National Park Service Confinement and Ethnicity An Overview of World War II Japanese American Relocation Sites

The Gila River Relocation Center was located about 50 miles south of Phoenix and 9 miles west of Sacaton in Pinal County, Arizona. The site is on the Gila River Indian Reservation, and access to the site today is restricted. The post office designation for the center was Rivers, named after Jim Rivers, the first Pima Indian killed in action during World War I. The relocation center included two separate camps located 3-1/2 miles apart, Canal Camp (originally called Camp No. 1) in the eastern half of the Relocation Center reserve, and Butte Camp (Camp No. 2) in the western half. When the Gila River Relocation Center was in operation it was the fourth largest city in Arizona, after Phoenix, Tucson, and the relocation center at Poston.

The Gila Relocation Center lies within the broad Gila River Valley, and the Gila River flows southeast to northwest about 4 miles northeast of the reserve boundary. Just 3 miles south of the reserve, the rocky Sacaton Mountains rise 700 feet above the valley floor. Two main irrigation canals roughly follow the contours of the Sacaton Mountains' north and east bajada, and most of the relocation center reserve lies between these two canals (Figure 4.1). The South Side Canal, at about 1350 feet elevation, is near the southern boundary; the Casa Blanca Canal, at about 1225 feet elevation, forms the northern boundary. Interstate 10 now cuts through the eastern portion of what once were farm fields of the reserve. Most of the relocation center is on flat or very gently sloping sandy alluvial loam, but the rocky outcroppings of Sacaton Butte are just west and north of Butte Camp. The Sonoran desert vegetation of the area is dominated by mesquite trees, creosote and bursage bushes, and cactus.

Figure 4.1 Gila River Relocation Center. (click image for larger size)

Before the Gila River site was chosen for a relocation center, other potential sites in Arizona were considered, including Cortaro Farms near Tucson, Fort Mohave on the Colorado River, and Beardsley near Phoenix. These sites were rejected as either too costly to build or too close to sensitive military areas. The Gila River site was approved, in spite of objections by the Gila River Indian tribe, on March 18, 1942. Plans were soon expanded to accommodate 14,000 instead of 10,000 at Gila River to make up for a relocation center site in Nebraska which was rejected at the last minute (Madden 1969). The construction of brand-new cities for 10,000 people would, of course, require a prodigious amount of resources even during peace time. The copper necessary for the transmission line that would had to be constructed for the Nebraska relocation center simply was in short supply during the war, and it was more feasible to expand other centers.

The WRA leased the 16,500 acres for the relocation center reserve from the Bureau of Indian Affairs under a five-year permit. Under the terms of the permit, the WRA agreed to develop agricultural lands and build roads to connect the relocation center with state highways to the north and south. Construction of the relocation center began on May 1, 1942, with 125 workers; by June over 1,250 were employed (Weik 1992). On July 10, the first advance group of 500 Japanese Americans arrived to help set up the relocation center. Groups of 500 Japanese American started to arrive each day the following week. By August the evacuee population was over 8,000. The maximum population, 13,348, was reached in November 1942 even before major construction was completed, which was not until December 1, 1942.

Figure 4.2. Typical barracks at the Gila River Relocation Center. (National Archives photograph)

The evacuees at Gila River were mainly from the Tulare, Turlock, Stockton, and Fresno assembly centers, but nearly 3,000 were sent directly from Military Area 2 (southern San Joaquin Valley) without first staying in an assembly center. Canal Camp housed mostly rural people from the Turlock Assembly Center and Military Area 2, while Butte Camp housed mostly urban people from the Tulare and Santa Anita Assembly Centers.

The evacuee barracks at the two camps were constructed of wood frame and sheathed with lightweight white "beaverboard." Roofs were double, to provide protection from the heat of the desert, with the top roofs sheathed with red fireproof shingles (Figure 4.2). Another extra feature to help deal with the heat at the Gila River Relocation Center was the use of evaporative coolers. Clearly the Gila River Relocation Center was a showplace. Soon after his arrival at the center anthropologist Robert F. Spencer noted "The center is rather attractive as compared with the others. The white houses with their red roofs can be seen from miles away" (Spencer 1942). In April 1943, Eleanor Roosevelt, along with WRA director Dillon Meyer, made a surprise visit to the Gila River Relocation Center, spending 6 hours inspecting facilities (see Chapter 2; Figure 4.3).

Figure 4.3. Eleanor Roosevelt at the Gila River Relocation Center, April 23, 1943. (Francis Stewart photograph, Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley)

Figure 4.4. Model ship building shop. (National Archives photograph)

However, in spite of the model appearance of the camps, there were problems with the infrastructure. There were chronic water shortages, and for a time parts of Butte Camp ran out of water by nightfall. Use of evaporative coolers was curtailed and other water conservation measures were enforced. An existing natural gas line just east of Canal Camp provided fuel to heat the mess halls and hospital, but barracks were heated with fuel oil due to a limited supply of natural gas (Madden 1969).

Only one watch tower was ever erected at the Gila River Relocation Center. Located at Canal Camp, it was reportedly torn down because staffing it would have imposed a serious burden on the small military police detachment (Madden 1969). Within 6 months the perimeter barbed wire fences around each camp were removed as well. At Butte Camp a camouflage net factory run by Southern California Glass Company employed 500 evacuees. But, the factory was discontinued after 5 months. A model ship building shop at Canal Camp provided models for use in military training (Figure 4.4).

