Archives West Finding Aid

Henry H. Okuda was born in Japan in 1867. He came to the U.S. in 1895 and moved to Seattle in 1898. That same year he went to Montana, where he worked for a few months as an extra-gang breakman for the Great Northern Railway. Returning to Seattle he became active in community and civic affairs. In 1910 he founded and became president of the Oriental Express company, a transfer and storage business which was a common carrier of freight in Seattle until it ceased operations on December 8, 1941. He was also president of Okuda and Shibagaki, Inc., a company established in 1920 to import fishing tackle. The company continued operation until at least 1951. In the 1930's, he helped organize the Hokubei Butokukai (North American Fencing Club), an athletic and social club for young Japanese-Americans. It ceased to be a viable organization at the outbreak of World War II. On December 8, 1941, Mr. Okuda was detained as an enemy alien and taken to a detention camp in Missoula, Montana. He was paroled April 10, 1942, and in June went to Spokane, Washington. On October 15, he was allowed to join his family at Granada W.R.A. Project, Amache, Colorado. He was released in September 1945 and was eventually allowed to return to Seattle.