c0125 KUED Topaz (Utah) Residents Photograph Collection, 1987 A Register of the Collection at the Utah State Historical Society Utah State Historical Society 2007 Finding aid encode in EAD 1.0 by Craig Ringgenberg using XMetaL 1.0, 2007. Finding aid written in English.

The machine-readable finding aid for this collection was created by the

Collections Management staff, Utah State Historical Society. Utah State Historical Society 2007
Salt Lake City, Utah

Copyright 2007, Utah State Historical Society. All rights reserved. Reproduction, storage or transmittal of this work, or any part of it, in any form or by any means, for commercial purposes, is prohibited without prior authorization of the Utah State Historical Society. This work may be used for scholarly and other non-commercial use provided that the Utah State Historical Society is acknowledged as the creator and copyright holder.

Summary Description Utah State Historical Society Mss C 125 Ken Verdoia KUED Topaz (Utah) Residents Photograph Collection, 1987 3 lin. ft. (6 boxes) The collection contains photographs of the story of the Topaz internment camp near Delta during World War II. Topics: Japanese Americans--Evacuation and Relocation, 1942-1945--Photographs Japanese American Relocation Center (Topaz, Utah)--Photographs Topaz (Utah)--Photographs Millard County (Utah)--Photographs Places: Tanforan (California) Topaz (Utah) Millard County (Utah) Form or Genre: Photographs, negatives, Slides, VHS, DVDs of interviews. Background Background Note

Topaz was an internment camp located near Delta (Utah) during World War II.

Biographical Chronology Scope and Content

The collection contains photographs of the story of the Included are photographs of residents who were living in California and transported to Topaz, Utah. Destruction of property before and after the war, temporary relocation in Tanforan, the move to Topaz, life within the camp, camp closure and return to "homes" are documented in the collection. Ken Verdoia of KUED acquired the photographs for his documentary on Topaz and donated the collection to the Division of State History when he had completed his project.

Series Descriptions

Prints

Miscellaneous

VHS/DVD of Interviews

Negatives

 Administrative Information Preferred Citation:

KUED Topaz (Utah) Residents Photograph Collection, 1987, Utah State Historical Society.

Acquisition Information:

Gift of Ken Verdoia.

 Restrictions on Use

The KUED Topaz (Utah) Residents Photograph Collection is the physical property of the Utah Historical Society, Salt Lake City, Utah. Literary rights, including copyright, may belong to the authors or their heirs and assigns. Please contact the Historical Society for information regarding specific use of this collection.

Processing Information: Collection processed by Susan Whetstone, 2007 Finding aid compiled by Susan Whetstone, 2007 Finding aid edited by Linda Thatcher, 2007 Collection cataloged by Linda Thatcher, 2007. Finding aid encoded for the World Wide Web by Craig Ringgenberg, 2007. Related collections

The photographs in this collection were separated from Mss B 125.

