Minidoka

Minidoka Location & Map

Location: Snake River Plain, south-central Idaho Address: Hunt, Idaho (unincorporated community), Jerome County Coordinates: 42.6783°N, 114.2500°W Elevation: Approximately 4,000 feet

Minidoka War Relocation Center is located in the high desert of south-central Idaho:

• 15 miles northeast of Twin Falls, Idaho
• 8 miles north of Eden, Idaho
• Near the unincorporated community of Hunt
• Along the north side of the Snake River
• Approximately 130 miles southeast of Boise

Getting to Minidoka National Historic Site

By Car: From Twin Falls, take US Highway 93 north, then follow signs to Minidoka National Historic Site. The site entrance is off Hunt Road.

Visitor Center:

• Located in Jerome County, separate from the main camp site
• Provides orientation, exhibits, and educational programs
• Contact NPS for current hours and programs

Main Site Access:

• Open to visitors year-round during daylight hours
• Self-guided walking tour with interpretive markers
• Preserved structures and reconstructed elements

Annual Pilgrimage: Held in July, featuring educational programs, cultural activities, and memorial services.

Historical Overview

Minidoka War Relocation Center opened on August 10, 1942, becoming one of the first permanent incarceration sites established under Executive Order 9066. The camp imprisoned primarily Japanese Americans forcibly removed from Oregon, Washington, and Alaska, along with smaller numbers from Northern California.

The facility was built on 33,000 acres of undeveloped sagebrush desert land managed by the Bureau of Reclamation. The developed residential and administrative area covered approximately 950 acres, while the remaining land was used for agriculture, livestock, and as a security buffer.

At its peak in March 1943, Minidoka’s population of 9,397 made it the seventh-largest city in Idaho, demonstrating the massive scale of forced removal and incarceration.

Camp Layout and Architecture

Minidoka followed the standard War Relocation Authority camp design:

Residential Area

The main camp consisted of:

• 44 residential blocks arranged in rows
• 600+ barrack buildings total
• Central facilities: Administration, warehouses, staff housing
• Perimeter security: Guard towers, barbed wire fencing, military police

Block Structure

Each of the 44 residential blocks typically contained:

• 12 residential barracks (20 x 120 feet, divided into 4-6 rooms per barrack)
• 1 mess hall (dining facility serving 250-300 people)
• 1 recreation hall (community building)
• 1 latrine/washroom building (communal toilets, sinks, and showers)
• 1 laundry building (communal washing facilities)

Construction Materials

Barracks were hastily constructed with:

• Green lumber (still wet, warped as it dried)
• Tar paper exterior covering
• Single-wall construction with no insulation
• Coal-burning stoves for heat (inadequate for Idaho winters)
• Knotholes and gaps between boards allowing dust and cold air to enter
• Small windows providing minimal light and ventilation

Families of varying sizes were assigned to single rooms (12 x 20 feet average) with no privacy, separated only by thin walls that didn’t reach the ceiling. Furniture consisted of army cots, a light bulb, and a pot-bellied stove.

Additional Facilities

• Hospital: 100+ bed facility with surgical and dental services
• Schools: Elementary school and Hunt High School (named after the nearby community)
• Fire station: Staffed by internee firefighters
• Military police compound: Separate from residential area
• Agricultural areas: Thousands of acres cultivated by internee labor
• Warehouse and motor pool: Logistics and maintenance

Timeline of Key Events

• August 10, 1942: First internees arrive at Minidoka from Portland Assembly Center
• August-September 1942: Majority of population arrives, primarily from Washington, Oregon, and Alaska
• October 1942: Camp reaches operational capacity
• March 1943: Peak population of 9,397 reached, making Minidoka Idaho’s 7th-largest city
• January 1943: Military recruitment begins; initial resistance to volunteering while families remain imprisoned
• February 1943: Loyalty questionnaire administered, causing family conflicts and divisions
• 1943-1944: Over 900 men volunteer for military service (primarily 442nd RCT and MIS)
• 1944: Agricultural production peaks with thousands of acres under cultivation
• 1944-1945: Seasonal leave program allows some internees to work outside the camp
• January 1945: West Coast exclusion orders rescinded; some begin returning home
• October 28, 1945: Last internees leave Minidoka; camp officially closes
• 2001: Minidoka designated a National Historic Site
• 2008: Minidoka National Historic Site visitor center opens