Supplies for the relocation center were originally shipped by train to Casa Grande and transported the last 17 miles to the camps by truck. In 1943 a loading and warehouse facility for the center was built at a railroad siding at Serape, only 11 miles away.

Canal Camp covered a narrow 210-acre area three blocks north-south and slightly more than nine blocks east-west in the eastern part of the reserve at the southern boundary (Figure 4.5). Bounding the camp on the north was the South Side Canal; on the south was a raised earthen dike that had been constructed to protect the canal from flash floods. The camp was separated by firebreaks into three groups of nine blocks each. The blocks were numbered from 1 to 27, starting in the northeast corner and proceeding west to Block 9. The next row began with Block 10 just south of Block 9, with numbers ascending back to the east to 18. The southernmost row started with 19 at the east edge, increasing to 27 at the southwest corner. The firebreaks were not numbered. North-south streets were numbered from west to east, east-west streets were lettered with "A" on the south and "D" on the north. "D" Street led west to Butte Camp and east to Casa Grande.

Figure 4.5. Canal Camp, Gila River Relocation Center. (National Archives) (click image for larger size)

Figure 4.6. Water tank at Canal Camp. (National Archives photograph)

The military police were housed in a compound just east of Canal Camp. The 15 buildings in the compound included five barracks, a mess hall, a classroom, a post exchange, a latrine, a headquarters building, an officers' quarters, an infirmary, a storage building, a guardhouse (jail for military personnel), and a motor vehicle repair shop. Along "D" Street northeast of the military police compound there was an 8-foot-by-10-foot sentry post. Another sentry post was located well north of the two camps along the road to Phoenix.

Canal Camp itself included 404 buildings, 44 of which were devoted to administration and hospital use. Most of the administration and hospital buildings were located in the three blocks (1, 18, and 19) along the eastern edge of the camp. Block 1 had an apartment building, a dormitory, a recreation hall, a mess hall, a ten-car garage, and the hospital. The hospital included a convalescent ward, an infirmary, and an out-patient clinic. The hospital also ran a "diet kitchen" in Block 16. Between Block 1 and the military police compound the evacuees constructed six apartment buildings, a dormitory, and a laundry for additional staff housing. South of Block 1, in Blocks 18 and 19 there were 12 warehouses, a refrigerated warehouse, an office, two food preservation plant buildings, a plumbing and electrical shop, and a latrine. East of these blocks there was a carpenter shop, an underground gas tank, and a 50,000-gallon elevated water tank (Figure 4.6).

Centrally located north of Block 5, between the evacuee residential area and the South Side Canal, there was a 40 foot by 120 foot administration office building and a fire station (Figure 4.7).

Figure 4.7. Administration building at Canal Camp. (National Archives photograph)

North across the canal from the administration office building were two deep water wells, a pumping station, a 250,000-gallon water storage tank, and an evacuee-constructed vegetable packing shed. The post office and two additional administration offices were located in buildings within Block 16. An evacuee-constructed ice storage building was south of Block 23, between the evacuee residential area and the protective dike. Canal Camp had its own sewage treatment plant -1/2 mile west of the residential area. A sewage pumping station west of Block 9 pumped sewage to the plant, which was about 20 feet higher in elevation.

The 360 buildings at Canal Camp devoted to evacuee residential uses included 232 Barracks, 16 mess halls, 17 ironing rooms, 17 laundry rooms, 34 latrine and shower buildings, 24 school buildings, and 20 community service buildings. Each of the 17 evacuee residential blocks included fourteen 20 foot by 100 foot barracks, a mess hall, a men's latrine and shower building, a women's latrine and shower building, a laundry room, an ironing room, a recreation building, and a 1,000-gallon fuel oil tank. The recreation buildings and some of the barracks were used for churches, meeting rooms, classrooms, libraries, and other community services. The ironing rooms were reportedly never used for their intended purposes, and all were eventually converted to storage rooms for mess hall supplies.

Figure 4.8. Auditorium under construction at Canal Camp. (WRA photograph, Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley)

The evacuees ameliorated the harshness of their surroundings by planting gardens, building fish ponds, and planting trees for shade. Small canals were excavated to provide irrigation. Block 13, in the middle of the evacuee residential area, was used for elementary and high schools. An outdoor stage was located in the northeast corner of the firebreak west of Block 13. In Block 12, a vacant block to the west of the schools, the evacuees constructed an auditorium/gym (Figure 4.8), a science laboratory, a home economics building, and a vocational arts (shop/crafts) building. Athletic fields were located in the remaining vacant blocks (Blocks 2, 11, 14, 15, 17) and in firebreaks.

The larger of the two camps at the Gila River Relocation Center, Butte Camp, covered 790 acres at the base of Sacaton Butte 3-1/2 miles west of Canal Camp (Figure 4.9). At Butte Camp east-west streets were numbered, 1st on the south to 14th on the north; north-south streets were lettered "A" Street on the east to "G" Street on the west. The main entrance to the camp was along the east side, at 9th street. The blocks were numbered from 28 to 81, beginning at the southeast corner and wrapping west, then east, row by row to the north. There were two narrow east-west firebreaks, one just south of 9th Street and one between 4th and 5th Streets.

