Thank you for joining us for the second part of this article about the Japanese-American community located in the town of Keetley during World War II.
In late April 1942, representatives from the Keetley community met with leaders of the United Trades unions in Park City. The Japanese-Americans requested two things, permission to 1) provide schooling for their children and 2) purchase food from local merchants. They also expressed their loyalty to the U.S. and desire for American victory. The unions wrote a letter to the Park Record to communicate this and offer their support. The YWCA in SLC commended Fisher for allowing the Japanese to reside in Keetley, so they could be self-sufficient and contribute to food production, instead of living in an internment camp at taxpayer expense. Even the sheriff of Wasatch County, who had opposed the settlement, wrote Fisher that he had observed the residents and praised their good conduct. By June, representatives of the community said they generally felt accepted by the locals in Heber and Park City, with neighbors and officials not raising any issues.
During the war years, the Japanese-Americans proved themselves to be model citizens and excellent farmers. The community raised poultry and small livestock and grew fruits and vegetables for their own consumption and for sale in order to pay the lease. Extra produce was either sent to their friends and family interned at Topaz or sold to Safeway and at a roadside stand. Wisely, in July 1942, the Japanese sent a box of some of their finest produce to Governor Maw, who had supported their move to Utah; he thanked them as “loyal high-class citizens”. When the community’s farming did not require everyone, the men hired on with farmers in Heber and in the Utah Valley and the women knitted socks and sweaters for the Red Cross. In what downtime they had, the Japanese formed baseball teams to compete with other teams in the area and even tried their hands at Winter sports.
Credit: Park city Historical Society & Museum, Pop Jenks Collection
Finally, in December 1944, the evacuation order preventing the Japanese from living in the exclusion zone was lifted. Most of the community remained in Keetley until the next season’s farming was completed. Then, families started moving back to California or, in a few cases, finding permanent homes in Utah. The final family departed in Fall 1948 for Los Angeles. Unfortunately, some of the families returned to their old homes to find their property had been confiscated and sold, so they had to start from scratch.
Perhaps this community should have been a model used more widely; it is estimated the community, by not being interned, saved the government roughly $1 million and they produced large quantities of food for personal and public consumption. These Japanese-Americans showed great strength of character and unconditional love for their country by accepting an unjust punishment and remaining peaceful, positive and productive. It’s a sad time in American history but it is comforting to know that the Park City/Heber area was briefly “home” for some Japanese-Americans who were shunned elsewhere.
The Park City Historical Society & Museum is celebrating 30 years of preserving, protecting, and promoting Park City’s history and heritage.