Newman Block in Granada is an important reminder of the connections between the town of Granada and Amache, the World War II incarceration site in southeastern Colorado where Japanese Americans were forcibly removed and confined. On February 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which authorized military commanders to exclude civilians from designated military areas. Although the order did not name Japanese Americans specifically, it became the legal basis for the forced removal and incarceration of more than 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast, most of them U.S. citizens. Amache was one of ten War Relocation Authority incarceration sites established during the war.
Because of Amache’s close proximity to Granada, people incarcerated there frequently interacted with local residents, businesses, and employers. Newman Block became one of the most visible places where those interactions occurred. The block housed several businesses, including Newman’s Drug Store, the Granada Fish Market, the Grand Coffee Shop, and Page Trading Co.’s Dry Goods and Shoes, all of which help tell a broader story about daily life, work, commerce, and community relationships during a deeply unjust period in American history.
Newman’s Drug Store, the largest of the buildings, was originally constructed before 1914. In 1942, pharmacist Ed Newman recognized the need for a larger business in Granada and leased the building for his growing operation. He moved his pharmacy into the space, dug a well, added a soda fountain, and opened a newsstand. As Japanese Americans at Amache sought employment outside the incarceration site, Newman hired many to work at his store. He also sponsored sports teams at Amache, providing uniforms and trophies. These actions made his business an important point of contact between Granada and the incarcerated community nearby.
Adjacent to Newman’s Drug Store is the smaller blue building that housed the Granada Fish Market. Frank Masahiro Tsuchiya had owned a wholesale fish market in Los Angeles before being incarcerated at Amache. While still at Amache, just over a mile from Granada, he established the Granada Fish Market and, after gaining release on May 11, 1943, moved into town to continue operating the business. He worked alongside Frank Torizawa, who had also worked in a fish market before the war. Together, they delivered fish, poultry, and ice to people still incarcerated at Amache, helping supply both practical needs and a sense of connection to familiar foods and traditions.
The Granada Fish Market also became known for its generosity. In addition to providing goods, the business donated items intended to improve daily life for those living behind barbed wire. The Granada Pioneer published short notices thanking Tsuchiya for contributions such as Christmas trees and poultry. These small but meaningful acts reveal how local businesses could serve not only as commercial enterprises, but also as sources of support and dignity during a time of displacement and confinement.
Other storefronts in Newman Block deepen that story. Lois and Francis Matthews operated Page Trading Co.’s Dry Goods and Shoes next door to the fish market. They welcomed Japanese Americans and supported the Amache community by purchasing advertisements in Amache High School yearbooks. Nearby, Hisako Kato gained her release from Amache on March 11, 1944, moved to Granada, and operated the Grand Coffee Shop. The coffee shop served food as well as beverages, and advertisements in Amache High School yearbooks suggest the multicultural range of dishes she offered, including hamburgers and “oriental dishes.” Together, these businesses show that Newman Block was more than a row of storefronts. It was a place where work, commerce, hospitality, and intercultural exchange unfolded in the shadow of wartime incarceration.
Today, Newman Block remains a rare and tangible link to this underrepresented chapter of Colorado and American history. The Newman Building is now used as a rental event space and retains much of its exterior historic integrity. The Fish Market, Coffee Shop, and Dry Goods storefronts are currently vacant. Concern for the future of the block increased after one of the four connected buildings collapsed, drawing attention to the vulnerability of the remaining structures and the urgency of preservation planning.
Today, Newman Block is recognized for its ability to illuminate the local history of Granada’s relationship with Amache and the lives of those who moved between both places. CPI is eager to collaborate with the private owners, the Amache Alliance, the Amache Preservation Society, and the National Park Service to explore future uses for these buildings that both preserve their historic character and interpret their significance. Preserving Newman Block would protect not only a set of historic commercial buildings, but also a powerful place-based story about resilience, work, and community connection during one of the most painful chapters in the nation’s history.