 Container list Box Folder Contents Prints Pre-evacuation 1 1-1 Press in California played a big role in Japanese relocation 1 1-2 Older man waiting with grandchildren 1 1-3 Waiting to register in California 1 1-4 Registration (numbers ID them for the duration of the War) 1 1-5 Pharmacy closed in San Francisco 1 1-6 Auction in Los Angeles 1 1-7 "New Management" sign in California 1 1-8 Young Men’s club boarded up 1 1-9 "Japs Keep Out" sign in Barstow (California) 1 1-10 Shop for rent 1 1-11 "I Am an American" sign in store window 1 1-12 Buddhist Temple 1 1-13 Grill closed 1 1-14 Good-bye sign 1 1-16 Family with belongings in California/only what they could carry 1 1-19 Boarding bus to Tanforan Race Track 1 1-21 Waiting for train Tanforan (California) 1 2-1 Arrival by bus at Tanforan 1 2-3 Arrival by train at Tanforan 1 2-5 Arrival by train at Tanforan 1 2-6 Women covering faces on arrival at Tanforan 1 2-7 Man being processed at Tanforan 1 2-8 Family in horse stalls, mattresses 1 2-9 WWI veteran protesting 1 2-10 Medical exams 1 2-11 Workers wanted sign 1 2-12 Work party 1 2-13 Horse stalls became new "homes" at Tanforan 1 2-14 Open ditches at Tanforan 1 2-15 Muddy streets at Tanforan 1 2-16 Barracks at Tanforan 1 2-17 Solitary angry man 1 2-18 Armed soldiers at Tanforan 1 2-19 Guard tower at Tanforan 1 2-20 A family at "home" in Tanforan 1 2-21 Vegetable garden at Tanforan 1 2-22 Lines to vote 1 2-23 Lines to eat 1 2-24 Waiting lines 1 2-25 Wash out to dry 1 2-26 Pre-school (Uchida) 1 2-27 Pre-school (Uchida with class) 1 2-28 Pre-school, children leaving 1 2-29 Tanforan gate 1 2-31 Tanforan arrival by bus Utah Government 1 3-1/7 Senate investigation (unfounded) 1 3-8 Gov. Maw arrives at Topaz 1 3-9 Gov. Maw speaks 1 3-10 Gov. Maw signs autographs 1 3-11 Gov. Maw gesture of support for Japanese Topaz (Utah) 2 4-1 First train arrives in Delta (Utah), September 1942 2 4-2 Project director meets first train 2 4-3 Interior of train as Japanese-Americans unload 2 4-4 Japanese-Americans outside train on arrival 2 4-5 Mother and children upon arrival 2 4-6 Boarding buses on arrival in Delta (Utah) 2 4-7 Early arrivals greeted by brass band 2 4-8 Trucks with belongings 2 4-9 Families unload belongings 2 4-10 Bus arrives in Topaz (Utah) 2 4-11 Buses at Topaz (Utah) 2 4-12 Japanese-Americans on arrival at Topaz (Utah) 2 4-13 Japanese-Americans exit truck on arrival 2 4-14 Induction center at Topaz (Utah) 2 4-15 Dusty streets in Topaz (Utah) 2 4-16/17 Muddy streets in Topaz (Utah) 2 4-18 Mess hall line Early Camp Work 2 5-1 Topaz Desert, 17 miles northwest of Delta (Utah) 2 5-2 Car crosses desert 2 5-3 Men scout for agricultural land 2 5-4 Workers get instructions 2 5-5 Workers in sagebrush 2 5-6 Workers clear brush 2 5-7 Solo worker in brush 2 5-8 Three workers in brush 2 5-9 Men discussing water system 2 5-10 Engineering students laid out an irrigation system 2 5-11 Survey through scope for water system 2 5-12 Working on water main 2 5-13 Laying water pipe 2 5-14 Laying water pipe 2 5-15 Electrical light tower 2 5-16 Full irrigation in use 2 5-17 Moving dirt for farming 2 5-18 Working on farm lot 2 5-19 Tractor plowing field 2 5-20 Planting crops 2 5-21 Many helping to plant crops 2 5-22 Salvaging lumber (rear view) 2 5-23 Salvaging lumber (side view) 2 5-24 Sawing lumber 2 5-25 Moving wooden box (planting trees) 2 5-26 Putting up walls in barracks 2 5-27 Thriving farm lot (hog farm) 2 5-28 By 1943, "Harvest Festivals" became a regular event 2 5-29 Harvest festival vegetables 2 5-30 Harvest festival eggs 2 5-31 Farm lot--hogs 2 5-32 Farm lot--cattle Camp life/Youth 3 6-1 Singing national anthem 3 6-2 Flag ceremony at football game 3 6-3 Football game formation 3 6-4 Football game against Delta High 3 6-5 Touchdown 3 6-6 Boy Scout salute 3 6-7 Boy Scout award ceremony 3 6-8 Boy Scout flag ceremony 3 6-9 Christmas live nativity scene 3 6-10 Christian choir 3 6-11 Traditional music 3 6-12 Kabuki 3 6-13 Young children in class (one of first programs established) 3 6-14 Boy with globe in classroom 3 6-15 Boys sandlot football 3 6-16 High school graduation in1945 3 6-17 Graduation--students on stage receiving diplomas 3 6-18 Graduation--students in audience 3 6-19 High school student studies at home 3 6-20 Children saying the "Pledge of