Letter from Fred Hoshiyama to Ayako Sakai and family, September 18, 1942

about 12 miles to the west of us.

4g not uncommon. Topaz will consist of 4% square city blocks wht

in the heart of the Htah desert. We shell take part in building our |

and. few scorpions out in the desert, but you '11 find that in our

was too good to last. "Jt was too bad that the dust had to come when -

for they have four baths tubs in @centach block to wash off the dust.

ments are of three different sizes, end roor

September 18, 1942

-- Ayako and family: | from Fred Hoshiyama

Greetings to you from Topaz, our new nome which will be the -

fifth larfgest# city in Utah when all of you get here. I promiwed

to write to you and since T've been here one week, I can give you

a pretty good description of our life here and the type of piace it

ifs... : oo | ee

When I have to write to all of you, and since I'll say just

about the same thing f thought you wouldn't mind too much if I

carbon copied them and send a Copy.

"apear a 35 hour of tiring and boring train tripy we arrived

in Delta, Utah at 7:95 asi. on Sept scmber llth from Tanforan, ae

Galifornia. {he elevation here is about 4,500 feet above sea level.

Our first impression of the land around Delta was good; nice country

and it reminded us of the Hayward Area in the Bay Region back in

Galifornia. Our new home is about 16 miles away from Delta and

go we took the bus whieh was Waiting for us. Our new nome is called

TOPAZ, @ name taken from one of the beautiful mountain which # lies

Topaz is situated on lake bottom and is fam surrounded on

four sides by mountains. 6 The temperature vanies from 20 degrees

beflow zero to 120 degrees and even on one day, 50 degree differ

49 in an area one mile sqare.- Only 32 blocks will have living

quarters on them and when fully housed, there will be about 9,100 -

residents. Hospital with 250 beds is being rushed to completion |

and later there will be ereeted a civic center and a high school

with auditorium ance gyn right in the middle of the Genter. Our

iN )

/

city will have parks and trees which will really make an oasis right

new city.

Don't let the rumors that snakes, scorbhans , flies, dust get

you down. Watfurally, you will find few snakes, lots of d---~ dust - :

city proper all that will be cleaned up, except the dust. Today

and yesterday Was holy he-~-+ The dust was so thick and vast that

enly the brave, the real stout-hearted, would dare risk their tender

complexion im the well known Utah dust atorm. -We can eventually "a

hold down the 4 dust with plant life and etc. but we can't turn off -

the sweeping wind. All week it was just grand and we knew that 46. 7

`

the second contingent arrived yesterday. "he women folks are lucky -

O persons will be housed in one block. |

ts in each. The apartmen

yoma for couples, next rooms

for five and middle rooms for six persons. There are two rows of

barracks which has six in a row and between the rows will be found

the dining hall for each block and the showers, latfrines and the

community Heaundry. There are individual basin in wash rooms and -

flushcentd toilets which are well spaced in all the toilets. Por each

`Approximately 300 to 3e

There are 12 barracks which has six apartmen

Page Ze

block there is one com

unity hell whieh is used for Church, recreation,

meetings and ete, ne

fhe walls for the npartnente are. not finished yet for an inner wall must

yet be constructed and the ceiling must also be constructed. The

building is built with rocksheast mabarial go it will be well insulated

and sturdier built than the barracks at Tanforan although they are some- _

what similar in shape and size. `The floors have qnaeni.re covering, the

ma terial which, you find on mess hall tables. ey

`Before 1 forget, let me remind all of you to travel very lightly

when you leave Camp for you won't need. any baggage except.a pillow and

ina ybe a blanket to keep comfortable. Dress lightly and slippers will

come in hahdy. The trains will be crowded and warm most of the trip.

fhe food will be sufficient and plentiful so don't bring any extra food.

fry to get all your possessions packed and Deeg in the baggage Cars.

