Gila River, Butte Camp, Japanese-American Concentration Camp, Arizona, March 25, 1995 / GRB-1-18-11 (from the series Japanese-American Concentration Camps)
Support: 11 × 14 in. (27.9 × 35.6 cm)
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The Gila River War Relocation Center was an American concentration camp in Arizona, for the incarceration of Japanese Americans from the West Coast and Hawai'i. It was located within the Gila River Indian Reservation (over their strong objections) about 30 miles (48.3 km) southeast of Phoenix. With a peak population of 13,348, it became the fourth-largest city in the state, operating from May 1942 to late September 1945. It comprised two separate camps, named 'Canal' and 'Butte'. Construction began on May 1, 1942, and the official opening took place less than two months later, on July 20. Canal Camp closed on September 28, 1945. Butte Camp was shut down on November 10, 1945; and the Gila River Relocation Center was officially closed on November 16, 1945.
Gila River was considered one of the least oppressive camps of its kind. It had only a single watchtower, and its fences were among the few that lacked barbed wire.