Figure 4.9. Butte Camp, Gila River Relocation Center. (National Archives) (click image for larger size)

Figure 4.10. Staff housing at Butte Camp. (National Archives photograph)

There were 821 buildings in all at Butte Camp. Administration offices, warehouses, and staff housing were in the northeastern quarter of the developed area. The 22 buildings in the administration area (Blocks 69 and 70) included five office buildings, the post office, two ten-car garages, mimeograph buildings, nine warehouses, a police office, a court, and the staff canteen. Staff housing in Block 75 included a mess hall, recreation building, 5 dormitories, and a laundry. To the east and north, in Blocks 76 and 81, were 12 staff apartments, a water filtration plant, a refrigerated warehouse, a laundry, and a gas station; all but the gas station and four of the apartments were built by the evacuees (Figure 4.10).

The warehouse area (Blocks 67 and 68) included 22 warehouses, two of which were built by evacuees. North of the warehouse blocks, in areas designated Blocks 77 and 78, were two carpenter shops, a warehouse, a planer shed, a plumbing and electrical shop, an ice house, and a 37-by-108-foot machine shop, the latter two buildings built by evacuees.

Figure 4.11. Camouflage net factory at Butte Camp. (National Archives photograph)

The motor pool and a camouflage net factory were located west of Blocks 61 and 72 in the northwestern portion of the camp. There were four buildings for the net factory, one 60 feet by 400 feet in size, two 26 feet by 250 feet, and one 25 feet by 200 feet (Figure 4.11). The net factory was enclosed by a fence and had an 8-foot-by-10-foot guard house at the entrance. From the net factory one could access the motor pool, located to the west. The motor pool buildings included a 22-foot-by-60-foot office, a 22-foot-by-82-foot shop, and three 26-foot-by-250- foot repair and supply buildings.

The Butte Camp hospital, which served both Butte and Canal Camp, was located north of the administration area. In addition to the hospital's 18 interconnected buildings, there was a dental clinic in Block 73 and a convalescent hostel in Block 74.

Figure 4.12. Water tank and outdoor stage at Butte Camp. (National Archives photograph)

The evacuee residential area, comprising 36 developed blocks, was located to the south and west of the administration area. The evacuee residential area wrapped around two small knolls. On the higher knoll there was a 300,000-gallon water tank supplied by a deep water well. On the other knoll the evacuees built a servicemen's memorial. On the slope below the memorial they built an outdoor stage and amphitheater (Figure 4.12). A fire station was located east of the knolls at the west end of 6th Street (west of Blocks 46 and 51).

The WRA map lists 627 evacuee residential buildings, 46 of which were used as schools, 6 for churches, and 29 for other community services. All of Block 41 was an elementary school. Block 42 was used for community services including offices, churches, a shoe repair shop, a sewing shop, a laundry and dry cleaning, a barber shop, a beauty shop, a canteen, a store, and a "diet kitchen." Four buildings in Block 42 were used for staff apartments. Block 43 was used for a high school. To the north of Block 43 the evacuees built an auditorium and three classroom buildings for science, home economics, and vocational arts (shop/crafts).

Vacant blocks (35, 37, 38, 50, 53, 62, and 71) were used for athletic fields, playgrounds, and other facilities. Butte Camp also featured what has been called the WRA's finest baseball diamond (Hansen 1997). Designed by professional baseball player Kenichi Zenimura it included dugouts, bleachers, and other features and could accommodate up to 6,000 spectators.

In 1935 about 7,000 acres of the relocation center reserve had been leveled, irrigated, and planted with alfalfa for grazing. Water for irrigation was supplied from San Carlos Reservoir upstream on the Gila River. By August 1942, 500 acres of the grazing land were converted into vegetable farms, growing beets, carrots, celery, and other vegetables (Figure 4.13-4.17). Local farmers rented the remaining grazing land until the WRA started their own livestock program (Madden 1969). Partly to provide access to the farm fields, 13 miles of oil-surfaced roads with box culverts and bridges and 10-plus miles of graded roads were constructed.

Figure 4.14. Harvesting cucumbers at the Gila River Relocation Center. (Francis Stewart photograph, Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley)

Figure 4.13. Farm fields at the Gila River Relocation Center. (National Archives) (click image for larger size)

At its peak during the 1943-1944 harvest season agricultural production at the Gila Relocation Center employed nearly 1,000 men and women. In the first nine months of operation, 84 train carloads of food were shipped from Gila to the other relocation centers. Twenty percent of the food used at all of the relocation centers across the county was produced at the Gila River Relocation Center. Evacuees also produced 150 acres of flax, cotton, and castor beans as war crop production. To expedite the shipping of crops, a second warehouse was constructed in 1944 at the railroad siding at Serape.

Figure 4.15. Growing experimetnal plants at the Gila River Relocation Center. (Francis Stewart photograph, Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley)	Figure 4.16. Growing carrot seeds at the Gila River Relocation Center. (Francis Stewart photograph, Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley)
Figure 4.17. Harvesting daikon at the Gila River Relocation Center. (Francis Stewart photograph, Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley)	Figure 4.18. Feeding dairy cows at the Gila River Relocation Center. (National Archives photograph)

A seed farm was started due to shortages of seeds, and two nurseries grew seedlings for flowers, shrubs, and trees for landscaping. By 1943 over 1,600 acres north of Canal Camp and east of Butte Camp were under cultivation. The Gila River Relocation Center was the only relocation center to make use of its waste water: there was a 10-acre small "sewer farm" located to the west of each of the two sewage treatment plants, where effluent was used to irrigate grains and livestock feed.