Daily Life and Community

Despite imprisonment in Idaho’s harsh high desert, Minidoka’s internees established a functioning community:

Education

• Hunt High School: Named after the nearby unincorporated community
  • Full academic curriculum with internee and hired teachers
  • Extracurricular activities including athletics, drama, and music
  • Yearbooks published annually (preserved in archives)
  • Athletic teams competed against local Idaho schools (though faced discrimination)
• Elementary schools: Separate schools for younger children
• Adult education: English classes, vocational training, cultural programs

The Minidoka Irrigator (Camp Newspaper)

The camp newspaper documented daily life and community news:

• Published three times weekly throughout camp operation
• Written, edited, and printed by internees
• Covered camp events, policies, resettlement opportunities, and war news
• Now digitized and available for research

Agricultural and Industrial Production

Minidoka became one of the most agriculturally productive WRA camps:

• Farming: Cultivated over 3,000 acres of vegetables, grains, and feed crops
• Livestock: Hog, cattle, and poultry operations
• Food production: Supplied the camp and contributed to other WRA facilities
• Camp services: Mess halls, hospitals, schools, maintenance, administration
• Wages: $12-19 per month, far below civilian market rates

The irony was stark: internees were forced to make the desert bloom while imprisoned, demonstrating agricultural expertise that benefited the government while they remained confined.

Cultural and Religious Life

• Buddhist and Christian services: Multiple congregations and denominations
• Traditional Japanese arts: Calligraphy, flower arrangement, music, dance
• Crafts: Woodworking, stone polishing (using volcanic rock from the site)
• Theater and music: Drama productions, bands, orchestras, traditional performances
• Sports: Baseball, basketball, football, sumo wrestling, martial arts
• Community organizations: Women’s clubs, youth groups, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts

Gardens and Beautification

Despite the harsh desert environment, internees created:

• Vegetable gardens near barracks
• Ornamental gardens with rocks and native plants
• Ponds and water features (when water was available)
• Pathways and landscaping using volcanic rock
• Small acts of dignity and beauty amid confinement

Notable Internees and Military Service

Military Service

Despite imprisonment of their families, over 900 men from Minidoka volunteered for U.S. military service:

• 442nd Regimental Combat Team: Most decorated unit of its size in U.S. history
• Military Intelligence Service: Critical role in Pacific theater
• 73 servicemen from Minidoka died in combat
• Many received Purple Hearts, Bronze Stars, Silver Stars, and other decorations

The camp’s memorial honor roll lists all who served, including those killed in action. Annual pilgrimages honor their sacrifice and the impossible position they faced: proving loyalty while their families remained imprisoned.

Notable Individuals

• Edison Uno: Civil rights activist who led the campaign for redress and reparations in the 1970s-1980s
• Lawson Fusao Inada: Poet Laureate of Oregon, whose work addresses the internment experience
• Dr. Henry Sugimoto: Artist who created hundreds of paintings documenting camp life
• Mitsuye Endo: Her Supreme Court case (Ex parte Endo, 1944) led to the end of detention, though she was imprisoned at Topaz when the case was decided

Community Leaders

• Block managers who advocated for improved conditions
• Teachers who maintained educational quality despite limited resources
• Medical staff who provided care in understaffed facilities
• Religious leaders who sustained spiritual communities
• Youth leaders who organized activities and preserved morale

Climate and Environmental Hardships

Minidoka’s high desert location created extreme environmental challenges:

Extreme Temperature Variations

• Summer: Temperatures regularly exceeded 100°F
• Winter: Temperatures frequently dropped to -20°F to -30°F
• Daily swings: Could vary 40-50°F between day and night
• Barracks: Green lumber warped as it dried, creating gaps; single-wall construction provided no insulation
• Heating: Coal-burning stoves inadequate for Idaho winters; coal shortages occurred

High Desert Conditions

• Dust storms: Frequent and severe, covering everything in fine volcanic dust
  • “Minidoka dust” penetrated through every crack and gap in barracks
  • Respiratory problems common
  • Impossible to keep living spaces clean
• Wind: Strong, constant winds across the open plain
• Low humidity: Contributed to nosebleeds, cracked skin, respiratory issues
• Minimal precipitation: Approximately 9 inches annually
• Sagebrush and lava rock: Little natural vegetation or shade

Snake River Proximity

• Despite being near the Snake River, water was limited and rationed
• Recreational use of the river was restricted
• Swimming occasionally allowed under supervision
• Fishing sometimes permitted

