Henry K. Hashitani Papers

Henry K. Hashitani Papers, circa 1904-2019

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Hashitani, Henry K. (Henry Katsuji) ca. 1885-1952
Title: Henry K. Hashitani Papers
Dates: circa 1904-2019 (inclusive)
19042019

(bulk 1904-1949)
Quantity: 2.0 linear feet and 7 electronic files
2.25 megabytes of digital material
Collection Number: Mss 837
Summary: Diaries, photographs, and letters of Henry K. Hashitani, who immigrated to the United States from Japan in 1903, and other family members, including his wife Takako. He worked on the railroad near Missoula, Montana, around 1905 before moving to Emmett, Idaho, where he farmed and supplied vegetables to miners. In 1934, he moved to Nyssa, Oregon, where he continued farming and served as a community leader. The diaries and letters are in Japanese. A translation into English of the earliest diary is included with the collection. A few selected letters are also partially translated into English.
Repository: University of Montana, Mansfield Library, Archives and Special Collections
Archives and Special Collections
Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library
University of Montana
32 Campus Dr. #9936
59812-9936
Missoula, MT
Telephone: 406-243-2053
library.archives@umontana.edu
Access Restrictions: Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of Archives and Special Collections, the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, and The University of Montana-Missoula.
Languages: Japanese, English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Katsuji Hashitani was born in Japan on August 2, 1885 and lived in Tottoriken. According to the translated portions of his diaries and a biography written by his daughter, Alice, he emigrated from Japan to Seattle, Washington, in 1903, arriving in the United States on the boat Kanagawa Maru on June 3. He adopted the English name of Henry. Along with a friend, Henry Fujii, he found work thinning beets in Billings, Montana. Later they joined a section gang working on the railroad near Missoula, Montana. In the evenings, he took English lessons. After two years, Henry Hashitani moved to Emmett, Idaho, where Fujii joined him. They rented 80 acres, bought a team of horses, wagon and buggy, and supplied vegetables for Emmett and mining cities in the area. At some point Fujii and Hashitani went to Japan for brides. Henry married Takako Yawata (b. July 10, 1889), from the city of Yanago, and returned with her to Seattle. Later, along with their four children, George, Roy, Raymond and Alice, they moved to Scism, Idaho. In 1934, the family moved once again, this time to Oregon, where Hashitani farmed around the area of Nyssa. He was a devout Christian, president of the Japanese men's club, and chairman of the finances for the building of the Ontario (Oregon) Community Methodist Church. Henry Katsuji Hashitani died on August 14, 1952. Takako Hashitani died two months later on October 23, 1952.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Series I of the Henry K. Hashitani Papers consists of four original diaries by Henry Katsuji Hashitani, written in old Japanese and dating from approximately 1904 to 1949. It is expected that these diaries document his thoughts and activities during the years covered. Photocopies of a translation into English of the first portion of the first diary and photocopies of brief biographical sketches written by Hashitani's daughter are also included. In 2019, a full translation of the first diary was given to the Archives and placed in the collection. An article written by Henry Fujii's daughter, Mary Fujii Henshall, chronicles the lives of Hashitani and Fujii in the United States.

Series II contains correspondence between Henry Hashitani and Takako before their marriage, as well as other correspondence between the Hashitanis in the United States and family and friends in Japan. These letters are primarily written in old Japanese, and a select few have been partially translated into both English and modern Japanese.

Series III consists of seven digital photographs of Henry Hashitani and his family. Printed versions of the digital photographs are in Box 1.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Researchers are responsible for using in accordance with 17 U.S.C. and any other applicable statutes. Non-exclusive copyright transferred to The University of Montana.

Preferred Citation

Henry K. Hashitani Papers, Archives and Special Collections, Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, The University of Montana-Missoula.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in three series:

Series I: Diaries, 1904-1949, 0.4 linear feet

Series II: Letters, 1912-1950, 1.6 linear feet

Series III: Photographs, 7 electronic files

Custodial History

These diaries were held by Hashitani's daughter, Alice, until their donation to the University of Washington in the late 1980s. In 1989, they were returned to the family by UW. Letters were held by the family until their donation in 2019.

Acquisition Information

Gift of Donna Hashitani Thomas to Archives and Special Collections at the University of Montana in 2013 and 2019. Dave and Lissa Forrey donated a newspaper article in 2013 and seven digital images of Henry Hashitani and his family in 2014.

Processing Note

Because the dates within the diaries are in Japanese, at this time, the description of the diaries does not include a date - this will be updated when a translation of dates is available. A few loose papers from the 4th diary were removed from the diary but retained within the collection. A newspaper article and prints of digital photographs and were added to the collection in 2015. In 2019, the family donated the correspondence and documents that make up Series II, and they were processed in 2021. Because the letters are also written in Japanese, dates for most are not available in English.

