POSTON (POSTON 1, 2 AND 3)
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POSTON (POSTON 1, 2 AND 3) |
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NAME: Poston (Poston 1, 2 and 3) COUNTY: La Paz ROADS: 2WD LEGAL INFO: 1 CLIMATE: Warm winters; very hot summers BEST TIME TO VISIT: Any time |
COMMENTS:
Poston was the site of three War Relocation
Authority camps; of the three camps, the only one with significant remnants
today is Poston I (the main one), located about 0.1 mile west of the main
intersection of Poston (on AZ 1 on the C.R.I.T. Reservation). Only a concrete
platform remains of Camp III (visible from AZ1), and only the main cistern
of Camp II (also visible from AZ1). There is a major monument just south
of the fire station in Poston, on the east side of AZ1 with additional information.
Great article on Poston. REMAINS: In Poston I, there are several barracks buildings, the gymnasium, and other buildings still standing (some inhabited by poor members of the C.R.I.T.). |
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Poston was chosen as the site of three "War Relocation Authority Camps" for Japanese Americans interned under President Roosevelt's Executive Order 9006. The Colorado River Relocation Center, which operated from April 1942 to March 1946, housed about 18,000 individuals, and was the third largest city in Arizona at the time. Those interested in additional information may visit the University of Arizona's Website on the subject: www.library.arizona.edu/wracamps Submitted by: Kurt Wenner UPDATE: The auditorium pictured on your site for Poston camp one has recently burned down; according to a local, who has been in Poston all her life, arson was suspected, but to date no one has been charged. Still on the site are eight dormitory buildings and a metal barracks, as well as the foundations and walls of the auditorium. Apparently, the site was used as a school after the war, which may explain the metal warehouse in the center that has more modern conveniences within, but is obviously abandoned. As for camp #2, it is located where an abandoned elementary school stands. No trace of the camp remains. Anyone who is searching for the sidewalk markings that the Poston monument promises is bound to be disappointed, for there are none to be seen. Camp #3 can be seen as one of the many cotton fields that mark the area. J. Grumbo |
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