Research: Rohwer Relocation Camp

Location: Desha County, southeastern Arkansas

Land: Farm Security Administration land.

Size: 10,161 acres.

Climate: Wooded swamp land; high heat and humidity, with sudden rains.

Population origins:

Los Angeles County (4,324)
San Joaquin County (3,516)

Most of the poplulation was urban.

Peak population: 8,475

Date of peak: March 11, 1943.

Opening Date: September 18, 1942.

Closing Date: November 30, 1945.

Project director(s): Raymond Johnson.

Community Analysts: Margaret Lantis, Katherine Luomala and Charles Wisdom.

Newpaper(s): Rohwer Outpost (October 24, 1942 to July 21, 1945).

% who answered question 28 of the loyalty questionnaire positively: 94.9%

Number and percentage of eligible citizen males inducted directly into armed forces: 274 (4.7 %)

History: In an early episode, inmate volunteers clearing brush were taken off to a local jail at gunpoint by locals who thought they were Japanese paratroopers. Because of the irregular weather, farming was difficult here despite relatively fertile soil. The climate also led to problems with mosquitos and chiggers.

See Also:

Carole Katsuko Yumiba, "An Educational History of the War Relocation Centers at Jerome and Rohwer, Arkansas, 1942-1945.", Arkansas Historical Quarterly 69 (Summer 1989); pp 169-96.

Source: Japanese American History: An A to Z Reference, 1868 to the Present, by Brian Niiya. New York: Facts on File, 1993. This information is provided with the permission from the Japanese American National Museum and Brian Niiya, 1997.