"The Center was one of ten that were created by the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941. The camp opened in August 1942 and had a maximum population of 7, 318 persons. Nearly all of those interned at the camp came from the West Coast of the U.S., mostly from the Los Angeles area. Each person was only allowed to bring one bag, therefore, many people were forced to sell what they could or give away their possessions before being forced out. This also included pets. The camp's unofficial name quickly became Camp Amache, named after a Cheyeene Indian chief's daughter, the wife of John Prowers (the county where Camp Amache is located is named after Prowers).This name change was due to a mail mix up between the town of Granada and the camp."See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granada_War_Relocation_Center