Yamato Colony, California facts for kids
Yamato Colony, California was a special farming community in Livingston, California, United States. It was started by Japanese farmers. These farmers played a big part in creating the Livingston Farmers Association.
How the Yamato Colony Started
The Yamato Colony was created by a man named Kyutaro Abiko. He bought a large area of land, about 3,200 acres (13 square kilometers), in Livingston. He bought this land through his company, the American Land and Produce Company. Mr. Abiko then asked Japanese farmers from areas like Wakayama and Chiba to come and live there. Most of the farmers from Chiba eventually moved away from the colony.
Mr. Abiko sold the land to the farmers in smaller pieces, about 40 acres (16 hectares) each. Each acre cost $35. He also helped them get loans from a Japanese bank he worked with. These loans helped the farmers buy their land over five years. Mr. Abiko hoped the colony would be a "Japanese Christian utopian colony." This meant he wanted it to be a perfect place for Japanese Christians, free from problems he saw in Japan. Even though it wasn't openly advertised as a Christian place, most of the settlers did become Christian.
Growing the Community
The very first settler arrived in 1906. By 1908, the community had grown to 30 people. The first crops the settlers planted were peach trees and grape vines. One farmer planted eggplants, and they sold very well in San Francisco. After that, other settlers started growing vegetables too. They grew sweet potatoes, asparagus, tomatoes, and melons. These crops helped them earn money while they waited for their fruit trees and vines to grow big enough to produce.
The Japanese settlers worked hard to fit in with the people already living in Livingston. They focused only on farming and bought their supplies from local European-American shops. The new community faced some challenges, like strong winds and not enough water. The bank that Mr. Abiko had arranged to help the farmers ended up failing. This caused money problems for the colony.
Success and Changes
In 1910, the settlers started a food buying group to help each other. The colony really began to do well when the Livingston Cooperative Society was formed in 1914. This group helped the farmers sell their crops together. A building for packing fruits and vegetables was built in 1917, along with a Methodist church.
Later, in 1927, the marketing group split into two parts: the Livingston Fruit Growers Association and the Livingston Fruit Exchange. By 1940, there were about 69 Japanese families living in the Yamato Colony. They were farming more than 3,700 acres (1,500 hectares) of land.
After World War II
When World War II began, many Japanese Americans were sent to special camps. This was called internment. To protect their land, the people of Yamato Colony and two other colonies (Cressey and Cortez) formed a company. A European-American person was put in charge of this company to hold their property. Because of this smart plan, the Japanese residents of Yamato were able to get their land back after the war ended.
The two farming cooperatives joined back together in 1956. They became the Livingston Farmer's Association. The farmers in this group started planting almond trees instead of peaches and grapes. By 1976, most of the land owned by the association members was used for growing almonds. As of 2004, 57 out of 65 members of the association were Nisei. Nisei are people born in America whose parents were Japanese immigrants.
Today, most of the original Yamato Colony area is part of the city of Livingston. A school called Yamato Colony Elementary was opened in 1990. It is part of the Livingston Union School District.
