About this property
The Topaz War Relocation Center, also known as the Central Utah Relocation Center (Topaz) and briefly as the Abraham Relocation Center, was an American concentration camp in which Americans of Japanese descent and immigrants who had come to the United States from Japan, called Nikkei were incarcerated. President Franklin Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066 in February 1942, ordering people of Japanese ancestry to be incarcerated in what were euphemistically called "relocation centers" like Topaz during World War II. Most of the people incarcerated at Topaz came from the Tanforan Assembly Center and previously lived in the San Francisco Bay Area. The camp was opened in September 1942 and closed in October 1945. The camp, approximately 15 miles (24.1 km) west of Delta, Utah, consisted of 19,800 acres (8,012.8 ha), with a 640 acres (259.0 ha) main living area. Most internees lived in the main living area, though some lived off-site as agricultural and industrial laborers.
Location
Federal Designation
The National Register of Historic Places, administered by the National Park Service, is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical, architectural, archaeological, engineering, or cultural significance. Listing on the National Register recognizes a property's importance to American history but does not place restrictions on private owners; it does, however, make properties eligible for federal historic preservation tax incentives and enables consideration in federal planning decisions. National Historic Landmark designation, the highest level of federal recognition, is reserved for properties that possess exceptional national significance in the history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, or culture of the United States. This property is recorded in the National Register under reference number 07000432. It was listed on March 28, 2007.
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Nearby Historic Sites
Questions about this property
When was Central Utah Relocation Center (Topaz) Site listed on the National Register?
Central Utah Relocation Center (Topaz) Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 28, 2007.
What type of historic resource is Central Utah Relocation Center (Topaz) Site?
Central Utah Relocation Center (Topaz) Site is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.
Is Central Utah Relocation Center (Topaz) Site a National Historic Landmark?
Yes. Central Utah Relocation Center (Topaz) Site has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.
What is the period of significance for Central Utah Relocation Center (Topaz) Site?
The period of significance for Central Utah Relocation Center (Topaz) Site is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1942.
Can I research the history near Central Utah Relocation Center (Topaz) Site?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Central Utah Relocation Center (Topaz) Site will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
Research the history near this site
An Aubrey US report for an address near Central Utah Relocation Center (Topaz) Site will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.