Bibliography

Biographical information about Henry Hashitani is featured in the publication Showers of Blessing: Community United Methodist Church, Ontario, Oregon, 1945-1995, Fifty Years of Faith.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series I: Diaries, 1905-1949Return to Top

0.4 linear feet

The diaries in this series are arranged chronologically

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
1/1	Diary 1	1905-1907
7/8	Diary 1 - English Translations A partial translation of Diary 1 was created in 1987 by Kaxuko Kuramoto. The remainer of the English translation of Diary 1 was created in 2019 by Machiko Yamamoto, Kumi Sakamoto and Yoshi Nanjo.	1987 and 2019
7/9	Diary 1 - Modern Japanese Translation Translation from old Japanese to Modern Japanese by Koji Ueshima, Kuniko Enomoto and Yoshiko Taniguchi.	1906-1907
1/2	Diary 2	October 1, 1911 - June 14, 1912
7/10	Diary 2 - English Translation	2020
7/11	Diary 2 - Modern Japanese Translation	2020
1/3	Diary 3	1911-1914
7/12	Diary 3 - English Translation	2022
7/13	Diary 3 - Modern Japanese Translation	2022
1/4	Diary 4	date unknown
1/5	Biographies of H. K. Hashitani by Alice Hashitani Nishitani	1996 and undated
1/6	Newspaper article in the Pacific Citizen about H. Hashitani and Henry Fujii by Mary Fujii Henshall	December 1971

Series II: Letters, 1912-1950Return to Top

1.6 linear feet

Correspondence in Series II was grouped together based on the accompaniment of a corresponding envelope with a visible postmark date. Letters that were previously separated from their envelopes were housed together, and empty envelopes were moved to Box 4.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box/Folder
2 / 1	Correspondence Written in Japanese; various paper formats; envelope with U.S. postmark	October 21, 1912
2 / 2	Correspondence Written in Japanese; various paper formats; envelope with U.S. postmark	December 28, 1912
2 / 3	Correspondence Written in Japanese; various paper formats; envelope with U.S. postmark	April 21, 1913
2 / 4	Correspondence Written in Japanese; various paper formats; envelope with U.S. postmark	April 24, 1913
2 / 5	Correspondence Written in Japanese; various paper formats; envelope with U.S. postmark	April 30, 1913
2 / 6	Correspondence Written in Japanese; various paper formats; envelope with U.S. postmark	June 1, 1913
2 / 7	Correspondence Written in Japanese; various paper formats; envelope with U.S. postmark	June 6, 1913
2 / 8	Correspondence Written in Japanese; various paper formats; envelope with U.S. postmark	July 4, 1913
2 / 9-31	Correspondence Written in Japanese; various paper formats; envelope with Japanese postmark or missing/illegible postmark	Undated
3 / 1	Correspondence Written in Japanese; various paper formats; no envelope; translator's note: "Mother must be living w/ Mr. H's family in Japan. Farm is busy. He can hardly wait until he can go to get her. She won't have to work outside. She will have to do something like picking strawberries and beans. Fumiko Fujii can do it, so he is sure she can also. He went to church - prays for her and looks at her picture."	August - September 1912
3 / 2	Correspondence Written in Japanese; various paper formats; no envelope	October 19, 1950
3 / 3-59	Correspondence Written in Japanese; various paper formats; no envelope	Undated
4 / 1-54	Correspondence Written in Japanese; long format rice paper; no envelope	Undated
5 / 1	Postcards Written in Japanese; U.S. postmark	1907-1928
5 / 2	Postcards Written in Japanese; Japanese postmark	Undated
5 / 3	Postcards Written in Japanese; postmark missing/illegible	Undated
5 / 4	Correspondence, Immigration Services to Mr. K. Hashitani Written in Japanese; Department of Commerce and Labor letterhead; envelope with U.S. postmark	March 29, 1912
5 / 5	Correspondence, New York Life Insurance Company to Mr. K. Hashitani Life insurance premium notices and policy information for George K. and Roy R. Hashitani	1929-1930, 1933
5 / 6	Correspondence, Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada to Mr. and Mrs. K. Hashitani Life insurance premium notices and policy information for H.K. and Takako Hashitani	1930-1934
5 / 7	U.S. Defense savings bond booklet Defense stamp album	1942
5 / 8	Drawings Three crayon drawings signed in Japanese (Katsuto); one pencil drawing	1949, undated
5 / 9	Document Written in Japanese	Undated
5 / 10	Newspaper clippings Written in Japanese	Undated
5 / 11	Addresses Addresses for Harry Watanabe c/o Seisuke and Kiyashi Wanatabe in Japan	Undated
5 / 12	Hashitani family photos Post card with Takako and Henry K Hashitani photo; four family photos with Takako (July 10, 1889 - October 23, 1952), Raymond Aizo (February 9, 1907 - March 24, 1953), Henry K. (August 2, 1885 - August 14, 1952), Alice, Geo, and Roy Hashitani	Undated
5 / 13-22	Envelopes Empty envelopes written in English and Japanese	Undated
6 / 1-3	Translations of Letters Partial English translation of select letters from 1912 and 1913 (translation by Yukari Ninomiya)	Undated
6 / 4-5	Translations of Letters Photocopies of select letters (material primarily in Japanese); some additional information in English on the back of some of the copies (translation by Yukari Ninomiya)	Undated
6 / 6-7	Translations of Letters Photocopies of select post cards with some English translation (translation by Yukari Ninomiya)	Undated

Series III: Photographs, circa 1913-circa 1926 and undatedReturn to Top

7 photographs

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	photo_number
7/1	837-001	Photograph - Henry Hashitani, Takako Ywata Hashitani and her Family	circa 1913
7/2	837-002	Photograph - Hashitani Family	circa 1913
7/3	837-003	Photograph - Hashitani Family	circa 1926
7/4	837-004	Photograph - Hashitani Family	undated
7/5	837-005	Photograph - Takako and Henry Katsuji Hashitani	undated
7/6	837-006	Photograph - George Takeuchi, Henry Katsuji Hashitani, and Henry Fujii	undated
7/7	837-007	Photograph - Katsuji Hashitani in Uniform	undated

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