Amache National Historic Site

One of the newest national park units in the United States, Amache National Historic Site was designated in 2022, and formally established as a part of the National Park Service in 2024, the result of years of preservation efforts by local townspeople and others who recognized the significance of this place. 

Originally called the Granada Relocation Center, Amache was once the 10th largest city in Colorado and home to over 7,300 Japanese – the majority, US citizens – sent there against their will. Between 1942 and 1945, over 10,000 people passed through this desolate place. 

War Relocation

After the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor, the government rounded up everyone of Japanese descent – the majority, American citizens. They pulled them from their homes, schools, jobs and businesses, and sent them off to one of ten incarceration sites. Amache was one of these. We have talked about others in our blog – Manzanar and Honoulouli.

Located in the southeastern corner of Colorado on barren windswept plains; former farmland and open range was converted into rows of barracks. There were 29 living sections, each with 12 hastily built barracks which had no insulation from the frigid winter winds and gave no respite to the ever blowing dust or 100 plus degree summer heat.

Men, women and children were crowded into these barracks, with as many as six families per building. Each section had a mess hall and a shared toilet facility. There was no privacy and no comforts. Internees had nothing but a cot and a blanket, and whatever else they brought in their suitcase.

Resiliency

It is hard to believe the cruelty – simply up and moving thousands of people to the middle of nowhere. But when you visit, you will also get a glimpse of the strength and resilience of the human spirit. Starting with nothing, these families figured out how to provide for themselves and build a community. They used sheets to screen off their rooms for a bit of privacy, built bunkbeds and simple furnishings from cast off scraps of wood, and planted trees, flowers and vegetable gardens. They established social clubs, churches and organized sports activities. They even had Boy and Girl Scout programs.

Many of the internees were put to work on farms, charged with growing enough crops and raising animals to feed the growing population of the camp. The camp had it’s own pig, cattle and chicken farm, and meat was processed right there. 

Although many local farmers resented the Japanese because much of the land for the incarceration site was condemned and taken over by the War Relocation Authority, they were surprised at how productive the Japanese farms were. Not only did they have bumper crops, they also introduced things that hadn’t been grown there before. Along with hay and other crops to feed the animals, they introduced celery, spinach, head lettuce, potatoes, and other more traditional Japanese crops. A canning operation preserved vegetables for the winter season, as well as for transferring to other incarceration centers.

Over time, the yield was high enough that surplus could be sold to neighboring communities, like Granada. A co-operative established at Amache was able to gross over $40,000 per month. It included a shoe repair and watch repair shop, laundry, optometry, beauty parlor, barber shop, canteen, clothing store and variety store. At the time, it was one of the most popular shopping areas in the area, attracting many patrons from outside the camp.

Patriotism

In spite of the forced relocation and harsh conditions, internees were patriotic. Almost 1,000 Amache men and women joined the military, throwing their effort behind the country they loved and willing to die for it. The Amache boy scout band was said to have played very loudly at the train station whenever Amache boys shipped off to war, trying to remind folks of their patriotism. 

31 died in service and one earned the medal of honor.  A monument lists their names.

Others at Amache helped the war effort through the very successful silk screen shop established there, making over 250,000 posters for the navy. They also produced photos, calendars and other items; some of them saved as mementos that give us a glimpse into daily life at Amache. 

Visiting Amache

Today there is not much there. Just deer silently grazing around the foundations. 

There is no visitor center, only a museum in the town of Granada. But at the entrance to the site there are several informational signs, with a photographic history of the park.

Then you can take a self-guided driving tour. There is a QR code you can scan for an audio tour, but don’t depend on it. If your cell service is like ours, you might not have the reception. There are informational plaques along the drive. The tour takes you along the major streets.

There are pullouts with signs identifying what was at each site.

Foundations and slabs are all that is remaining of most of the installation.

One stop is the reconstructed water tower, once the tallest structure for miles.

Another stop is the guard house. At one time the entire site was surrounded by barbed wire, with 8 wooden guardhouses, 30 feet high. It was interesting to read that they initially were manned with armed guards, but as they became familiar with the internees and understood that they posed no threat, they dispensed with the guards.

You can also visit a couple of reconstructed structures, including a barracks and recreation hall. Photos show how one of the buildings was preserved and restored.

It is also interesting to go to the cemetery, beautiful landscaped and maintained. Monuments commemorate those who died there. Since 1975, every spring descendants and locals have made an annual pilgrimage to Amache. 

Getting There

Amache National Historic Site is in the southeastern corner of Colorado, near the town of Granada on highway 385 / 50, along the Santa Fe trail. Plan to spend at least a couple hours there.

When you go, plan to also stop at Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site about an hour west of Amache. This was one of the main trading posts on the Santa Fe trail and is a really interesting place to visit. If you can, plan a ranger led tour.

You may also want to visit Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, another scar in American history. It is 45 miles due north of Amache. 

Are you trying to visit all the National Parks, or National Park Units?

If your goal is to visit them, one or all, we’d love to help you strategize. Give us a call at (480) 609-3978 or drop us a note here. We always enjoy talking with people who share our passion for visiting these gems of the National Park Service. 

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