Colorado River Relocation Center Records: Finding Aid
mssCoRivRe
Processed by Huntington Library; supplementary encoding and revision supplied by
Xiuzhi Zhou in 2004.
The Huntington Library
2000
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Business Number: (626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
Note
Finding aid last updated on July 3, 2023, by Mari Khasmanyan.
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Colorado River Relocation Center records
Creator:
Backus, Edythe N.
Identifier/Call Number: mssCoRivRe
Physical Description:
9.67 Linear Feet
(11 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1942-1945
Abstract: The collection contains correspondence,
photographs, yearbooks, bulletins, memoranda, and other material dating from approximately
1942 to 1945 relating to the Japanese internment camp, the Colorado River Relocation Center
in Poston, Arizona. The materials were assembled by Pasadena area teacher Edythe N. Backus
who left her position in California to teach at the Center.
Language of Material: Materials are mostly in English
with some Japanese.
Conditions Governing Access
Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at
the Huntington Library for more information.
Conditions Governing Use
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from
or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The
responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining
necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Edythe N. Backus, 1948.
Custodial History
Bulletins to War Service Personnel by Huntington Library Staff from 1943-1945 (18 pieces)
were originally housed in box 1, but on 1/23/1974 were transferred to Huntington Library
Archives.
Biographical / Historical
The Colorado River Relocation Center, established by the United States War Relocation
Authority in May 1942, confined Americans of Japanese descent who were required to leave
their homes during World War II.
Edythe N. Backus (1897-1956) was a teacher from the Pasadena area who volunteered to teach
at Poston, Arizona. She collected materials related to life in the Center which now make up
this collection.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Colorado River Relocation Center records, The Huntington Library,
San Marino, California.
Scope and Contents
The collection contains correspondence, 12 photographs, bulletins, memoranda, and other
printed materials assembled by Edythe N. Backus related to the Colorado River Relocation
Center at Poston, AZ. Also included are copies of The Poston chronicle and Poston High and
Junior High School annuals, newspapers, and bulletins. The 141 pieces of correspondence are
primarily by Japanese-Americans as they reintegrated to American society outside the center.
The collection also includes watercolor drawings of camp scenes by Kastsumi Natagawa and H.
Yoshizumi.
Processing Information
Processed by Huntington Library staff; supplementary encoding and revision supplied by
Xiuzhi Zhou in 2004. In July 2023, Mari Khasmanyan rehoused part of the collection, updated
container information (boxes 8, 9, 10, and 11 were created) and updated the finding aid.
Existence and Location of Copies
Arrangement
Collection is arranged according to the existing order of the materials.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Japanese Americans -- Forced removal and internment, 1942-1945 --
Sources
Letters (correspondence) -- Arizona, Poston -- 20th
century
Photographs -- Arizona, Poston -- 20th century
Poston (Ariz.) -- History -- Sources
United States -- War Relocation Authority
Watercolors (paintings) -- Arizona, Poston -- 20th century
World War, 1939-1945 -- Concentration camps -- Arizona,
Poston
Poston Relocation Center (Ariz.)
Box 1, Folder 1-37, Box 2, Folder 1-4
Correspondence
1942-1945
Physical Description: 216 pieces.
Scope and Contents
Box 1, folder 5 contains memos & momentos of Poston High School.
Box 2, Folder 5
Drawing of Block 30, Camp 1, Poston Arizona Relocation Center
1943
Physical Description: 1 piece
Box 2, Folder 6
Photographs, Camp 1, Poston
1944
Physical Description: 14 pieces
Box 2, Folder 7
Poston Staff News sheet Poston Persiflage
1945
Physical Description: 10 pieces
Box 2, Folder 8
Poston I Junior High School publication Desert Daze
1943-1945
Physical Description: 36 pieces
Box 2, Folder 9
Poston III Junior High School publication Jr. Hi Spotlight
1943-1944
Physical Description: 14 pieces
Box 2, Folder 10
Poston I Senior High School publication Kampus Krier
1943-1945
Physical Description: 78 pieces
Box 2, Folder 11
Poston II High School publication El Bullador
1943-1945
Physical Description: 22 pieces
Box 2, Folder 12
Poston III High School publication Hi Times
1942-1945
Physical Description: 36 pieces
Box 2, Folder 13
Rohwer (Ark.) High School publication Hi-Lites
1943-1945
Physical Description: 4 pieces
Box 2, Folder 14
Poston Chronicle Calender, with drawings by Noboru Yamakoshi
1944
Physical Description: 1 piece
Box 3, Folder 1
Poston High School teaching materials
1942-1943
Physical Description: 29 pieces
Box 3, Folder 2
Poston High School bulletins, notices etc. for student information.
