Ishibashi Family Collection, 1910-2011

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Ishibashi Collection

Summary

Creators:
Ishibashi, Masaichi, 1912-2004 and Ishibashi, Kumekichi , 1874-1954
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.
Extent:
3 boxes and 1.5 Linear Feet
Language:
Collection material is in <language encodinganalog="041" langcode="eng" scriptcode="latn">English</language>
Preferred citation:

For information about citing archival material, see the Citations for Archival Materialguide, or consult the appropriate style manual.

Background

Scope and content:

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.

Biographical / historical:

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.

Acquisition information:
Materials were received from Grace Watanabe and Nancy Sasaki in 2012
Processing information:

Collection processed by Ryoko Onishi in 2013.

Arrangement:

Arranged in 3 series:

  1. Series I. Business and Personal Documents (1910-2011)
  2. Series II. Photographs (ca.1910-2011)
  3. Series III. Artifacts and Films (ca. 1910-2011)
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

There are no access restrictions on this collection.

Terms of access:

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.

Preferred citation:

For information about citing archival material, see the Citations for Archival Materialguide, or consult the appropriate style manual.

Location of this collection:
University Library, 5th Flr (5039)
1000 E. Victoria Street
Carson, CA 90747, US
Contact:
(310) 243-3895
archives@csudh.edu
Website