Health Impacts

Environmental conditions caused:

• Respiratory illnesses (dust, dry air)
• Frostbite and hypothermia in winter
• Heat exhaustion in summer
• “Desert fever” (coccidioidomycosis) in some cases
• Difficulty for elderly, young children, and those with chronic conditions

Adaptations

Internees adapted by:

• Stuffing cracks with newspaper and rags
• Hanging blankets to create windbreaks
• Building insulated spaces within barracks
• Creating gardens despite limited water
• Community mutual aid during extreme weather

Loyalty Questionnaire and Division

The February 1943 loyalty questionnaire created profound trauma and division at Minidoka:

The Questionnaire

All adults were required to complete a questionnaire with two particularly controversial questions:

• Question 27: “Are you willing to serve in the armed forces of the United States on combat duty wherever ordered?”
• Question 28: “Will you swear unqualified allegiance to the United States of America and faithfully defend the United States from any or all attack by foreign or domestic forces, and forswear any form of allegiance or obedience to the Japanese emperor, or any other foreign government, power or organization?”

The Impossible Choice

For Issei (first generation immigrants ineligible for U.S. citizenship), Question 28 demanded they renounce Japanese citizenship without the ability to become American citizens—rendering them stateless.

For Nisei (second generation, U.S. citizens by birth), the questions presumed disloyalty while they were imprisoned without charge or trial.

Results at Minidoka

• Intense family conflicts over how to answer
• Some answered “no-no” in protest of continued imprisonment
• Those classified as “disloyal” were transferred to Tule Lake Segregation Center
• Families chose to stay together at Tule Lake rather than be separated
• Deep resentment and trauma lasting for generations

Despite this injustice, over 900 men from Minidoka volunteered for military service, many before the loyalty questionnaire was even administered.

Resistance and Resilience

Forms of Resistance

While Minidoka had less overt resistance than camps like Poston or Manzanar, internees resisted in various ways:

• Work slowdowns and strikes
• Refusal to answer loyalty questionnaire or answering “no-no”
• Legal challenges (supporting test cases like Endo)
• Cultural preservation as resistance (language schools, Buddhist services)
• Documentation through art, writing, and secret photography
• Maintaining dignity and community despite conditions

Resilience and Community Building

Internees demonstrated remarkable resilience:

• Building schools and ensuring children received education
• Creating beauty through gardens and art
• Maintaining cultural traditions
• Supporting each other through hardships
• Organizing community activities and events
• Caring for the vulnerable (elderly, sick, young)

Closure and Aftermath

Camp Closing (October 1945)

As the war ended, Minidoka began closing operations:

• January 1945: West Coast exclusion orders rescinded
• Early 1945: Some internees begin returning to West Coast
• Summer-Fall 1945: Accelerated closing process
• October 28, 1945: Last internees leave; camp officially closes

Challenges of Release

Internees faced severe challenges upon release:

• Many had lost homes, businesses, and property
• Anti-Japanese sentiment remained high, particularly on West Coast
• Limited resources for resettlement
• No government compensation for losses until 1988 Civil Liberties Act
• Some chose to settle in Idaho or other interior states rather than face hostility on the coast

What Happened to the Site

After closure:

• Most buildings demolished or sold as surplus
• Some barracks moved to nearby communities and used as housing
• Agricultural land incorporated into Bureau of Reclamation irrigation projects
• Site largely forgotten until preservation efforts began in 1970s-1980s
• Volcanic rock gardens and root cellars remained visible

Present Day - National Historic Site

National Park Service Designation

In 2001, Minidoka was designated a National Historic Site, ensuring federal protection and interpretation. The site is managed by the National Park Service.

Preserved Elements

Original Structures:

• Root cellars (used for food storage)
• Storm shelters
• Concrete foundations scattered across the site
• Portions of the irrigation system
• Entry guard station (reconstructed)
• Volcanic rock gardens and landscaping created by internees

Reconstructed:

• Barracks (one fully reconstructed)
• Entry guard station
• Interpretive signage and walking trails

Visitor Center (opened 2008):

• Located in Jerome County, separate from main site
• Exhibits on camp history and Japanese American experience
• Educational programs for schools and public
• Artifacts, photographs, and oral histories
• Research library and archives

Friends of Minidoka

Community organization dedicated to:

• Site preservation and interpretation
• Annual July pilgrimage event
• Educational programs and resources
• Advocacy for resources and recognition
• Partnerships with NPS and communities

