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Densho Encyclopedia

Merced (detention facility)

This page is an update of the original Densho Encyclopedia article authored by Adrienne Iwata. See the shorter legacy version here .

US Gov Name Merced Assembly Center, California
Facility Type Temporary Assembly Center
Administrative Agency Wartime Civil Control Administration
Location Merced, California (37.3000 lat, -120.4667 lng)
Date Opened May 6, 1942
Date Closed September 15, 1942
Population Description Held people from the Northern California coast, west Sacramento Valley, and northern San Joaquin Valley, California.
General Description Located in California's central San Joaquin Valley within the town of Merced at the county fairgrounds; the buildings were sited south of the fairgrounds proper.
Peak Population 4,508 (1942-06-03)
Exit Destination Granada
National Park Service Info

The Merced Assembly Center, built on the Merced County Fairgrounds property, was populated from May 6 to September 15, 1942, a total of 133 days, and had a peak population of 4,508, making it near the median among " assembly centers " in both categories. The inmates came mostly from rural areas and small towns in Central California as well as north coastal areas above San Francisco. They were housed in just under two hundred hastily built barracks east of the racetrack. As with other Central California assembly centers, inmates battled intense heat and insects as well the usual cramped quarters, lines, and lack of privacy. Essentially the entire population went to the Amache , Colorado, concentration camp in September. A memorial dedicated in 2010 stands at the site of the camp today.

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