Ghairs and things should be sent first. 7

Now that I have been here ene full woek, r pat Wareed oe a

more accurate picture of our life in our new homes. We centall it city

for it Shall truly blodsom out into one of the most modern and best

equipped of any city in the United States of about 10,000 peopl

There are few changes in our terms--such as calling mess hall din

halis' and Calling Morale 'Mental climate!, Galling interior pe

'Safety Couneil', Evacuees are `eh. rem REE and our center

' campus or city. | "ait

Piret. danreddlan `of this canis: oops, 1 @lipges--r `stone' wae eur 4

city, well, the first impression is the frecentndly, cordial and sincere

attitude of the Director, Mr. Chas. lirnst, and his staff. `The second

impression 1s the nice warm aun and the swell buildings about the place.

The homes are better than you will expect. Last night, I tried te think (c)

through some of the many impressions and ere en i me since ~ if

arrival in the first contingent gi toy summed up all m

into a bem suce inet 8 basemen

difference? My `Godatueion. is `tl

mecde to feel that there is some "

administration is trying"

opax, every. " ahha. inai vidual te "a

P*thing or job for hin und _

f " se lp find all the possible epportunity

ry xpand, . leearn, to do somet! useful, fo fit ante the City _ 4

community life." In Tanforan, we had @@egeeht for any opportunity that we

got. That is the difference gnd I will`aay thie: iss sincerity and @onfi-

dence thet you will find the same difference of attitude and atmosphere _

here. the next major difference is the , plentiful supply of good food and -

fresh milk. We hac pork and beans only once and that was yesterday when

the second contingent came in and we couldn't get pat ae were for

Svery block so we oe them in block Ne Se *

The one thing which is like a women at wade | `camp is the wakukiy

sasha weather. The first day we arrived, we saw five changes of

Weather in one day. It was raining when we arrived, with thunder and

showers. Then it got sunny, then it rained again, and it got sunny

again. Then it got windy and very cold and naturally dusty. iver sine

then until yesterday, the weather was grand--sunny, warm and calm (no

The mornings and nights are still little cold in the early morning at

late night. it's tolerable i that we live throug)

hae

last night Mr, Covergly, assistant director of the WRa hegional

Office cameto Tepaz and met with the scentcond contingent. for every new

Broup, we have arranged an Assembly so that our Director, Mr. Chas

yen. Grnst and his staff members can talk with US, grest us, asnwer any

questions, and in general to get acquainted with us, They work all

day, busy with trying ta run our center harmoniously, and yet, they :

wiliingls Come out at night to mest with us got our request, Did any

thing like that ever happen at Tanforan? They bring their wives also,

Arrangeng these meetings are one of our jobs.

You no doubts are interested about our educational System, No

matter how swell the physical facilities are we must make the best use|

of them and try to build 9 social and educational Organization which

Can be better than the materials avaihable. ie Shall have one of the

best group of educational men in the State. ir. Bell, our Service

Division Chief, has obtained Dr. Carlisle, Mr, Noble, and other men

and women who are PH.d's, and are qualified to teach college courses,

and according to MT" Bell, Topaz shall have a faculty and administrae

tion in education which will be good as any college in this state and

Utah ranks second to California in this region in the edueation system

There will be two elementary schools and one high school. fhe

schools will begin on October 19th, Milonda y and there will be junio

College courses offered and in addition, there will be Vast opportu

for those who desire post graduate research work, or further traini

for their tasters and teeching credentials. For those who are interested@

in teaching, ,Mr. Bell has arranged to have these top ranking educatian

men provide opportunity for cadet raining and teaching and it will

Gventually get you the State Teaching Certificate for this otate,

Since we have the top men in every department, we can all Start

from the bottom in any fleld we desire and learn the ground work all

the way up to the Very top. Only our ambition, earnestness and willing

hess to study end work and leeern will be the determining factor for

the opportunities will be amply provided. This will set us up in

our future career and we ean become experts in our chosen field and

ina community of 10,000 the chances for Selection s=xwidex are wide,

It becomes 4 personal challenge to Sach of us and a worthy one. Ine

stead of making this a burden Or a `must do! type of thing, it decomes

@ Bloriocus Opportunity and @ chance of a life time. Where else couldwe

get the chance to learn and study under country's top ranking quali"

