History Gila River War Relocation Center

canal camp monument

gila river considered 1 of least oppressive camps of kind. had single watchtower, , fences among few lacked barbed wire. administrators of camps seemed care incarcerees, , allowed them access amenities of phoenix. encouraged recreational activities such sports , arts. butte camp contained 6,000-seat baseball field, designed kenichi zenimura, professional baseball player, , considered best in wra system. incarcerees built theater plays , films, , playgrounds, , planted trees relieve desolation of arid site. gila river had communal medical facility @ butte hospital. canal camp had 404 buildings 232 barracks , 24 separate schoolhouses. butte camp contained 821 buildings 627 residential barracks. these barracks made of wood , fireproof shingles of limited effectiveness in blocking out desert heat. each barrack made house 4 single families in separate apartments. but, camp exceeded capacity: designed 10,000 residents, , held more 13,000. because of this, families housed in mess hall or recreation buildings, had use hanging blankets makeshift walls visual privacy. water shortages plagued camp. inmates encounters poisonous rattlesnakes , scorpions resulted in bites kept butte hospital extremely busy.

the land camp sites owned gila river indian tribe , considered sacred them. have restricted public access historic sites. main structures long gone. remaining such elements road grid, concrete slab foundations, manholes, cisterns, several rock alignments, , dozens of small ponds.

during ronald reagan administration, federal government acknowledged had committed injustice against japanese americans program. congress passed resolution of official apology , authorization provide compensation survivors , descendants of inmates. on december 21, 2006, president george w. bush signed h.r. 1492 law guaranteeing $38,000,000 in federal money restore gila river relocation center, along 9 other former american concentration camps used house japanese americans. h.r. 1492 .