Pinedale (detention facility)

Pinedale Assembly Center was located in Fresno, California, eight miles north of downtown and just twelve miles from the Fresno Assembly Center . Pinedale was somewhat unique among assembly centers in that most of its population came from far away. Most came from Washington state; nearly all of the Japanese Americans removed from the western part of the state except for those from the city of Seattle came to Pinedale, along with the population of Hood River, Oregon. The remainder of the population, about 15%, came from the Sacramento area. Medium sized among assembly centers with a peak population of around 4,800, Pinedale was operational for a short 78 days, from May 7 to July 23. As such, it was relatively limited in the scope of its institutions, in particular having very limited educational programs and medical facilities. It was also unusual for an assembly center in that all of the buildings for it were newly constructed, as it did not make use of any existing facilities. The summer heat was a major issue among inmates, particularly since its population mostly came from the much cooler Pacific Northwest. For the most part, the Pacific Northwest people were subsequently sent to Tule Lake , while the California people went to Poston .