Inventory of the Takahashi Family Papers SPC.2020.013
Lindsay Anderson
California State University Dominguez Hills, Gerth Archives and Special Collections
April 16, 2020
University Library South -5039 (Fifth Floor)
1000 E. Victoria St.
Carson, CA 90747
archives@csudh.edu
Contributing Institution:
California State University Dominguez Hills, Gerth Archives and Special Collections
Title: Takahashi Family Papers
Creator:
Griffen, Florence
Creator:
Takahashi, Yae
Creator:
Treable, Dorothy
Identifier/Call Number: SPC.2020.013
Physical Description:
523 Megabytes
219 pdf files, 217 jpeg files
Date (inclusive): 1942-2013
Date (bulk): 1942-1969
Abstract: The Takahashi Family Papers comprise of photographs from a family photo album, correspondence between the immediate Takahashi
family, correspondence between Florence Griffen and her mother-in-law, Lois Griffen, transcripts of the correspondence, Yae
Takahashi's original artwork, Dorothy Treakle's school report cards, Florence's short autobiography, newspaper clippings,
church and Peace Corps papers, Poston incarceration camp Christmas cards, and more. All of this collection has been digitized
and some of the material is available online.
Language of Material:
English
, Japanese
.
Conditions Governing Access
There are no access restrictions on this collection.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Takahashi Family Papers was loaned to the Gerth Archives and Special Collections in 2020 by Margaret Zumwinkle. A second
accession was added in 2021. The entire collection was returned in 2021.
Availability of Digitalized Material
Some of the collection has been digitized and is available at the CSU Japanese American Project site:
Takahashi Family Papers
Takahashi Family Biography
Yoshizumi George Takahashi (1879-1959) was an Issei (first-generation Japanese American) who immigrated to the United States
in 1907 from Tokyo Prefecture, Japan. He settled in Dinuba, Tulare County, California, where he worked as a vineyard and truck
farmer. He later married Yaeko "Yae" Kawakami (1889-1975) in the same year she immigrated to the U.S. also from Tokyo Prefecture,
Japan in 1914. They had seven children they named Frank Isao (1915-1986), Rose "Rosie" Fukiko (1917-2007), Albert Takeshi
(1918-2017), Howard Akira (1920-2006), Florence Sumire (1923-2018), Dorothy Yuriko (1927-), and Margaret Yukiko (1929-). The
family was incarcerated at Poston incarceration camp in Parker, Arizona for three years during World War II before being released.
Two of George and Yae's sons, Albert and Howard, enlisted for military service as privates. George and Yae continued farming
in Spanish Fork, Utah before moving once more and settling in Los Angeles, California.
Florence was employed as a nurse at Willard State Psychiatric Hospital in Syracuse, New York in 1945 before taking other nursing
positions in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1947 and Los Angeles from 1948 until 1949. She married Robert "Bob" Griffen in 1956 and
had one daughter. Robert and Florence joined the Peace Corps and were able to work and teach internationally in Ecuador and
Bangkok, Thailand. They eventually returned to the United States and moved to Honolulu, Hawai'i in 1967 before Florence herself
returned to Los Angeles sometime in the 1970s or 1980's.
Existence and Location of Originals
Donor retained original material.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
The access files are PDF and JPG files stored on the Public Use Drive. Access to the files is available on-site in the Gerth
Archives and Special Collections reading room. Please request copies at the reference desk.
Preferred Citation
[Title of item], Takahashi Family Papers, Courtesy of the Department of Archives and Special Collections. University Library.
California State University, Dominguez Hills
Processing Information for Digitized Material
The Gerth Archives and Special Collections created digital reproductions from the original material for long-term preservation
and access. These preservation files (47.1 gb, 956 tif files) were scanned to and stored on the Gerth Archives and Special
Collections Deparment Drive. For more information on the best practices and standards for the digitization process, please
see:
CSU Japanese American Digitization Project technical reference guide.
