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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1907 - Japanese Helped Settle the Tukwila AreaJapanese helped settle the Tukwila area BY LOUISE JONES-BROWN TUKWILA HISTORICAL SOCIETY In 1907, prior to Tukwi- la's incorporation, the T.S. Linos family arrived from Japan. On the south side of Tukwila Hill, Michio and Hisako Kato, also Japanese immigrants, raised poultry and sold eggs in Seattle. The Hanadas and Nobuyamas were also in the valley. This writer has memories in the 1980s of vegetables growing near the South - center development. The planting area was between stores and the I-5 freeway. The Mikami family came to the Duwamish Valley in the 1920s where Matsu- suke and Tamayo operated a dairy until a federal law made it illegal for them to lease property. They pur- chased additional land in This photo was taken on the steps of the Tukwila School on 59th Avenue South before World War II, where several students of Japanese heritage went to school. Do you recognize anyone in the photo? If so, contact the Tukwila Historical Society at tukwilaheritagectr@ tukwilahistory.org the Southcenter area and raised eight children. The Mikamis were sent to an internment camp dur- ing World War II. Three of their sons served in the armed forces and one daughter volunteered for the Women's Army Corps in military intelligence. Many Japanese -American families were sent to Tule Lake Camp, Calif., for three years. Most of the families re- turned and found their property protected by their neighbors. Some had noth- ing left when they returned and worked hard to rebuild. In 1979, the City of Tuk- wila established a Sister City affiliation with Ikawa- cho, Japan, which focused on international peace. In 1984 a Sister City Com- mittee was formed and in March 2006, Ikawa merged with five other cities. Be- cause of a former alliance with Ikawa-cho, the Sister City program was contin- ued with the city of Miyo- shi. The exhibit The Tukwila Historical Society was honored by a request from the City of Tukwila and the Sister Cit- ies Committee to display many of the gifts received from the officials and visi- tors of Japan. An exhibit is currently being created at the Tukwila Heritage and Cultural Center, 14475 59th Ave. S. The grand opening will be celebrated on Sunday, Sept. 15, and the historical society will host this event. Tickets for the silent auction and Re- ception may be purchased from the Tukwila Histori- cal Society. The calendar Aug. 15, 7 p.m. - Tuk- wila Historical Society's regular monthly member meeting at the museum, Aug. 17 and 18 - Tuk- wila Community Garage Sale. Tukwila Historical Society will have items for sale in the south parking lot of Hazelnut Park 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days. Sept. 15 - Tukwila His- torical Society Silent Auc- tion and Reception is at 3 p.m. to celebrate the grand opening of the Tukwila Japanese Sister City Col- lection Exhibit. Tickets to attend available to the Tuk- wila Heritage and Cultural Center. Sept. 19 - Tukwila Historical Society regular member meeting at 7 p.m. Tukwila's Story is writ- ten by Louise Jones -Brown. She is director of the Tuk- wila Heritage and Cultural Center and treasurer for the Tukwila Historical Society. For hours and arrange- ments for a tour, please call 206/244-HIST or email: tukwilaheritagectr@tuk- wilahistory.org.