Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Utahraptor State Park, not yet open, holds history beyond fossils for visitors.
- Haruo Kawate visited to honor his father, detained there during World War II.
- The park features exhibits on the Moab Isolation Center, offering historical insights.
MOAB — Even though Utahraptor State Park isn't officially open yet, Haruo Kawate couldn't wait to visit.
For most people, the park is about fossils, dinosaurs and recreation. But for Kawate, who traveled all the way from Japan, it was about something much deeper: his father.
"My father up in heaven has brought me here, it feels that way," said Kawate through a translator.
What is now Utahraptor State Park was once very different
During World War II, the land that now hosts Utahraptor State Park was home to the Moab Isolation Center, a place where Japanese Americans deemed troublemakers were detained.
Among them was Kawate's father, Masao Kawate.
"Now, I'm finally here in the place where he had been incarcerated, and it's a deep honor," Kawate said, standing on the grounds where his father once lived under confinement.
Today, little remains of the camp's buildings.
There are just a few concrete slabs and broken pillars, but the memories remain.
As Utah State Parks workers established the new park boundaries, they felt it was crucial to honor this history.
This sentiment led to Kawate and his sister being invited to a special event before the park's official grand opening.
"A lot of people are going to come here for a lot of different reasons," said Chris Haramoto, deputy director of Utah State Parks. "We wanted to keep this event a little special for our folks that came in. More intimate in the setting where we can spend time with the family."
Pictures and exhibits tell the story of incarceration
The visitor center at Utahraptor State Park is filled with pictures, exhibits, and stories of those who were detained here, offering visitors a glimpse into this somber chapter of American history, not only for the Isolation Center but for the Civilian Conservation Corps camp that was based here as well.
For Kawate, the visit brought a sense of peace and a closer connection to his father.
"He feels even closer to his father than he did when his father was still alive," Haruo Kawate's sister said.
As the park prepares to officially open next month, visitors can look forward to camping, trails and the thrill of discovering dinosaur bones.
Yet, the history of the Moab Isolation Center is something park managers hope everyone will take the time to learn about.