Figure 4.19. Feeding calves at the Gila River Relocation Center dairy farm. (WRA photograph, Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley)

In May 1943 a livestock program was started with 36 dairy cows, 720 Mexican steers, 50 young female hogs (gilts) from California, and 2,000 meat and egg chickens. Evacuees built shelters and pens for the hogs and dairy cows (Figure 4.18 and 4.19). The dairy included a 36-foot-by-105-foot milking barn, a 20-foot-by-60-foot milk house, a 20-foot-by-100-foot feed warehouse, and 16 feed lots with concrete troughs. The meat animals were shipped to Phoenix for slaughter and processing until a butchering plant was built at Gila River. By the end of the year there were 1,377 cattle, 1,106 hogs, and 8,584 chickens, and the farm program supplied 60 hogs and 60 cattle a week to the mess hall kitchens (Madden 1969).

Canal Camp was closed on September 28, 1945, and Butte Camp soon followed on November 10, 1945. The last to leave the Gila River Center were 155 Hawaiian Japanese. In December many of the buildings at the relocation center were allocated and moved to educational institutions throughout the state. The City of Mesa bought the Butte high school auditorium (Hansen 1997). The WRA auctioned off the barracks and other property in August 1946, and sealed bids to purchase the remaining buildings and utilities continued until March of 1947 (Weik 1992).

Recent archaeological studies for the Gila Farms expansion have provided additional information on the past history and current condition of some of the features associated with Butte Camp. In 1983 a sample survey of lands surrounding Butte Camp was conducted for the farm expansion. No relocation center remains were encountered in that survey, but the report recommended that the area immediately adjacent to Butte Camp be thoroughly examined before development commenced, because of the potential for significant remains associated with the relocation center (Effland and Green 1983).

In 1987, a 2,230-acre area north of Butte Camp and seven randomly-selected quarter sections (1,280 acres) south of Butte Camp were intensively surveyed. Relocation-center-era remains recorded in the northern survey area included the Butte Camp sewage treatment plant and adjacent sewer farm, the relocation center dairy, a small scatter of medical supplies, and an expansive area adjacent to the north and east edges of Butte Camp encompassing numerous small trash dumps. About 1-1/2 miles west of Butte Camp a small relocation- center-era trash dump surrounded by a light scatter of artifacts covering 7-1/2 acres was recorded. Somewhat surprisingly, none of these sites was considered eligible for the National Register on their own merits or as contributing elements of a larger property that would include other remains of the relocation center. No further consideration of the sites was recommended in the original report (Sullivan et al. 1987). However, subsequent government review of the project resulted in the recommendation that more archeological work would be needed in order to mitigate the effects of the farm expansion.

Figure 4.20. Trash concentration (Locus 35) near Butte Camp. (from Sawer-Lang 1989) (click image for larger size)

In 1989 further archeological work was conducted around Butte Camp to define and characterize the trash scatter surrounding Butte Camp. These investigations included surface collection, excavation, and survey of approximately 2,000 acres south of Butte Camp (Sawyer-Lang 1989). Two pet graves and 37 discrete trash loci were identified within the previously-recorded trash scatter. One of the loci (Locus 35) included 56 distinct trash clusters (Figure 4.20). Although not recognized as such at the time, remnants of Zenimura field were recorded just east of the southeast corner of evacuee residential area. Surface collections were made at each of the 37 loci and eight were tested. It was determined that the remains probably dated to the last days of the relocation center when organized trash disposal had ceased.

A 1993 supplemental study included a detailed analysis of the artifacts collected in 1989, as well as archival research and oral history interviews (Tamir et al. 1993). While noting the constraints of the collection (most notably the fact that it dates to the end of the camp occupation), the artifact assemblage was described, oddly enough, as "ordinary." That is, with the exception of Japanese ceramics, the material could have been discarded by any contemporary American community (Russell 1995). However, even a cursory comparison of the Butte Camp collection with other sites demonstrates the dearth of artifacts associated with typical American pastimes such as cars, guns, and alcohol. Most of the features ARS recorded have since been destroyed by agricultural developments, but still remaining are some small trash dumps immediately north of Butte camp and a pet grave left in an orchard to the southeast of Butte Camp.

Canal Camp

Canal Camp is located along what used to be the main highway between Phoenix and Casa Grande. The portion of this road north of Canal Camp was built by the WRA as part of their lease agreement with the BIA. The highway was superseded by Interstate 10, and now, the road is closed south of the bridge over the South Side Canal (Figures 4.21 and 4.22). Canal Camp is in fairly pristine condition. No buildings remain, but all of the camp roads are still passable. Abundant remains are present, including the concrete slabs of administration buildings, warehouses, high school, and latrines, many pier footing blocks from the evacuee barracks and other buildings, landscaping, traces of irrigation ditches (Figure 4.23), and most features of the sewage treatment plant. Abundant artifacts occur throughout the administration and evacuee residential area as well as the surrounding area (Figure 4.24).

Figure 4.21. Oblique aerial view of the Gila River Relocation Center area today.	Figure 4.23. Remains of irrigation ditch at Canal Camp.
Figure 4.22. Old highway bridge over the South Side Canal.	Figure 4.24. Vehicle licence plate at Canal Camp.

Canal Camp
Administration, Hospital, and Warehouse Areas

In the central portion of the camp, between the residential area and the South Side Canal, the concrete slab foundations of the administration building and fire station are intact (Figure 4.25). Both building slabs have names and dates in the concrete (Table 4.1). There is also eight-sided concrete base that apparently held a flagpole (Figure 4.26). Culverts southeast and southwest of the administration area an along "D" street have several inscriptions that include the official post office name for the relocation center (Rivers, Ariz.) and a 1943 date (Figures 4.27 and 4.28). In the eastern portion of Canal Camp, there is little evidence of the staff housing or hospital buildings. However, the 21 concrete slab foundations from the warehouses still remain (Figure 4.29).

