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College of Southern Idaho Special Collections and Archives: Minidoka Relocation Center Records, 1942-1979

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Collection Finding Aid

Minidoka Relocation Center Records, 1942-1979

College of Southern Idaho

August 8, 2023

315 Falls Avenue, Twin Falls, ID 83301

 

 

Table of Contents

 

Administrative/Biographical History Note

Scope and Content Note

Restrictions

Organizations

Related Material

Administrative Information

Associated Information

   
 
Repository: College of Southern Idaho. Special Collections and Archives.
Address: 315 Falls Avenue, Twin Falls, ID 83301
Creator: Minidoka Relocation Center.
Title: Minidoka Relocation Center, 1942-1979
Dates: 1942-1979.
Extent: 5 boxes occupying 4.5 cubic feet and consisting of 30 folders
Identification: COLL_MSS 005
Language: English

Administrative/Biographical History Note

The Minidoka Relocation Center, commonly referred to as Minidoka, was one of ten internment camps established by the U.S. government during World War II to forcibly relocate and detain Japanese Americans. Situated near Hunt, Idaho, the center operated from 1942 to 1945. Minidoka was designated to house individuals forcibly removed primarily from the Pacific Northwest, encompassing over 9,000 Japanese Americans at its peak.

Under the leadership of camp directors like Harry L. Stafford, Minidoka was structured with a range of facilities, from residential barracks to administrative buildings. As was common in many of these camps, the incarcerated individuals sought to create a semblance of normalcy despite their unjust confinement. They participated in a variety of activities, established clubs, and even produced newsletters and newspapers to keep the community informed. Despite being under duress, the resilience and spirit of the internees were evident in their efforts to document, share, and retain their culture and community ties during their time at Minidoka.

Scope and Content Note

This collection includes correspondence of camp director Harry L. Stafford, minutes of meetings, records of activities, aerial photographs of the camp, and two yearbooks. Also included are clippings and excerpts of newsletters and newspapers created by the camp prisoners. In another box are mounted photographs of the signs, sights, and prisoners around the camp.

Items in this collection do not circulate and may be used in-house only.

Copyright Statement: The copyright of all materials this collection is held by the authors of those materials.

Copyright Restrictions: It is the researcher’s responsibility to conform to all legal literary and copyright provisions attached to the materials used. The Special Collections Department will not be responsible for the infringement of any such laws. Patrons assume all responsibility for reproduction requests and will not assign blame in any way to the College of Southern Idaho over the reproduction of material at the request of patrons. For more information please visit Title 17 of the Copyright Law.

Organizations

Minidoka Relocation Center.

Subjects

Japanese Americans Forced removal and internment, 1942-1945.
Minidoka Relocation Center.
World War, 1939-1945.

Places

Hunt (Idaho).

Form

Diaries.
Newspapers.
Photographs.
Records (Documents).
Arthur Kleinkopf Diary (COLL_MSS 006)

Provenance

This collection is comprised of original records from a wide range of people who were involved with the administration of the Minidoka Relocation Center. Of particular prominence among these was camp director Harry L. Stafford.

Processing Information:

These records were organized and cataloged in 2023 by Reed C. Hepler.

Preferred Bibliographic Citation

[Author Name], "Minidoka Relocation Center Records" (COLL_MSS 005). College of Southern Idaho Special Collections and Archives, Twin Falls, Idaho. Accessed on [[date]]
COLL_MSS 005-01: Administrative records and correspondence of Harry L. Stafford, 1942-1945.
1 box occupying .5 cubic feet and comprised of 18 folders.
  This series contains correspondence, administrative records, directives, and products of the administration of Harry L. Stafford. For example, multiple yearbooks of the camp and minutes of camp meetings are held in this series.
COLL_MSS 005-02: Clippings and Excerpts of Camp Newspapers and Newsletters, 1942-1945.
1 box occupying .5 cubic feet and comprised of 18 folders.
  This series contains clippings, cutouts, and excerpts from newspapers and newsletters made by camp prisoners. These records demonstrate the (somewhat filtered) feelings of the inmates of the camps.
COLL_MSS 005-03: Photographs of Minidoka Relocation Center, 1942-1945.
1 box occupying 2 cubic feet and comprised of 10 photographs.
  This series contains massive mounted photographs of various scenes in the camps, including the massive sign at the front of the camp.

Acknowledgments

The College of Southern Idaho Special Collections and Archives would like to thank the Idaho State Historical Records Advisory Board and the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC), whose financial and advisory support have facilitated the creation of these pages and records. For more information on the NHPRC, visit archives.gov/nhprc.