Freeman (Miller) Correspondence, 1939-1945

Summary

Creators:

Freeman, Miller

Abstract:

The collection contains letters sent to Miller Freeman, publisher and chairman of the Joint Committee for the Protection of the Pacific Coast Fisheries during the 1930s and 1940s. The letters range in date from 1939-1945.

Extent:

1 folder

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Miller Freeman Correspondence. 2001.56, Japanese American National Museum. Los Angeles, CA.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection contains letters sent to Miller Freeman, publisher and chairman of the Joint Committee for the Protection of the Pacific Coast Fisheries during the 1930s and 1940s. The letters range in date from 1939-1945. The letters are from various government officials and others, in response to letters Freeman wrote. The contents are generally about Japanese Americans and Freeman’s worries about Japanese American fishermen. The letters appear to be responding to Freeman’s questions and theories of Japanese fishermen spying in Alaska, and response to receiving copies of his conservative articles in various fishing magazines. The viewpoints range from urging Freeman to be cautious about discrimination, to agreeing with Freeman’s suggestions for more research and action in response to suspected Japanese activities.

Biographical / historical:

Miller Freeman (1875-1955) began publishing Ranch and Range from a shop on First Avenue in Seattle at the age of 22. He launched publication of the Pacific Fisherman in 1903, which grew to be the regional business resource for fishermen and canners. He also served for 10 years as secretary of the Puget Sound Salmon Canners Association.

Miller began advocating for improved regional transportation as early as 1910 when he pushed for construction of a ship canal to link the fresh waters of Lake Washington and the Puget Sound. He was a fishing industry magnate, Republican Party activist, and the founder and leader of Washington State's Anti-Japanese League. He founded the company Miller Freeman, Inc., in 1902. Many of the company’s publications were trade and marketing periodicals distributed free to subscribers in specific industries.

Acquisition information:

The collection was acquired in 2001 as a gift of Richard Chikami and Arlene Kageyama.

Processing information:

Items were described initially by museum staff. A finding aid was created in 2017 by Jamie Henricks.

Arrangement:

Previous physical arrangement was preserved. Items were rearranged in chronological order in the finding aid.

Physical location:

Japanese American National Museum. 100 North Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012.

Rules or conventions:

Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

Related resources

Related material:

Another collection, the Miller Freeman papers, are available at the University of Washington.

Indexed terms

Subjects:

Fisheries
Northwest, Pacific

Names:

Freeman, Miller, 1875-1955

Restrictions:

By appointment only. Please contact the Collections Management and Access Unit (collections@janm.org). Advanced notice is required.

Terms of access:

All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from materials in this collection must be submitted to the Collections Management and Access Unit at the Japanese American National Museum (collections@janm.org).

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Miller Freeman Correspondence. 2001.56, Japanese American National Museum. Los Angeles, CA.

Location of this collection:

Japanese American National Museum

Collections Management & Access Unit

100 North Central Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90012, US

Contact:

213-625-0414

collections@janm.org

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