Figure 4.25. Concrete slab of the Canal Camp fire station.	Figure 4.26. Flagpole base in administration area at Canal Camp.
Figure 4.27. Inscription in administration area at Canal Camp.	Figure 4.28. Inscription in administration area at Canal Camp.

Figure 4.29. Concrete slab of warehouse at Canal Camp.

Table 4.1. Inscriptions at Canal Camp.

Canal Camp
Evacuee Residential Area

Figure 4.30. Concrete slab of latrine and shower building at Canal Camp.

Within the evacuee residential blocks the locations of latrines, storage (ironing), and laundry rooms are marked by their concrete foundation slabs (Figures 4.30-4.32). The main impact to the site appears to have been from the salvage of cast iron pipe. Apparently the concrete slabs of all of the latrines and laundries were broken up to remove the pipes below. An interesting feature in each residential block is an underground concrete tank accessed by a manhole (Figure 4.33). These cisterns were most likely used to store water for fire fighting because the regular water system proved to be undependable. They would have to have been filled by hose or water truck, since there are no pipe fittings apparent below ground level.

In the central portion of the camp, between the residential area and the South Side Canal, the concrete slab foundations of the administration building and fire station are intact (Figure 4.25). Both building slabs have names and dates in the concrete (Table 4.1). There is also eight-sided concrete base that apparently held a flagpole (Figure 4.26). Culverts southeast and southwest of the administration area an along "D" street have several inscriptions that include the official post office name for the relocation center (Rivers, Ariz.) and a 1943 date (Figures 4.27 and 4.28). In the eastern portion of Canal Camp, there is little evidence of the staff housing or hospital buildings. However, the 21 concrete slab foundations from the warehouses still remain (Figure 4.29).

Footing pier blocks are still in place for most of the evacuee barracks (Figure 4.34), and there are numerous infilled basements evident, some with concrete steps still in place (Figures 4.35 and 4.36). There are abundant remains of landscaping around the former barracks (Figures 4.37-4.40). Many incorporate recycled materials such as concrete and clay pipe and tin cans, rather than rock.

Also present in the evacuee residential area are dozens of small ponds. Most are associated with individual barracks rather than mess halls or other communal buildings (Figures 4.41-4.49). The Block 23 mess hall, however, sported the largest pond. Either for aesthetic reasons or cooling many of the ponds were situated so as to be partially under a barracks. The ponds are chiefly made of concrete, however a few use apparently salvaged material such as cement pipe. Very little native rock was used. Many of the ponds have whimsical shapes; two are heart-shaped. Inscriptions in the concrete at Canal Camp are normally kept covered with sand as a protection measure. They are uncovered and highlighted with charcoal for special events such as reunions. The inscriptions consist mostly of names, dates, and addresses, some in Japanese characters (see Table 4.1, Figures 4.50-4.53).

Figure 4.31. Laundry room slab.	Figure 4.32. Latrine grease trap.
Figure 4.33. Cistern manhole.	Figure 4.34. Barracks footings at Canal Camp, protective dike in background.
Figure 4.35. Barracks basement depression.

Figure 4.36. Barracks basement.	Figure 4.37. Exterior faucet in evacuee residential area.
Figure 4.38. Posts remaining from shade canopy at Block 10 mess hall, Canal Camp.	Figure 4.39. Landscaping at Canal Camp.

Figure 4.40. Sidewalk and landscaping at Canal Camp.	Figure 4.41. Evacuee-built pond at Canal Camp.
Figure 4.42. Evacuee-built pond and other landscaping at Canal Camp; note barracks footing block within pond.	Figure 4.43. Evacuee-built pond at Canal Camp.
Figure 4.44. Evacuee-built pond at Canal Camp.	Figure 4.45. Evacuee-built pond at Canal Camp.
Figure 4.46. Evacuee-built pond at Canal Camp.

Figure 4.40. Evacuee-built pond at Canal Camp.	Figure 4.42. Evacuee-built pond at Block 23 mess hall, Canal Camp, note footing block within pond.
	Figure 4.43. Japanese inscription on pond edge at Canal Camp.

Figure 4.50. Inscription at Canal Camp.	Figure 4.51. Inscription at Canal Camp.
Figure 4.52. Inscription at Canal Camp.	Figure 4.53. Inscription at Canal Camp.

Canal Camp
Other Areas

Foundations of the evacuee-built auditorium and other high school buildings are still present in the open area north of Block 25 (Figure 4.54), but nothing remains of the outdoor theater that was northeast of the high school. A wooden home plate (Figure 4.55) and wooden pitcher's "rubber" marks a baseball field in the firebreak between Blocks 24 and 25.

Figure 4.54. Foundation at Canal Camp high school.

Figure 4.56. Foundation of ice house at Canal Camp.

The ice house located south of Block 23 is marked by a raised concrete foundation (Figure 4.56). There are several small relocation-center-era trash dumps west of Canal Camp. Further west, the sewage treatment plant includes substantial remains of the digester, clarifier, control room, sludge beds, and sewer farm (Figures 4.57-4.59). Across the canal north of the Canal Camp administration building, several foundations and a well remain from the camp water system.

