Camp Harmony

 

 

This is a follow-up to the previous image of Japanese Americans boarding trains on the Seattle waterfront in 1942. I thought it would be interesting to mash up two aerial images this time. The results aren't perfect, but it gives a good sense of scale. 7390 residents lived in these hastily constructed barracks at the Puyallup Fairgrounds called Camp Harmony from May to September of 1942. The sections of the camp had simple letter designations. Area A is the block in the upper left of the photo. Area B is to the upper right near the present-day freeway. Area C is in the lower left. Area D was the most surreal of all, being situated in the middle of the race track and surrounded by grandstands, attractions and the roller coaster track. Most residents of Camp Harmony were transferred to the more permanent Minidoka and Tule Lake internment camps.