About this property
The Heart Mountain War Relocation Center , named after nearby Heart Mountain and located midway between the northwest Wyoming towns of Cody and Powell, was one of ten concentration camps used for the internment of Japanese Americans evicted during World War II from their local communities (including their homes, businesses, and college residencies) in the West Coast Exclusion Zone by the executive order of President Franklin Roosevelt (after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941, upon the recommendation of Lieutenant General John L. DeWitt). This site was managed before the war by the federal Bureau of Reclamation as the would-be site of a major irrigation project. Construction of the camp's 650 military-style barracks and surrounding guard towers began in June 1942. The camp opened August 11, when the first Japanese Americans were shipped in by train from the internment program's "assembly centers" in Pomona, Santa Anita, and Portland. The camp would hold a total of 13,997 Japanese Americans over the next three years, with a peak population of 10,767, making it the third-largest "town" in Wyoming before its November 10, 1945, closure.
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 85003167. It was listed on December 19, 1985.
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.
Questions about this property
When was Heart Mountain Relocation Center listed on the National Register?
Heart Mountain Relocation Center was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 19, 1985.
What type of historic resource is Heart Mountain Relocation Center?
Heart Mountain Relocation Center is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.
Is Heart Mountain Relocation Center a National Historic Landmark?
Yes. Heart Mountain Relocation Center 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 Heart Mountain Relocation Center?
The period of significance for Heart Mountain Relocation Center is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1941.
Can I research the history near Heart Mountain Relocation Center?
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 Heart Mountain Relocation Center 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 Heart Mountain Relocation Center will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.