Weaverville Joss House State Historic Park [CA]

Description

The temple is the oldest continuously used Chinese temple in California. On display are art objects, pictures, mining tools, and weapons used in the 1854 Tong War. This Taoist temple is still a place of worship and a fascinating look into the role played by Chinese immigrants in early California history. The temple was built in 1874 as a replacement for another that had burned. Many of the historical objects have been restored and the structure itself stabilized.

The park offers exhibits, tours, and educational and recreational events.

Mai Wah Society and Museum [MT]

Description

The Mai Wah Society is dedicated to preserving the history of Asian immigrants in the Rocky Mountain region. The Mai Wah Society has worked to Mai Wah Noodle Parlor buildings, which now serve as a museum of the culture and heritage of Asian immigrants in Butte, Montana.

The museum offers exhibits, tours, and occasional special events, including a Chinese New Year celebration. The website offers visitor information and a brief history of the building which houses the museum.

Historical Museum at St. Gertrude [ID]

Description

The Historical Museum at St. Gertrude presents the history of North Central Idaho. Collections include more than 10,000 archival materials; 150 years of textiles; weaponry, some of which was used in the 1877 Nez Perce War; Nez Perce artifacts; a range of historic office machinery, including a 1902 Burroughs “Moon Hopkins” bookkeeping machine and an 1895 Dactyle calculator; world minerals; mining equipment; medical artifacts, including a 1900 fetal monitor and a tonsillectomy chair; and artifacts of Chinese immigrants. The museum also owns many of Polly Bemis' previous possessions. Bemis (1853-1933), originally from China, was brought to an Idaho mining camp as a female slave. Roughly 12,000 artifacts, some of which date to the 14th century, are on display.

The museum offers exhibits

Idaho State Historical Society

Description

The Idaho State Historical Society is primarily a state-wide preservation advocacy organization. However, the society does operate the Idaho Historical Museum and an exhibit on military history located in the Old Idaho Penitentiary. The museum covers topics inclusive of prehistoric life, the fur trade, the gold rush, pioneer life, Native American life, and area Chinese and Basque populations. It also offers 18th- and 19th-century period rooms. The military exhibit offers artifacts from as early as the Middle Ages.

The museum offers tours, exhibits, period rooms, collections access for researchers, a monthly brown bag series, traveling exhibits, traveling trunks, student worksheets, educational marionette shows, hands-on activities, outreach programs, slide shows for rent, and other educational programming. The society also offers a public archives and research center. The website offers lesson plans, a club for fourth graders with activity downloads, and reading materials for young children.

Jerome Historical Society and Mine Museum [AZ]

Description

The Jerome Historical society seeks to preserve and share the history of Jerome, Arizona, once known as the “Wickedest Town in The West.” To this end, the society operates a museum and an archival collection. The museum presents local history through displays covering mining history; gambling; the Chinese, Slavs, Italians, Russians, Mexicans, and Irish in Jerome; and other topics. Collection highlights include mining equipment and a Colt pistol used by Marshal Johnny Hudgens.

The society offers exhibits and archival access.

Kam Wah Chung and Co. Museum [OR]

Description

The Kam Wah Chung Museum preserves the history of the Chinese workforce in Oregon, and contains artifacts and displays that share some of the trials of everyday life of Chinese immigrants in Oregon. The building that houses the museum is the same building used by Chinese businessman Lung On and herbal doctor Ing Hay to administer herbal remedies to Chinese laborers in Western Oregon.

The museum is open from May first through October 30th each year, and offers exhibits and artifacts showcasing the history of Chinese laborers in Oregon. The site offers a brief history of the museum and visitor information.

Hawaii State Historic Preservation Division, Department of Land & Natural Resources [HI]

Description

"Historic sites in our islands are tangible evidence of a colorful, rich heritage and provide our society with a sense of continuity. The State Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Land and Natural Resources works to preserve and sustain reminders of earlier times which link the past to the present. SHPD's three branches, History and Culture, Archaeology, and Architecture, strive to accomplish this goal through a number of different activities." The archaeological Branch seeks to facilitate investigation of Hawaii's many archaeological resources, while the architectural division works to preserve and restore historic structures throughout the islands. The history and culture branch of SHPD focuses on research regarding the Hawaii's indigenous population.

The site offers basic information about the SHPD and its current projects along with government reports generated by the SHPD regarding Hawaii's historic resources.

Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation [CA]

Description

Located in San Francisco Bay, the U.S. Immigration Station at Angel Island served as a processing and detainment center for hundreds of thousands of immigrants and emigrants between 1910 and 1940. The Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation (AIISF) was founded in 1983 with the mission of continuing the preservation and educational efforts regarding Angel Island. Currently, AIISF raises funds to restore, preserve, and interpret the Angel Island Immigration Station. AIISF has recently launched the Angel Island Legacies Project, which trains oral historians and conducts interviews of detainees and descendants of all nationalities.

The site offers information about the AIISF, including FAQs and a history of the organization. In addition, the site offers resources for educators, including a curriculum guide, book recommendations, and helpful links; past media, including press and an archive of the "Passages" newsletter; and a brief historical section that covers the history of Angel Island.

Jerome County Historical Society and Museum and Idaho Farm and Ranch Agricultural Museum [ID]

Description

The Society operates a local history museum, the Jerome County Historical Museum, as well as the Idaho Farm and Ranch Agricultural Museum. The latter displays many specimens of old farm equipment and original buildings from the surrounding area, including an exhibit from the World War II Minidoka Japanese Relocation Camp that was located at Hunt, ID in Jerome County.

The society and Jerome County Historical Museum offer exhibits, tours, and research library access; the Agricultural Museum offers exhibits, tours, and occasional recreational and educational events (including living history events).

Japanese-American Internment Camps During World War II

Image
Photo, Japenese Mother and Son at Topaz, from the collection George G. Murakami
Annotation

This online exhibit captures daily life in two World War II Japanese Internment camps in America from 1942 to 1946 through 38 photographic images from the camps. The Tule Lake camp in northern California was one of the most infamous camps in which prisoners frequently conducted strikes and demonstrations to demand their release. The 28 photographs in the Tule Lake section, drawn from the Special Collections Department of the University of Utah's J. Willard Marriott Library, are grouped into four themes: Living, Labor, Education, and Buildings. They document the arrival, work, schools, homes, and businesses of the more than 18,000 Tule Lake residents. The ten camp photographs from Topaz, Utah, donated by George G. Murakami, an American from Berkeley, California, who was interned at Topaz, are a more personal account of internment. These images include 1944 and 1945 graduation announcements from the Topaz Camp High School as well as photographs of Murakami's friends and the school football team. Also included is an image of a 1990 letter from President George Bush to former internees. This site is somewhat limited in selection and scope and does not include captions or descriptive notes for the selected photographs; but for those researching the lives of Japanese Americans during World War II, this site offers a compelling glimpse into their everyday lives.