945.

Heart Mountain is well-known because many young men there challenged the draft. They felt it was unfair to be asked to fight for a country that had taken away their freedom. The Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee encouraged people to refuse military service. They wanted their families to be released from camp and their rights restored first. Heart Mountain had the highest rate of draft resistance among all the camps.

Later, the U.S. government apologized for these actions. In 1988 and 1992, laws were passed to say sorry. They also offered some money to those who had been held in the camps. Today, the Heart Mountain site is one of the best-preserved camps. You can still see the old street layout and building foundations.

The Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation runs the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center. It opened in 2011. This museum shares the story of what happened there. It has photos, items, and stories from people who lived in the camp.

Building the Camp

Before the War

The land where Heart Mountain was built was originally for a big irrigation project. This project was managed by the federal Bureau of Reclamation. In the late 1800s, William "Buffalo Bill" Cody bought a lot of land here. He planned to use water from the Shoshone River to grow crops.

Later, the U.S. government took over the project. In 1937, during the Great Depression, construction began on canals. These canals would bring water to the dry land. But work stopped when the United States entered World War II.

Executive Order 9066

After Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941, fear and prejudice grew. President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066. This order allowed military leaders to remove "any or all persons" from certain areas. The West Coast of the United States was declared an "Exclusion Zone."

Soon, over 110,000 Japanese Americans were forced to leave their homes. They were sent to temporary "assembly centers." These centers were often large public spaces like fairgrounds. They were used while permanent "relocation centers" like Heart Mountain were being built.

Heart Mountain, Wyoming. Looking west over the Heart Mountain Relocation Center with its sentry namesake, Heart Mountain, on the horizon.

Constructing Heart Mountain

On May 23, 1942, the government announced a new camp would be in Wyoming. Heart Mountain was chosen because it was far away from cities. But it was also close to fresh water and a railroad. This made it easy to bring people and supplies.

On June 1, 1942, the land was given to the War Relocation Authority. This group managed the camps. Over 2,000 workers began building on June 8. They were directed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Workers built a barbed wire fence around 740 acres of land. They also built nine guard towers. Inside, there were 650 military-style buildings. These included living barracks, a hospital, schools, and other facilities. There were 468 dormitories for the people forced to live there.

All the buildings had electricity, which was unusual for Wyoming at the time. But they were built very quickly and not very well. Workers were promised jobs "if you can drive a nail." Thousands of acres around the camp were set aside for farming. The camp was expected to grow most of its own food.

Life in the Camp

"Tubbie" Kunimatsu and Laverne Kurahara demonstrate some intricate jitterbug steps, during a school dance held in the high school gymnasium, November 1943.

The first people arrived at Heart Mountain on August 12, 1942. They came from places like Los Angeles and San Francisco. Each family was given a barracks unit. They tried to make their new "apartments" better. They hung bed sheets for privacy and stuffed rags into cracks to keep out dust and cold.

Each barracks had one light, a wood-burning stove, and a cot with two blankets per person. Bathrooms and laundry rooms were shared by many families. Meals were served in large dining halls. Armed military police watched the camp from nine guard towers.

Camp leaders were mostly European-American. But Japanese American block managers and council members were elected. They helped with some camp duties. People could work in the hospital, schools, or mess halls. There was also a garment factory and other shops. However, most workers earned very little money, only $12–$19 a month.

The home of the Hosokawas, with (left to right) Alice and Bill Hosokawa with their son Mike, Reports Officer Vaughn Mechau, Center Librarian Margaret Jensen, and High School Mathematics Teacher Julena Steinheider.

Children started school in barracks classrooms in October 1942. Books and supplies were limited. But going to school helped children feel more normal. By May 1943, a high school was built. It had classrooms, a gym, and a library. The high school football team, the Heart Mountain Eagles, even played against local teams.

Other activities helped people pass the time. There were sports, movies, religious services, and craft groups. Knitting, sewing, and woodcarving were popular. They also helped people improve their living spaces. Boy and Girl Scout programs were very popular among children. Heart Mountain had more scout troops than any other camp. Scouts went hiking, made crafts, and swam.

Challenging the Draft

In early 1943, camp officials gave out a "loyalty questionnaire." It had two difficult questions. Question 27 asked if men would serve in the armed forces. Question 28 asked people to give up loyalty to the Emperor of Japan. Many people were confused or offended by these questions. They felt it was a trick.

Kiyoshi Okamoto started the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee. This group protested the unfair treatment of Japanese American citizens. Frank Emi and others encouraged people not to answer the questions. They believed their rights should be restored first.

This document was included in the case of the U.S. vs. Kiyoshi Okamoto, et al. Okamoto and his co-defendants, members of the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee, were indicted for conspiring to assist other Heart Mountain residents in their challenge to War Relocation Authority policies and the Selective Service Act as it applied to camp inmates. This letter to local Selective Service boards in California was apparently prepared as a model for internees to use to protest their eligibility for the draft.

When draft orders came to Heart Mountain, the Fair Play Committee held meetings. They talked about how it was wrong to force people to live in camps. They encouraged others to refuse military service until they were free. On March 25, 1944, twelve men were arrested for not reporting for their draft physicals.

