The United States entered World War II in 1941, declaring war on Japan following an attack on the naval base at Pearl Harbor, HI. In February 1942, Executive Order 9066 was passed, ordering the incarceration of Japanese and Japanese-Americans in the West Coast Exclusion Zone.
One of the concentration camps was constructed near Heart Mountain in Wyoming, between the towns of Cody and Powell. 10,767 people were confined at Heart Mountain War Relocation Center at its peak, and over 14,000 people passed through the camp during the 1,187 days it was operational. The camp covered over 700 acres and included barracks, laundry, recreation buildings, schools, and other facilities, as well as two churches – a Catholic church and the multi-denominational Community Christian Church. Community Christian held weekly English- and Japanese-language services and hosted community clubs and events.
On June 7th, 1944, Vernon E. Ross, a clergyman, arrived at Heart Mountain, having traveled from Portland to give sermons and conduct other work at the Community Christian Church under the supervision of Reverend Donald Toriumi.
ArchiveGrid, “Heart Mountain Community Christian Church programs, 1944-1945”, researchworks.oclc.org/archivegrid (accessed March 12, 2025)
Collection materials
Heart Mountain, “Life in the Camp”, heartmountain.org (accessed March 12, 2025)
Yale Library, “Heart Mountain Community Christian Church programs”, search.library.yale.edu (accessed 3/12/2025)
Letter and church service programs related to the Community Christian Church of the Heart Mountain War Relocation Center, a World War II Japanese internment camp located in Wyoming. Contains 9 church service programs, one church election ballot, and a letter by clergyman Vernon E. Ross, condemning the "pure fascism" of the federal government's incarceration of Americans of Japanese descent.
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Purchased from Michael Maslan 2024