Map of Fresno Assembly Center

Description:

Fresno Assembly Center was in use from May 6 to October 30, 1942, with a peak population of 5,120.

"Design and construction of the centers varied; most were located at fairgrounds or race tracks...Existing facilities usually housed everything except living quarters, and the WCCA [Wartime Civil Control Administration] sometimes added new buildings. The WCCA reported that generally it had constructed living quarters for the evacuees, although in a few places existing facilities were used. The basic community unit was usually a "block," a group of units housing 600 to 800 people. Each block had showers, lavatories and toilets. Where possible each block had its own messhall, though some larger groups were fed at a single place. WCCA policy was to allot a space of about 200 square feet per couple. Family groups inside the centers were to be kept together and families would share space with others only if it were unavoidable. To meet those needs, units would be remodeled if necessary, and each was to be furnished with cots, mattresses, blankets and pillows. Each was to have electrical outlets. But the speed of evacuation and the shortages of labor and lumber meant that living arrangements did not always conform to WCCA policy."-Personal Justice Denied