Figure 4.55. Wooden home plate at Canal Camp.	Figure 4.57. Clarifier and digeter at the Canal Camp sewage treatment plant.
Figure 4.58. Control room at the Canal Camp sewage treatment plant.	Figure 4.59. Headworks at the Canal Camp sewage treatment plant.

Butte Camp

Butte Camp is surrounded on three sides by recently planted orange and olive groves irrigated by the Central Arizona Project (see Figure 4.21). There are no buildings left at Butte Camp; the most visible remains are those of the servicemen's honor roll monument located on a small butte. Besides the monument, there are concrete slab foundations, footing pier blocks, manholes, cisterns, ditches, ponds and other landscaping features, and large tamarisk trees. The most substantial remains are at the former hospital, warehouse area, high school, and fire station.

Figure 4.60. Piled concrete rubble at Butte Camp.

Figure 4.61. Irrigation ditch at Butte Camp.

As at Canal Camp, foundation slabs have been broken open to remove the cast iron pipe below. However, in addition a number of foundation slabs have been broken up completely and placed in piles (Figure 4.60). This work was likely done in anticipation of clearing the camp area itself for farming, a project since abandoned due to the now-recognized significance of the site. Many of the roads are still passable and many areas within the camp are covered with abundant recent trash, apparently from drinking parties and garbage dumping. In contrast to Canal Camp, not all roads within Butte Camp are driveable. Some have eroded into small washes and others have been covered with sediments and revegetated. On the other hand, some of the roads still have traces of asphalt pavement. Along some of the roads can be seen traces of irrigation ditches and remnants of culverts (Figure 4.61).

Butte Camp
Administration, Hospital, and Warehouse Areas

In Block 70, the L-shaped concrete slab foundation of the administration building is still apparent, although it has been partially broken up (Figure 4.62). Footing pier blocks also remain at some of the other administration building sites in this block. Most of the slab foundations for the administrative offices and warehouses in Block 69 are still intact, although two slabs in the northwest portion the block have been broken up. In the Block 76 staff housing area there is an up-turned cistern (Figure 4.63).

Figure 4.62. Foundation of administration building at Butte Camp.

Figure 4.63. Overturned cistern at Butte Camp.

In the hospital area numerous footing piers and concrete entries mark the locations of offices and wards (Figures 4.64 and 4.65). Many of the footing piers are over 18 inches high. At either end of the hospital complex there is a large concrete-walled rectangular vault sunk into the ground that appears to have been a grease trap (Figure 4.66). South of the hospital wards, concrete slab foundations remain at the laundry room and heating plant locations (Figures 4.67 and 4.68). Between the two foundations there is a large square cistern (Figure 4.69). Northwest of the hospital area there are two incinerators made of poured concrete (Figure 4.70). They were likely used for the disposal of hazardous hospital waste.

East of the hospital, in the staff housing area, there are four 20-foot-by-94-foot concrete slab foundations of apartment buildings (Figure 4.71). Eight other staff apartment buildings built by the evacuees apparently did not have slab foundations. Large tamarisk trees and concrete entry steps remain at one of the building locations. A 16-foot-by-20-foot slab is likely from a laundry room (Figure 4.72).

All of the concrete slab foundations in the warehouse blocks are still intact. Several of the slabs in the northeast portion of Block 67 are currently being used as form foundations for pouring small steel reinforced-concrete slabs used for canal bridges and diversions (Figure 4.73). Across the road to the north of the warehouse blocks there is a concrete gas pump island, a 30-by-100-foot slab from a refrigerated warehouse (Figure 4.74), four 20-foot-by-100-foot concrete slabs from shops and warehouses, a 37-foot-by-168-foot perimeter foundation from a never-completed machine shop, and a raised concrete foundation from an ice house (Figure 4.75). On a low hill west of the ice house foundation there is a modern steel water tank.

Figure 4.64. Entry and footing blocks at the Butte Camp hospital.	Figure 4.65. Footing blocks at the Butte Camp hospital.
Figure 4.66. Foundation remains at the Butte Camp hospital.	Figure 4.67. Foundation of heating plant at the Butte Camp hospital.
Figure 4.68. Foundation of laundry building at the Butte Camp hospital.	Figure 4.69. Cistern at the Butte Camp hospital.

Figure 4.70. Incinerators northwest of the Butte Camp hospital.	Figure 4.71. Foundation of staff apartment building at Butte Camp.
Figure 4.72. Foundation of staff laundry room at Butte Camp.	Figure 4.73. Foundation of warehouse at Butte Camp.
Figure 4.74. Foundation of refrigerated warehouse at Butte Camp.	Figure 4.75. Foundation of ice house at Butte Camp.

Butte Camp
Evacuee Residential Area

Concrete slab foundations of the latrines, laundry rooms, and storage room are still present, although broken up with the cast iron pipes removed. Unlike Canal Camp, the mess halls at Butte Camp had concrete slab foundations. These foundations have been broken up to remove the pipe below and some (in Blocks 30-31, 72, and 73) have been completely broken up and placed in piles. An interesting feature of the mess hall foundations are door thresholds molded into the concrete slabs (Figures 4.76 and 4.77).

Figure 4.81. Evacluee landscaping at Butte Camp.

Concrete cisterns remain in each block, as do footing piers for barracks and some depressions from basements. There are remains of numerous evacuee-improvements around the former barracks, including concrete entries, gravel and concrete walkways, elaborate rock-outlined gardens, including two with saguaros (Figures 4.78-4.84). Very few inscriptions in the concrete are present (Table 4.2, Figure 4.85 and 4.86).