In July 1944, 63 Heart Mountain residents were put on trial. They were found guilty of avoiding the draft. In total, 300 draft resisters from eight camps were arrested. Most served time in federal prison. The seven leaders of the Fair Play Committee were also sent to prison. Heart Mountain had the highest rate of draft resistance.

Even with the resistance, about 650 Japanese American men from Heart Mountain joined the U.S. Army. They volunteered or were drafted into famous units like the 100th Infantry Battalion. Fifteen of these young men died in battle. Two, Joe Hayashi and James K. Okubo, received the Medal of Honor for their bravery. In late 1944, camp residents put up an Honor Roll. It listed the names of these soldiers. Today, a copy of this Honor Roll stands at the site.

The Camp Closes

In December 1944, President Roosevelt ended the order that forced Japanese Americans into camps. People could start returning to the West Coast in January 1945. Many had already left for work or college.

By June 1945, only 2,000 people had left Heart Mountain. About 7,000 still remained. Many Japanese Americans had lost their homes and farms. They had nothing to return to on the West Coast. Also, a Wyoming law from 1943 prevented them from buying land there. Another law stopped them from voting in Wyoming. These laws made it hard for them to stay. The last train of former residents left Heart Mountain on November 10, 1945.

Preserving the History

After Heart Mountain closed, most of the land and buildings were sold. Farmers and former soldiers bought them. They started new farms around the camp site. Today, only a few original buildings remain. These include parts of the hospital, a high school storage shed, and a root cellar. The Honor Roll memorial and a remodeled barracks also stand.

The Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation was started in 1996. This group works to preserve the site and remember what happened. They teach the public about the Japanese American incarceration. They also support research so future generations can learn from this experience.

The Foundation helped the site become a National Historic Landmark in 2007. On August 20, 2011, they opened the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center. The Center has exhibits with photos, items, and stories. It explores the camp experience, civil rights, and issues of fairness in America. Visitors can also take a walking tour of the site.

Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta and retired U.S. Senator Alan K. Simpson are honorary advisors to the Foundation. They met as Boy Scouts at Heart Mountain, on opposite sides of the fence. The Foundation also hosts an annual gathering at Heart Mountain.

Understanding the Words We Use

There has been a lot of discussion about the words used to describe Heart Mountain and other camps. Some call them "War Relocation Centers" or "relocation camps." Others use "internment camp" or "concentration camp."

Many scholars and activists believe "internment camp" is misleading. They say it makes the situation sound less serious than it was. Japanese Americans were not there for their protection. They were forced to live there and could not leave. They also performed labor without fair pay. Using words like "incarceration camp" or "concentration camp" helps show the true nature of what happened.

Notable People from Heart Mountain

• Hideo Date (1907–2005), a painter.
• Kathryn Doi (born 1942), a judge.
• Frank S. Emi (1916–2010), a leader of the Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee and civil rights activist.
• Sadamitsu "S. Neil" Fujita (1921–2010), a graphic designer who served in the 442nd Regimental Combat Team.
• Evelyn Nakano Glenn (born 1940), a professor and founding director of the Center for Race and Gender.
• Mary Matsuda Gruenewald (1925–2021), a writer of memoirs.
• Joe Hayashi (1920–1945), a soldier who received the Medal of Honor after he died in battle.
• Bill Hosokawa (1915–2007), an author and journalist who edited the camp newspaper.
• Momoko Iko (1940–2020), an American playwright.
• Estelle Ishigo (née Peck) (1899–1990), an American artist married to a Japanese American.
• George Igawa, leader of a jazz band formed by musicians in the camp.
• George Ishiyama (1914–2003), a businessman.
• Hikaru Iwasaki (1923–2016), an American photographer.
• Lincoln Kanai (1908—1982), a social worker and civil rights activist.
• Gyomay Kubose (1905–2000), a Buddhist teacher.
• Kiyoshi Kuromiya (1943–2000), an author and advocate for justice.
• Yosh Kuromiya (1923–2018), a Heart Mountain Fair Play Committee member who resisted the draft.
• Robert Kuwahara (1901–1964), an animator.
• Bill Manbo (1908–1992), an amateur photographer.
• Sam Mihara (born 1933), an American author and history educator.
• Norman Mineta (1931–2022), a former United States Secretary of Transportation and United States Secretary of Commerce.
• Lane Nakano (1925–2005), an American soldier who became an actor.
• Fusataro Nakaya (1886–1952), a medical doctor.
• Shigeki Oka (1878–1959), a newspaper publisher.
• Benji Okubo (1904–1975), an American painter and teacher.
• James K. Okubo (1920–1967), a soldier who received the Medal of Honor after he died in battle.
• Mary Oyama (1907–1994), a journalist and community organizer.
• Albert Saijo (1926–2011), a poet.
• Doris Ota Saito (born 1933), an illustrator.
• Nyogen Senzaki (1876–1958), a Buddhist monk.
• Louise Suski (1905–2003), the first woman editor-in-chief at Rafu Shimpo newspaper.
• Teiko Tomita (1896–1990), a tanka poet.
• Otto Yamaoka (1904–1967), an American actor and businessman.

Images for kids

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  Plan of the Heart Mountain Relocation Center, 1945