1943-1944
Physical Description: 69 pieces
Box 3, Folder 3
Poston High School, 11th Grade Core Class essays and notes
1944-1945
Box 8, Volume 1-3
Poston High School, Ninth Grade Core Class Essays
1943
Physical Description: 3 pieces
Scope and Contents
Includes two essays titled, "A History of Poston," and a third report titled
"Furniture."
Box 8, Volume 4-8
Poston Poetry Club, volumes of poetry in Japanese
1944-1945
Physical Description: 5 pieces
Box 8, Volume 9-11
Poston High School Annuals
1943-1945
Physical Description: 3 pieces
Box 3, Folder 4-6
Family Welfare Orientation Program
1944
Physical Description: 3 pieces
Box 4, Folder 1
Food and Health memoranda
1942-1945
Physical Description: 30 pieces
Box 4, Folder 2
War Loan memoranda
1944-1945
Physical Description: 5 pieces
Box 4, Folder 3
Project memoranda
1944-1945
Physical Description: 18 pieces
Box 4, Folder 4
Library reports & memoranda
1943-1945
Physical Description: 45 pieces
Box 4, Folder 5
Colorado River War Relocation Project: An Approach to the Problems of Post-War
Reconstruction
1943
Physical Description: 1 piece
Box 4, Folder 6
Colorado River War Relocation Project: Director of Education memos & notes
issued for teacher information
1942-1944
Physical Description: 221 pieces
Box 4, Folder 7
U.S. American National Red Cross: bulletins, news, reports, etc.
1942-1944
Physical Description: 25 pieces
Box 5, Folder 1
Japanese-American Student Relocation information
1943-1944
Physical Description: 5 pieces
Box 5, Folder 2
Poston Schools Administrative Circulars
1942-1943
Physical Description: 39 pieces
Box 5, Folder 3
Poston community interest bulletins
1943-1944
Physical Description: 49 pieces
Box 5, Folder 4
War Relocation Authority: Proposed Curriculum procedures for Japanese
Relocation Centers
1942
Physical Description: 1 piece
Box 5, Folder 5
War Relocation Authority: Second Quarterly Report
1942
Physical Description: 3 pieces
Box 5, Folder 6
War Relocation Authority: Colorado River Project bulletins &
memos
1942-1945
Physical Description: 64 pieces
Box 6, Folder 1
"Press Bulletin" (Poston, Ariz.)
1942, Nov.-Dec.
Physical Description: 22 pieces
Box 6, Folder 2-5
"Poston Chronicle" (daily)
1943-1944
Physical Description: 214 pieces
Box 7, Folder 1-3
"Poston Chronicle" (daily)
1944-1945
Physical Description: 133 pieces
Box 7, Folder 4
"Los Angeles Times" (incomplete)
1943, June 8-9
Physical Description: 2 pieces
Box 7, Folder 5
"San Francisco Chronicle" (incomplete)
1944, Dec. 18-19
Physical Description: 2 pieces
Box 8
Posters & public announcements
1943
Physical Description: 5 pieces in one roll.
Box 9, Volume 1
U.S. Junior Red Cross Album, Out of the Desert
1943
Physical Description: 1 piece
Scope and Contents
Pages of the album are extremely fragile and brittle, handle with care.
Box 10, Volume 1
U.S. Junior Red Cross Album, Out of the Desert
1943
Digital reproductions of selected items from the Colorado River Relocation Center
records
Physical Description: 1 piece
Existence and Location of Copies
Scope and Contents
Pages of the album are extremely fragile and brittle, handle with care.
Box 11, Folder 1
Notices to students of Poston Schools, poster size in crayon on
cardboard
Physical Description: 2 pieces
Scope and Contents
Medium is fragile, handle with care.
Box 11, Folder 2
Watercolors of camp scenes by H. Yoshizumi
1944
Physical Description: 3 pieces
Box 11, Folder 3-4
Watercolors of camp scenes by Kastsumi Natagawa
1944
Physical Description: 4 pieces