Related Materials
Scope and Contents
The Takahashi Family Papers (1942-2013, bulk 1942-1969) contain digitized material from the Takahashi family. Included are
letters from immediate family members pre and post-World War II. Most of the letters from after World War II were written
by Florence (Takahashi) Griffen while she was in New York and after she joined the Peace Corps with her husband and moved
to Bangkok, Thailand. There are also two copies of transcripted letters to Albert Takeshi Takahashi during World War II and
from Florence while she was in Syracuse, New York. Besides the letters, there are also get-well cards and handmade cards from
the Poston incarceration camp.
The collection also contains individual material that relates to Florence, her sister Dorothy, and her mother Yae. The newspaper
clippings, handwritten notes, journal entries, and other material related to Florene are associated with her career, the Peace
Corps, and her work in general. Material that correlates with Dorothy (Takahashi) Treakle, are report cards from primary,
secondary, high school, and college. The material related to Yae Takahashi is her artwork from the Poston incarceration camp.
The individual photographs and family photo album include images of pre and post-World War II. The family photo album contains
images from the Poston incarceration camp, Robert and Florence (Takahashi) Griffen's wedding, pre-World War II photographs
of family, and post-World War II photographs of George Yoshizumi and Yae Takahashi's grandchildren. The individual photographs
are of Albert Takahashi and a school photograph most likely from the Poston incarceration camp.
Conditions Governing Use
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.
Arrangement
This collection is arranged in six series: Correspondence, Yae Takahashi, Florence (Takahashi) Griffen, Dorothy (Takahashi)
Treakle, Takahashi family photo album and individual photographs, and Other material related to incarceration camps.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Japanese American art
Japanese American families
Japanese American soldiers
Japanese Americans -- California
Japanese American Farmers -- California
World War, 1939-1945 -- Concentration Camps -- United States
Photograph albums
Correspondence
Nursing
Tulare Lake (Calif.)
Los Angeles (Calif.)
Sanām Lūang (Bangkok, Thailand)
Takahashi, Yoshizumi George
Takahashi, Rosie
Takahashi, Albert
Takahashi, Howard
Griffen, Robert
Griffen, Lois
Poston Incarceration Camp
Zumwinkle, Margaret
Correspondence
1942-1969
1942-1948
1963-1969
Language of Material: English, Japanese.
Scope and Contents
This series contains a series of correspondence primarily written amongst the immediate Takahashi family members right before,
during, and after they were incarcerated at Poston from 1942 until 1945. This series also contains correspondence written
primarily from Flo to her mother, Yae, and mother-in-law, Lois Griffen, while she and her husband, Bob Griffen were working
for the Peace Corps on assignment in Bangkok, Thailand from 1966 until 1967.
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Postcard and letters to George and Yae Takahashi, from Dorothy (Takahashi) Treakle
1944 November 22 - 1948 June 3
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Letters to George and Yae Takahashi, and Margaret (Takahashi) Zumwinkle, from Albert Takahashi
1942 December 31, 1945 November 6
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Postcard and letters to Albert Takahashi, from the Takahashi Family
1942 February 10, 1942 August 12, undated
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Letters to Albert Takahashi, from George and Yae Takahashi
1942 July 18 - 1942 November 5
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Postcards to Albert Takahashi, from Rosie Takahashi
1942 August 24 - 1944 August 8
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Letters to Albert Takahashi, from Florence (Takahashi) Griffen, Dorothy (Takahashi) Treakle, and Margaret (Takahashi) Zumwinkle
1942 January 28, 1942 July 23
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Postcard and letters to Albert Takahashi, from Florence (Takahashi) Griffen
1942 June 15 - 1942 December 19
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Letters to Albert Takahashi, from Dorothy (Takahashi) Treakle
1942 October 10 - 1948 January 15
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Letters to Margaret (Takahashi) Zumwinkle and Dorothy (Takahashi) Treakle, from Yae Takahashi
1946 December 4, 1948 July 6
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Letter to Howard Takahashi, from Yae Takahashi
1947 August 4
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Letters to Florence (Takahashi) and Bob Griffen, from Yae and Rosie Takahashi
1963 January 10, 1969 June 18
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Postcard and letters to Dorothy (Takahashi) Treakle, from Florence (Takahashi) and Robert Griffen
1963 June 16 - 1966 December 21, undated
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Letters to Lois Griffen, from Florence (Takahashi) Griffen
1967 August 24 - 1969 April 16
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Letters to Yae and Rosie Takahashi, from Florence (Takahashi) Griffen
1945 May 25 - 1969 March 3, undated
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Letters to George Takahashi, from Florence (Takahashi) Griffen
1945 June 21 - 1948 December 19
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Letter to Margaret (Takahashi) Zumwinkle, from Florence (Takahashi) Griffen
1945 December 23
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Postcard and letters to the Takahashi family, from Florence (Takahashi) Griffen
1945 May 14 - 1948 May 24
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Letter to Florence (Takahashi) Griffen, from Duji P.
