Day 247: Dalton Wells CCC Camp, Moab Relocation Center, Grand County, Utah
📌APIA Every Day (247) - The Dalton Wells site near Moab, Utah, began as a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp in July 1935, established during the Great Depression to address unemployment and improve natural resources in Grand County. CCC enrollees, who earned about $25 monthly, focused on critical conservation projects including water development, road construction, and range improvement. The camp operated until September 1941, with workers building check dams, conducting land surveys, and managing local rangeland while contributing significantly to local economic development during a challenging period.
During World War II, the abandoned CCC camp was repurposed as the Moab Relocation Center, a specialized isolation facility for Japanese Americans who actively resisted administration at other incarceration camps. Between January and April 1943, the facility received prisoners from Manzanar, Gila, and Tule Lake camps, beginning with an initial group of 16 incarcerees on January 11. By late April, subsequent transfers had brought the total population to 49 men. These prisoners faced severe restrictions, including censored mail, prohibited family contact, and no permission for local travel.
Tensions remained high between incarcerees and members of the Japanese American Citizens League, who tried to cooperate with camp authorities. The situation grew so volatile that seven men were eventually transferred to the Grand County Jail in Moab. The facility's brief operation ended on April 27, 1943, when all prisoners were relocated to an abandoned Native American boarding school in Leupp, Arizona.
Now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Dalton Wells represents a significant intersection of federal policies during two critical periods of 20th-century American history. Its transformation from a New Deal conservation program to a World War II isolation center illustrates how federal responses to national crises directly impacted local communities and marginalized populations. The site stands as a documented example of shifting social and political dynamics during the 1930s and 1940s.
LEARN MORE:
National Archives Catalog: Dalton Wells CCC Camp/Moab Relocation Center NRHP Form
Moab Museum: Moab History: The CCC Camp at Dalton Wells– a precursor
Historical Marker Database: Dalton Wells
#apiaeveryday #japanese #japaneseamerican #wwii #incarcerationcamps #daltonwellsccccamp #moabrelocationcenter #moab #grandcounty #utah #executiveorder9066 #nationalregisterofhistoricplaces