There are fewer, but generally larger, ponds at Butte Camp than at Canal Camp (Figures 4.87-4.90). Most are in the western portion of the residential area with the greatest number in Block 61, which also has the largest pond at the relocation center. In general, there appears to have been less concrete and more native rock used in the Butte Camp ponds than those at Canal Camp. This is not surprising since abundant rock is readily available from the hillsides adjacent to Butte Camp.

Table 4.2. Inscriptions at Butte Camp.

Figure 4.76. Foundation of mess hall at Butte Camp.	Figure 4.77. Concrete threshold at Butte Camp mess hall.
Figure 4.78. Landscaping in the evacuee residential area at Butte Camp.	Figure 4.79. Landscaping in the evacuee residential area at Butte Camp.
Figure 4.80. Saguaro cactus and scattered rock work in the evacuee residential area at Butte Camp.	Figure 4.82. Saguaro cactus and rock work in the evacuee residential area.

Figure 4.83. Detail of garden in the evacuee residential area.	Figure 4.84. Concrete entry at the front of an evacuee barracks.
Figure 4.85. Inscription at Butte Camp.	Figure 4.86. Inscription at Butte Camp.
Figure 4.87. Evacuee-built pond at Butte Camp.	Figure 4.88. Evacuee-built pond at Butte Camp.
Figure 4.89. Evacuee-built pond at Butte Camp.	Figure 4.90. Evacuee-built pond at Butte Camp.

Butte Camp
Other Areas

Figure 4.91. Sumo wrestling arena, November 1942. (Francis Stewart photograph, Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley)

Between 8th and 9th Street, in the firebreak south of Block 56 there is a low square earthern mound identified by Minoru Isoshita (personal communication, 1998) as the sumo arena built by his father (Figures 4.91 and 4.92).

At the high school location, there are concrete slab foundations from the wings on both sides of the auditorium, footing piers of the auditorium, and footing piers and entry steps for other buildings (Figures 4.93 and 4.94). Two inscriptions in the concrete (initials and a proclamation of love) were noted (see Table 4.2, Figure 4.95). North of the high school, the fire station area includes a large concrete slab (Figure 4.96), which included three different building episodes, and an asphalt driveway.

The camouflage net factory and motor pool, located on the west side of the camp, has been heavily disturbed. Remains at the largest building (60 feet by 400 foot in size) consist of portions of the perimeter foundation, a small intact concrete slab, and piled rubble (Figure 4.97). Linear piles of concrete rubble remain at six of the other building locations (Figure 4.98). Another building location is now marked by a large pit partially filled with rubble.

The Butte Camp sewage treatment plant, basically identical to the one at Canal Camp, includes remains of the digester, clarifier, control room, sludge beds, and sewer farms (Figure 4.99).

The most eminent feature at Butte Camp is the honor roll monument located on a knoll overlooking the camp (Figure 4.100). The memorial was built by the evacuees to honor those Japanese Americans from the Gila River Relocation Center who served in the military during World War II (Figure 4.101) and included a reflecting pool and a ramada with concrete benchs. The ramada, flagpole, and wooden facade of the monument that held the list of names are now gone. A dirt road provides access to the monument and recent trash abounds. Once covered with abundant graffiti, the monument has been recently painted (Figures 4.102 and 4.103). The foundation of the camp water tank is on a higher knoll just west of the monument (Figure 4.104). There is little evidence of the outdoor theater, once located on the slope below the monument.

Figure 4.92. Area of sumo arena today.	Figure 4.93. Remains at Butte Camp high school auditorium.
Figure 4.94. Footing blocks at the Butte Camp high school.	Figure 4.96. Foundation of the Butte Camp fire station.
Figure 4.95. Inscription at the Butte Camp high school.

Figure 4.97. Concrete slab at the camouflage net factory.	Figure 4.98. Concrete rubble at the camouflage net factory.
Figure 4.99. Butte Camp sewage treatment plant today.	Figure 4.100. Monument on knoll at Butte Camp.
Figure 4.101. Servicemen's monument at Butte Camp in 1944. (National Archives photograph)	Figure 4.102. Detail of Butte Camp monument.
Figure 4.103. Monument at Butte Camp prior to repainting.	Figure 4.104. View towards Butte Camp high school from the water tank foundation.

Security Features

No remnants of the military police sentry posts at the north and south entrances to the relocation center reserve or of the temporary watch tower are visible today. Notable, however is the excellent condition of the former military police compound. The large foundation of the vehicle repair shop remains (Figure 4.105). In addition, there are other foundation remnants, gravel walkways, rock alignments, and an impressively landscaped flagpole base (Figures 4.106-4.107).

Figure 4.105. Foundation of the military police vehicle repair shop.	Figure 4.107. Sidewalk at the military police compound.
Figure 4.106. Flagpole base at the military police compound.

Outlying Area

The fields once farmed by the evacuees are still under cultivation and most of the outlying developments of the relocation center, such as the chicken, hog, and dairy farms, were located within what are now irrigated fields and orchards (see Figure 4.21). Some abandoned ditch segments located in areas farmed by the evacuees may be left from the relocation center use (Figure 4.108).