fied men in different VoCational and educational field and at#% the

Same time get room and board? So, let this Sink and give it a thought,

I'm not trying to color the picture or drew POSy sunsets,

Both Mr. Ernat and Mir. Goverly told us last night that we must alll

work together, this thing % new to then aS it is to us. We mst be

humble, take the best thinking and suggestion from us and from them,

and work out a program which will not only meet the present situation,

but also for the post War adjustment and assimilation. hr. Coverly

put hims@ f on record by saying that the WRA is primarily interested

in trying to help our Country win the WAR and help us, the Japanese

and nisei get into the stream of life and expedite the process of

assimilation and to help bring us closer to them and to the rest of

our mation, espec4ally in the post War period and future.

it's quite chilly early in the morning, but during the forenoon

and afternoon the air gets warm and ary. Night is rather cold bub...)

PAGE 4s

not too much so that we suffer. Higkez This morning the dust has

died down on account of the wind dying Gown, and the sun is shining

so if the rain clouds roll away, we shall have another grand and

glorious sunny daye co !

Dally the city 1s growing and Tanferan is cites taal The

feeling is just the opposite from a growing city togAs/PfK/ one

that is dying. I suppose we should experience both type of

feelings to see the akkax other persons situation and point of view.

You have all experienced the hustle and bustle of moving and being

situated in a new plac he situation is the game only, this time,

we shell settle for keeps, at least it's more permanent than the |

temporary assembly centers and the feeling and @ttitude will be

different. You'd want it to be real good for it's got to last. At

Tanforan and other temporary centers, you didn't care too much since

you knew it to be temporary. Yet, we find that the individuals keep

others and their share of convenience, comforts, and their needs in

mind which is qa remarkable thing. lveryone pitches right in and

help one another get settled. They share brooms, wood, information a

and many other things which happen at their new homes. This is a af

very healthy sign and I sincerely hope that it can and will continue. (c)

any are getting dlarrhea, not from food pok$Soning, but from

heat exhaustion and change of altitude and conditions. The dry heat

has made many hardy fellows and girls ill. `They get headaches and

have te go to the hospital with q fever of over 102 or 103 degrees.

iy roommate had.a- fever of 1030x00B0and 104 so we tock him to the hosp-

ital. Doctors recommend drinking tea and lots of salt in our diet. :

Salt tablets help them get well in a day or so, . Don't let this SCare

you, but just prepare you so that you will take lots of salt with your

beverage and foods. : ni |

We Shall have plenty of water, both drinking and washing purposes,,

plenty of fruits and vegetables, so if you hear rumors to the contrary

just dispei them and correct them. Talking of rumors, there has been

these floating around this city already. "We had to walk 5 miles

from Delta to our new center","fhey will split the Tanforan group and

send some to Arkansas", There are two camps, one at Delta, and one at

Abraham,". All these rumors are merely rumors and therefore false.

They will keep the Tanforan group intact and send them all here to

Topas without splitting any families. In addition, we shall have those

at Santa Anita come here and join us first part of October. They may

hold up relocation for awhile because we gre not ready to receive .

you all right now. There is only one center and it's at Topas. So,

tell your foiks and friends that there's nothing to worry about. We

Shall all be together and we shall all create and build tegether.

Being a new place and the experience being a new one for both the

WRA and our administration and ourselves, lots of mistokes will o@eur.

i'm amazed at the smooth workingout of problems and the eeneral effi-

ciency of our center do date. Few problems do present themselves, but

Somehow or other we get them clegred and now we are on our way to

building a huge industrial, agricultural and professional city. :

You just got to be here to appreciate all that I'm trying to write to _

you about. Sc, take care of yourself and get here safely. For those tin

other places, best of luck and happiness. With mde, 2 az, Voted ir

bi - write: S ,

Yama 3e5ek