Camp Harmony

Camp Harmony was the unofficial name of the Puyallup Assembly Center, a temporary facility within the system of internment camps set up for Japanese Americans during World War II. Approximately 7,390 Americans of Japanese descent in Washington state were sent to the camp before being sent to the Minidoka relocation center near Twin Falls, Idaho.

Camp Harmony was established in May of 1942 shortly after the bombing attack on Pearl Harbor. The location for the assembly center was on and around the Western Washington Fairgrounds in Puyallup, Washington. It consisted of four distinct areas:

*A, with a population of about 2000, located northeast of the fairgrounds.
*B, with a population of about 1200, just east of the fairgrounds in the vicinity of the current Blue parking lot.
*C, with a population of about 800, located northwest of the fairgrounds.
*D, with a population of about 3000, located on the fairgrounds in the area including the racetrack and grandstand, east of the roller coaster.

In September of 1942, the Japanese-Americans were sent to other locations, and the camp was torn down. Then, the Puyallup Fairgrounds were occupied by the U.S. Army 943rd Signal Service Battalion until they were transferred to Fort Lewis, Washington in December. From this time until the end of World War II, the Puyallup Fairgrounds remained closed.

The first postwar Fair took place in September of 1946. [ [http://www.thefair.com/utility/about-us/history.php TheFair.com : Site Information : About Us : History ] ]

External links

* [http://www.lib.washington.edu/exhibits/harmony/exhibit/index.html University of Washington Libraries Camp Harmony Exhibit]
* [http://www.wingluke.org Wing Luke Asian Museum]
* [http://content.lib.washington.edu/socialweb/index.html University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections – Social Issues Photographs]
* [http://www.thefair.com/utility/about-us/history.php History of The Fair]

References