Collection Guide
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Ishibashi Family Collection
SPC.2012.002
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Table of contents
Contributing Institution:
California State University Dominguez Hills, Gerth Archives and Special Collections
Title: Ishibashi Family Collection
Creator:
Ishibashi, Masaichi, 1912-2004
Creator:
Ishibashi, Kumekichi , 1874-1954
Identifier/Call Number: SPC.2012.002
Physical Description:
3 boxes
Physical Description:
1.5 Linear Feet
Date (inclusive): 1910-2011
Abstract: The collection documents personal and business records of Ishibashi family, one of the pioneer Japanese farmers on the coastline
of Palos Verdes Peninsula, California. The Ishibashi's is a three-generation produce farmer, started approximately in 1910
and closed in 2012.
Language of Material: Collection material is in <language encodinganalog="041" langcode="eng" scriptcode="latn">English</language>
There are no access restrictions on this collection.
All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Archives
and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical
materials and not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
For information about citing archival material, see the
Citations for Archival Material guide, or consult the appropriate style manual.
Materials were received from Grace Watanabe and Nancy Sasaki in 2012
Collection processed by Ryoko Onishi in 2013.
Kumekichi Ishibashi was born in Hidaka, Wakayama in Japan in 1874 and came to the U.S. for the purpose of dekasegi (labor
abroad) in 1899 when he was 26 years old. Kumeichi started farming in the Portuguese Bend in Rancho Palos Verdes, near San
Pedro in 1906. In 1910, along with C. Hayashi and K. Ozaki, Kumeichi started leasing a 50-acre land parcel from the Palos
Verdes Company, at a rental of $6 per acre for one year. Kumekichi married Take Hanaoka who was also from Hidaka, Wakayama
in 1911 in San Francisco. Kumekichi and Take had five children, Masaichi, George, Yasuko, Kay and Akira. Take died in 1928.
The eldest son Masaichi took over the business and worked with Kumekichi. Masaichi married Miye (May) Washimura from San Jose
in 1937. Miye's father Kumataro was a fish merchant. After World War II broke out, the company from which their land was leased
ordered them off of the property.
On Feburary 1942, Kumekichi was taken to the Bismarck, North Dakoda .The rest of the family moved to Starthmore, Central
California and started farming again. In July 1942, the family was interned in Poston (Colorado River) War Relocation Center,
Arizona. In 1943, the family received permission to move out from the Center to farm in Utah. After Kumekichi reunited the
family in Poston, they moved to Utah to farm for the duration of the war. After the war, they came back to the Palos Verdes
Peninsula and started farming again. They leased more than 500 acres on the hilltop Peninsula and they grew strawberries,
garbanzo beans, celery, and peas. However, after housing development began in the 1970, they had to minimize the farming area.
The farm was known for the vegetable and fruit stand near the Torrance Airport in the 1990s. After the passing of Masaichi
in 2004, the farm was taken over by Masaichi's cousin, however, the Ishibashi farm closed for good in 2012. There were approximately
40 farms operated by Japanese American families in the 1930s. The Ishibashis had 2 ranches among them on Portuguese Bend near
where the Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles is located. Their former farmland was included in Palos Verdes Nature Reserve
and the Ishibashi Trail was named in honor of the family.
Materials in this collection are from the daily lives of the three-generation pioneer farming family, the Ishibashi's, created
and collected by the first generation (issei), Kumekichi and his eldest son, the second generation (nisei) farmer, Masaichi
in regards to their business records 1910 -2011. The materials include photographs and moving images of the hilltop farm communities
in the 1930s, tax documents, lease contracts and business related records of 1910 -1945, Hand-drawn map of the farms, Los
Angeles City School District Report Cards 1922-1931, Japanese Ryoken (passport) 1920, Certificate issued by Consulate General
of Japan, "San Pedro Brand" vegetable crate label, World War II incarcerated Masaichi's photocopied journal 1943-1945, daily
labor report at Colorado River War Relocation (Poston Relocation Center), 1943 war loss compensation and redress related documents
1947-1986 and newspaper clippings related family history and Marinland construction and withdrawal 1958-2011.
Arranged in 3 series:
- Series I. Business and Personal Documents (1910-2011)
- Series II. Photographs (ca.1910-2011)
- Series III. Artifacts and Films (ca. 1910-2011)
Availability of Digitized Materials
Some of the collection has been digitized and is available at the CSU Japanese American Project site:
Ishibashi Collection.
This collection is part of the California State University Japanese American Digitization Project. For related materials please
consult:
CSU Japanese American Digitization Project.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Industry and employment -- Agriculture
Japanese American Farmers
Rancho Palos Verdes (Calif.)
Concentration Camps
Reparations for historical injustices
Ishibashi, Kumekichi , 1874-1954
Ishibashi, Take, 1886-1928
Ishibashi, Masaichi, 1912-2004
Ishibashi, Miye (May)
Ishibashi, George
Ishibashi, Kay
Ishibashi, Yasuko
Ishibashi, Akira
Ishibashi, Satoshi
Palos Verdes Corporation Ranch
Palos Verdes Company
Palos Verdes Growers Association
Marineland
United States. War Relocation Authority
Japanese American Citizens' League