circa 1945 December
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Correspondence transcripts, 1942-1947
undated
General
Two transcriptions of letters from the Takahashi family primarily to Albert Takahashi while they were living in Dinuba and
incarerated at the Poston incareration camp. One copy is edited. Also included are two transcriptions of Florence (Takahashi)
Griffen's letters to her family while she was living in Syracuse, New York. One copy is edited.
Yae Takahashi
1942-1945
Scope and Contents
The Yae Takahashi series comprises of artwork completed by Yae Takahashi, in which she was most likely inspiried by Japanese
themes and her experience while incarcerated at Poston.
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Drawings and watercolor artwork
circa 1942-1945, undated
Florence (Takahashi) Griffen
1943-2013
1962-1967
Scope and Contents
The Florence (Takahashi) Griffen series comprises of Florence's small collection of newspaper clippings, church and Peace
Corp documents, short memoir, and more.
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Syracuse University days
undated
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Journal entries concerning Peace Corps-related work in Ecuador
1962 February 25 - 1964 May 26
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Climate change papers
2004, 2013
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Organizational chart of the Council of Missionaries Office of the D.M. in Thailand
circa 1966-1967
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Church of the Crossroads, U.C.C., Honolulu sermon papers
1965 April 4
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Sage Granada Park United Methodist Church, Alhambra papers
1997-1999
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Eulogy Notes written for Florence (Takahashi) Griffen
undated
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Poston incarceration camp Christmas cards addressed to Florence (Takahashi) Griffen
1943 December 9, undated
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Cards addressed to Florence (Takahashi) Griffen
1978 March 3, undated
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Certificate of Baptism
1943 November 28
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Peace Corps article concerning Public Health in Ecuador, featuring Robert and Florence (Takahashi) Griffen
circa 1962-1964
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
List of expenses concerning telephone calls
1979
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Children's drawings and story
undated
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
World War II and post-World War II era newspaper articles
circa 1945 August - 1952 December, undated
Dorothy (Takahashi) Treakle
1932-1946
Scope and Contents
The Dorothy (Takahashi) Treakle series comprises of Dorothy's school report cards from primary school, secondary school, high
school, and university.
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive, folder Takahashi Family Papers
Primary school, secondary school, high school, and university report cards
1932-1946
Takahashi family photo album and individual photographs
circa 1920-1961
General
Photograph album and individual photographs of the Takahashi family. The photo album includes images of the family at the
Poston incarceration camp, Florence (Takahashi) and Robert Griffen's wedding, grandchildren of Yae and George Takahashi, and
some pre-World War family photographs.
Takahashi family photo album
1920-1961
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive
Grade nine portrait most likely from the Poston incarceration camp
circa 1942-1945
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive
Portrait of Albert Takahashi wearing a military uniform
circa 1942-1945
Other material related to incarceration camps
1943 June 19
General
Other material related to incarceration camps.
folder CSUJAD Public Use Drive
Block studies, school files, student autobiography
1943-06-19
General
Reproduction of a student autobiography from the Poston incarceration camp.