Figure 4.109. Gila River Relocation Center Dairy farm. (adapted from Sullivan, et al. 1987)

Prior to being converted into a farm field the site of the relocation center dairy was documented by Sullivan et al. (1987). They recorded the foundations of three substantial buildings (Figure 4.109). These consisted of a 36-foot-by-105-foot milking barn, a 20-foot-by-100-foot feed warehouse, and a five-room 14-1/2-foot-by-55-foot milk house. The feed warehouse and milking barn were connected by a 20-ft-long walkway. The milking barn had a multi-level floor that was tilted to the north to facilitate washing. It had an inscription made into the wet concrete that read "Sam Okada" or "Sam Okara." The floor of the milk house was noted as broken open to remove underlaying pipes. Other features at the dairy site included a boiler platform, a well platform, and a septic tank. No artifacts beyond construction materials were found during the 1987 recording.

The location of the elaborate baseball field just outside the southeast corner of Butte Camp is now an olive grove. Several features of the ballfield were apparently recorded by Sawyer-Lang (1989; Locus 12), including remains of the dugouts and backstop. None of these features remain today.

At least one of two pet graves identified by Sawyer-Lang (1989) still remains. Located in an orange grove southeast of Butte Camp, from Sawyer-Lang's description it appears to have been refurbished (Figure 4.110). It includes inscriptions written in the wet cement in both Japanese and English. The English text reads: "Guard upon/all livings"/Dog, Kookey Yokogama/Died Jan 14th 1945," the Japanese text reads "Guard upon all livings/The Spirit of Kookey." The other pet grave had both English and Japanese inscriptions as well. The English text read "here lies chubby/fujiyama/ oct 19, 43"(Sawyer-Lang 1989). It could not be relocated.

As mentioned above, there are substantial remains at both the Canal Camp and Butte Camp sewage treatment plants. At the sewer farm locations there are only faint furrows and desert vegetation today. North of Canal Camp a well and several foundations from the camp water system remain (Figure 4.111).

Figure 4.118. Flattened cans at the Gila River Relocation Center landfill.

The relocation center landfill, located west of Butte Camp, consists of a large open pit and a partially-filled trench (Figure 4.112 and 4.113). Present are abundant ceramics and glass, marbles, glass beads, trash cans, enamelware pitchers, and other items (Figures 4.114 and 4.115). Some digging at the landfill is evident, but none of the excavations appear to be very recent. In 1995 a small collection of artifacts picked up at the landfill 25 years earlier was given to the senior author. It includes 16 complete bottles, a small "Christian Dior" perfume bottle, American and Japanese ceramic fragments, and a glass marble (Figures 4.116 and 4.117). Many similar items remain on the surface at the landfill today. South and east of the landfill there are numerous small trash piles likely similar to those investigated (and now gone) along the east and south sides of Butte Camp. There is also a large pile of flattened tin cans that were apparently processed for recycling but discarded when the relocation center was closed (Figure 4.118).

Figure 4.110. Pet grave southeast of Butte Camp in 1944 (orange trees are now over 10 feet tall).	Figure 4.111. Foundation of water tank north of the Canal Camp administration area.
Figure 4.112. Landfill at the Gila River Relocation Center.	Figure 4.113. Landfill at the Gila River Relocation Center.

Figure 4.114. Artifacts at the Gila River Relocation Center landfill.	Figure 4.115. Artifacts at the Gila River Relocation Center landfill.
Figure 4.116. Typical glass artifacts from the Gila River Relocation Center landfill.	Figure 4.117. Typical ceramics from the Gila River Relocation Center landfill.

Interpretation

Figure 4.119. Relocation center display at the Gila River Indian Reservation Cultural Center.

The Canal and Butte Camp sites are located on the Gila River Indian Reservation. The sites are treated as sacred sites by the tribe (Cohen 1994) and public access is restricted. The perimeters of both camps are posted with "no trespassing" signs. A permit must be obtained from the Gila River Indian tribe to visit the sites. A minimum fee of $100 is charged for the permit, but is normally waived for former evacuees and their immediate family members. Visitors without a permit are subject to arrest and a tribal court hearing.

At Gila River Indian Reservation Cultural Center, located 4 miles north of the camps along Interstate 10 (Exit 175), there is an exhibit and outdoor display about the relocation center prepared by the Arizona Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League. Located inside the Cultural Center the exhibit includes text, maps, historical photographs, and artifacts from the camps (Figure 4.119). The outdoor display includes information similar to that on memorial markers present at each of the two camps (Figure 4.120).

Figure 4.124. Dedication ceremony at Butte Camp (1995).

Three years were spent getting permission from the Gila River Indian tribe to place the memorial markers at the camps. One of the conditions for their approval was that the Japanese American community never ask for National Landmark or any other official designation (Joe Allman, personal communication, 1997). Any such designation is seen by the tribe as a threat to their sovereignty. In fact, in 1978 a National Register of Historic Places nomination was prepared by the Arizona State Parks Board, however the nomination was withdrawn when it was learned that there would be no support from the tribe.

The memorial marker at Canal Camp, located near the foundation of the administration building and a flagpole base, includes a map and historical photograph of the camp and some text explaining the history (Figure 4.121). At Butte Camp two markers were placed at the servicemen's honor roll monument. One provides historical information, similar to that at Canal Camp, and the other lists those from the relocation center who were killed in World War II (Figure 4.122 and 4.123). The plaques were dedicated in 1995, during ceremonies held during the 50th Anniversary Gila River Relocation Center Reunion (Figure 4.124).

Figure 4.120. Relocation center display outside the Gila River Indian Reservation Cultural Center.	Figure 4.121. Memorial marker at Canal Camp.
Figure 4.122. Memorial marker at Butte Camp.	Figure 4.123. Memorial marker at Butte Camp listing the names of Japanese Americans from the Gila River Relocation Center killed in World War II.