Inventory of the Ishibashi Family Collection SPC.2012.002

Finding aid prepared by Ryoko Onishi; Updated by Rachel Mandell

California State University Dominguez Hills, Gerth Archives and Special Collections

University Library South -5039 (Fifth Floor)

1000 E. Victoria St.

Carson, CA 90747

archives@csudh.edu

URL: https://www.csudh.edu/libarchives/

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>

Access

There are no access restrictions on this collection.

Publication Rights

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 Material guide, or consult the appropriate style manual.

Acquisition Information

Materials were received from Grace Watanabe and Nancy Sasaki in 2012

Processing Information

Collection processed by Ryoko Onishi in 2013.

History

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.

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.

Arrangement

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.

Related Materials

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

Series I: Business and Personal Documents 1910-2011; undated

Physical Description: 0.5 Linear Feet

Physical Description: 1 box

Scope and Contents

Materials in this 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, Masaichi's photocopied journal 1943-1945, daily labor report at Colorado River War Relocation (Poston Relocation Center), war loss compensation and redress related documents 1947-1986 and newspaper clippings related family history and Marinland construction and withdrawal 1958-2011

box 1, folder 1

Biographical Sketches, Masaichi, Family Profile 1990 -2006

box 1, folder 2

Certificate of Issuance of Kumekichi's Ryoken (Japanese Passport) by Consulate of Japan 1931

box 1, folder 3

Japanese Passport, Take 1920

box 1, folder 4

Birth Certificate, Masaichi; Death Certificate, Kumeichi 1937 -1955

box 1, folder 5

Marriage License, Kumeichi and Take 1911

box 1, folder 6

Los Angeles City School District Report Cards,Masaichi 1922 -1931

box 1, folder 7

San Pedro High School Yearbook 1932

box 1, folder 8

Masaichi and Miye's Certificate of Marriage 1937

box 1, folder 9

Memorandum of Farm Lease of Palos Verdes Company and Other Contracts 1910 -1928

box 1, folder 10

Income Tax Returns 1920 -1945

box 1, folder 11

City and County Tax Memo for Palos Verdes Corporation Ranch 1939 -1940

box 1, folder 12

Receipt for County and School Tax and Miscellaneous Receipts 1916 -1941

box 1, folder 13

Montezuma Gold Mining Company Stock Certificate 1931

box 1, folder 14

Hand-Drawn Crop Map 1953

box 1, folder 15

Vegetable Crate Label of San Pedro Brand

box 1, folder 16

Notice of Reclassification,Masaichi 1943 ;1945

box 1, folder 17

War Relocation Authority Identity Cards 1943 -1945

box 1, folder 18

War Relocation Authority Publication, "Segregation of Persons of Japanese Ancestry in Relocation Centers" 1943

box 1, folder 19

Correspondence, Work Permit and Land Lease Agreement in Utah 1944 -1945

box 1, folder 20

Memo, Daily Labor Report Colorado River War Relocation Project 1943

box 1, folder 21

Photocopied Diaries During Incarceration, Masaichi 1942 -1945

box 1, folder 22

Correspondence in Japanese to Masaichi, Kumeichi, Bismarck, ND. 1942

box 1, folder 23

Correspondence and Memos, JACL Committee on Japanese American Evacuation Claims 1947 -1958

box 1, folder 24

Verification of Detention of Civilians During World War II, National Archives and Records Service and Photocopy of the $20,0000 Check 1983-1990

box 1, folder 25

Hand-Drawn Family Tree

box 1, folder 26

Correspondence with Marineland 1971 -1986

box 1, folder 27

Official Certificate of Registration in The American Immigrant Wall of Honor issued by The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Found 1992

box 1, folder 28

Terminal Islander's Membership Card and Historical Society Publication 1976 -1986

box 1, folder 29

Map of Palos Verdes Peninsula and Photograph circa 1970s

box 1, folder 30

Poston Memorial Monument Committee Correspondence and List of the 43 farmers 1994

box 1, folder 31

News Clippings 1956 -1968

box 1, folder 32

News Clippings 1975 -1976

box 1, folder 33

News Clippings 1980 -1987

box 1, folder 34

News Clippings 1990 -1992

box 1, folder 35

News Clippings 2005

box 1, folder 36

Printout, The Daily Breeze Article circa 2005

box 1, folder 37

Correspondence, Family History circa 1976-2004

box 1, folder 38

Correspondence, White House circa 1986

box 1, folder 39

Newspaper Clippings, San Pedro Vegetable Growers Materials, Relocation Related Materials circa 1940-1990s

box 1, folder 40

Birth and Death Certificate 1874 -1954

Series II: Photographs 1910-2011

Physical Description: 0.5 Linear Feet

Physical Description: 1 box

Scope and Contents

Materials in this series include a family photo album, as well as photographs of the Ishibashi's two ranches, Ranch 4 and Ranch 21, family vacations, leisure activities, incarceration during World War II and post-war life on the farm.

box 2, folder 1

Family Photo Album circa 1927-1952

box 2, folder 2

Hidaka Higher Girls' School in Wakayama, Miye 1932

box 2, folder 3

Kumeichi and his Rafu 15th Vegetable Market Japanese Members circa 1904

box 2, folder 4

Family Photos, Ranch 4 circa 1927 -1952

box 2, folder 5

Family Photos, Ranch 4 circa 1927 -1952

box 2, folder 6

Family Photos, Ranch 4 circa 1927 -1977

box 2, folder 7

Family Photos circa 1910 -1952

box 2, folder 8

Terminal Island, Kumeichi, Take circa 1910 -1954

box 2, folder 9

Ranch 4, Masaichi 1920 -1977

box 2, folder 10

Ranch Photos 1957 -1959

box 2, folder 11

Ranch Photos circa 1970s

box 2, folder 12

Color Slides 1952 -1954

box 2, folder 13

Masaichi and Miye's Photos from the Daily Breeze 1976

box 2, folder 14

Ranch 21 1983

box 2, folder 15

Ranch 21 circa 1983

box 2, folder 16

Ceremonial Photos circa 1920s-1950s

box 2, folder 17

Family Photos circa 1930s-1990s

box 2, folder 18

2 17 Color Slides: Farm and Family Life circa 1950s-1970s

Series III: Artifacts and Films 1910-2011; undated

Physical Description: 0.5 Linear Feet

Physical Description: 1 box

Scope and Contents

Materials in this series include moving images of the hilltop farm communities and Terminal Island in the 1930s, along with films of family trips. Also included are medals and family mementos, along with a DVD documenting family history.

box 3, folder 1

8 mm Film Reel in a Metal Case, Camp II Book

box 3, folder 2

Cine-Kodak Panchromatic Films 1937 -1957

box 3, folder 3

Cine-Kodak Films, Kodachrome Super 8 and 8mm Films 1937 -1957; 1980

box 3, folder 4

Medals and Mementos 1933 -1977

box 3, folder 5

DVDs, Family Profile