Allegiance" Panoramas 3 7-1 Dust storm 3 7-2 Military police compound in distance (white buildings) 3 7-3 General overview 3 7-5 Tarpaper barracks, cold in winter and hot in summer 3 7-7 Administration office in foreground 3 7-8 Barbed wire fence Camp Life 3 8-1 Ernst, Administrator 3 8-2 Ernst with photographs 3 8-3 Barnhart, Solicitor 3 8-4 Administrative staff 3 8-5 Staff party 3 8-6 Full administrative staff outdoors 3 8-7 Abe, legal counsel 3 8-8 Internal government council 3 8-9 Gym under construction 3 8-10 Hospital staff nurses 3 8-11 Tofu factory 3 8-12 Tofu factory workers 3 8-13 Administrative offices 3 8-14 Internal security staff 3 8-15 First workers released for beet harvest 3 8-16 Tent city for field workers (Provo, Utah) 3 8-17 Mother and child in tent city (Provo, Utah) 3 8-18 Topaz Times: at typewriters 3 8-19 Topaz Times: circulation 3 8-20 Topaz Times: press 3 8-21 Topaz Times: woman at press 3 8-22 Topaz Times: artist 3 8-23 Gardens outside barracks 3 8-24 Ornate garden/barracks 3 8-25 Golf 3 8-26 Crowd gathered in recreation hall 3 8-27 "Topaz Volunteers" 3 8-28 New Years, 1945 Military 4 9-1 Pres. Roosevelt lifted barrier so Japanese Americans could serve 4 9-2 Joining the army--Nisei units 4 9-3 Visit "home" to Topaz (Utah) 4 9-4 Two soldiers "home" 4 9-5 First inductees head for Fort Douglas (Utah) 4 9-6 USO at Topaz (Utah) 4 9-7 "Star flag"--Number in service from Topaz 4 9-8 Memorial service for President Roosevelt 4 9-9 Memorial service for President Roosevelt 4 9-10 Soldier’s funeral 4 9-11 Family of slain soldier at funeral 4 9-12 Grieving mothers with wreaths 4 9-13 Grieving mothers with American flags 4 9-14 Buddhist funeral Loyalty/Troublemakers 4 10-1 Young man 4 10-2 Loyalty tests 4 10-3 April, 1943, the government administered loyalty exams 4 10-4 Mug shot of a "disloyal" 4 10-6 Departees at bus 4 10-7 Departees at train station 4 10-8 Departees for Tule Lake (California) 4 10-9 Belongings being searched 4 10-10 Deportees in line in Seattle (Washington) to go to Japan 4 10-11 Deportees in Seattle (Washington) 4 10-12 Mitsuye Endo at typewriter 4 10-13 Mitsuye Endo with co-worker 4 10-14 Mitsuye Endo leaves Topaz, challenged governmentt. 4 10-15 James Wakasa funeral--facing crowd (wreaths) 4 10-16 James Wakasa funeral--side shot of crowd 4 10-17 James Wakasa funeral--facing crowd (piano) 4 10-18 James Wakasa funeral--wide shot facing stage Leaving Topaz 4 11-1 Students were allowed to return to college, 1943 4 11-2 Filled war production needs inland, not in California 4 11-3 Preparing to move inland for new jobs 4 11-4 On bus leaving Topaz--saying goodbye 4 11-5 Bus leaves Topaz (Utah) 4 11-6 Boarding train 4 11-7 Buddhist church packs up 4 11-8 One of the final busloads leaves Topaz (Utah) 4 11-9 One of the last trains leaves Delta (Utah) 4 11-10 Topaz camp workers prepare to leave 4 11-11 Camp director says final goodbye, 31 October 1945 4 11-12 Camp is closed and locked 4 11-13 Crowd says goodbye to departees Property/Vandalism 4 12-1 Farms/businesses not taken over fell into disrepair 4 12-2 Barn in disrepair 4 12-3 Farm buildings run down 4 12-4 Return to west cost, stored possessions ransacked 4 12-5 Inside abandoned farm house 4 12-6 Shuttered country store 4 12-7 Japanese warehouse in good condition 4 12-8 Japanese car and store vandalized 4 12-9 Millions of dollars in belongings were stolen or destroyed 4 12-10 Warehouse vandalism 4 12-11 Warehouse vandalism 4 12-12 Warehouse fire 4 12-13 Warehouse fire equipment 4 12-14 Desecrated cemetery 4 12-15 Broken headstones and anti-Japanese epithets Miscellaneous 4 1 Ken Verdoia reception for Topaz documentary 4 2 Postcards of Topaz from the Delta Museum 4 3 Miscellaneous negatives of the camp 4 4 Story board copies of the Topaz story VHS/DVD of Interviews 5 1 Beth Brown, Sam Nakaso, Albert Nickle 5 2 Mine Okubo, A. N. Ray, Mel Roper 5 3 Michi Kobi, Faith Terasawa 5 4 Tharol Larson, Edward Ennis, Governor Herbert Maw 5 5 Mary Kimura, E. Ishida, Cheryl Roper, Sherman Tolbert/wife 5 6 Venice Knight, Donald Nakahata, Eleanor & Emil Sekerak 5 7 George Kondo, Yoshiko Uchida 5 8 Dr. Amy Iwasaki Mass, David Tatsuno 5 9 Dr. Harry Kitano, Roger Walker 5 10 Arthur and Fumi Hayashi, Eldon Eliason Negatives 6 Negatives for photographs in Boxes 1-4