Annual Pilgrimage

Held each July, the Minidoka Pilgrimage brings together:

• Former internees (dwindling in number as of 2025)
• Descendants of internees
• Community members and supporters
• Students and educators
• Researchers and historians

Activities include:

• Site tours and educational programs
• Cultural performances and demonstrations
• Panel discussions with survivors and scholars
• Recognition of military servicemen
• Memorial services

Access and Visitation

• Visitor Center: Check NPS website for current hours
• Main Site: Open year-round during daylight hours
• Self-guided tours: Interpretive markers and brochures available
• Educational programs: Available for groups by arrangement
• Respectful visitation: This is a site of trauma and remembrance

Geographic and Historical Context

Idaho’s Role

Idaho’s experience with Japanese American incarceration was complex:

• Minidoka was the only WRA camp in Idaho
• Some Idaho politicians and citizens opposed the camp
• Others saw economic opportunity in cheap labor
• Post-war, some former internees settled in Idaho and built thriving communities

Snake River Plain

The choice of this location reflected WRA goals:

• Isolation from strategic coastal areas
• Use of undeveloped federal land (Bureau of Reclamation)
• Agricultural potential for labor exploitation
• Harsh conditions to discourage escape
• Distance from major population centers

Bureau of Reclamation Land

The camp was built on land managed by the Bureau of Reclamation for irrigation projects:

• Federal control of the land facilitated rapid construction
• Post-war, land was incorporated into irrigation district
• Minidoka Dam and irrigation system (unrelated to camp except in name) developed the region

Post-War Idaho Japanese American Community

Some former Minidoka internees chose to remain in Idaho:

• Established farms and businesses
• Built community organizations
• Contributed to Idaho’s cultural diversity
• Maintained connections to the site through pilgrimage events

Significance in Masumi Hayashi’s Work

Masumi Hayashi, born in 1945 at Arizona’s Gila River concentration camp, photographed Minidoka as part of her comprehensive documentation of all ten War Relocation Authority sites.

Visual Documentation

Her panoramic photo collages of Minidoka capture:

• Root cellars: Underground structures built for food storage, among the most visible remaining features
• Waiting room: A preserved structure from the camp’s entrance area
• Foundations: Concrete remnants scattered across the high desert
• Landscape: The harsh sagebrush environment and volcanic soil

Artistic Approach

Hayashi’s work at Minidoka emphasizes:

• Isolation: The remote high desert location far from internees’ homes
• Harsh environment: Extreme conditions internees endured
• Material traces: What little physical evidence remains
• Memory: Preserving sites before they disappear entirely

Panoramic Technique

Her distinctive panoramic format:

• Captures the vast, empty landscape
• Fragments and reassembles the view, mirroring fractured communities
• Forces viewers to scan across the image, engaging actively with the site
• Creates a sense of disorientation matching the internees’ experience

Legacy Preservation

By photographing Minidoka and the other nine camps, Hayashi:

• Created an essential visual archive before further deterioration
• Transformed abstract history into visceral, physical reality
• Forced viewers to confront material traces of injustice
• Ensured that even as time erases evidence, the photographic record remains

Her work complements the preservation efforts of Friends of Minidoka and the National Park Service, ensuring that this history remains visible and undeniable.

Educational and Constitutional Significance

Minidoka serves as a crucial educational site:

Civil Liberties Lessons

• Demonstrates the fragility of constitutional rights during wartime
• Illustrates consequences of racism, fear, and political failure
• Honors resilience and patriotism despite profound injustice
• Provides framework for discussing contemporary civil liberties issues

Physical Evidence

The site provides tangible connection to history:

• Visitors can walk where internees lived
• Root cellars and foundations make the experience concrete
• Reconstructed barracks show actual living conditions
• High desert environment conveys the hardship internees faced

Intergenerational Dialogue

Annual pilgrimages facilitate:

• Transmission of memory from survivors to descendants
• Education of broader public
• Healing and community building
• Ongoing advocacy for civil liberties

Minidoka stands as physical evidence that this happened—not in some distant place, but in Idaho, within living memory, to American citizens and legal residents whose only “crime” was their Japanese ancestry.

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This page honors all who were imprisoned at Minidoka, the 73 servicemen from Minidoka who gave their lives in World War II, and the ongoing efforts to preserve this history and defend constitutional rights for all Americans.