J. Stone: Past, Present, and Future of the Historic 20th Century Redman Hirahara Farmstead 9/12/24

This talk will present Jacob’s dissertation research on the Redman-Hirahara farmstead in Watsonville, CA. This Victorian farmstead was built in 1897 and has a long and rich legacy intersecting with early farming in the California Central Valley and the Japanese American community of Watsonville. Locals and tourists alike may recognize the home as it stands today along Highway 1, but few know the incredible story of the Hirahara family who purchased the home in 1940 and used their property as a means of community support for other Japanese Americans following the conclusion of WWII. This presentation highlights the Hirahara family and their time with the house before, during, and after the war and similarly links their journey to the thousands of other Japanese Americans in the Watsonville, Santa Cruz, and San Jose area as I explore and share ethnographic sources from the region. Lastly, many question what the future of the farmstead will look like, and this presentation aims to open a dialogue with the community to find a way to bring this home out of the past and into the present day.

Jacob Stone graduated with his PhD in Anthropology from the University of Santa Cruz in June 2024. Jacob sparked his passion for historical archaeology during his undergraduate dissertation and research
on archaeology of internment and internment spaces. Now, he specializes in the analysis of glass and ceramic historic artifacts as well as Japanese American archaeology in central California. He also found a great love for teaching and archival studies during his graduate school career, helping students find hands-on opportunities to work with archaeological collections and presenting an exhibit for UCSC McHenry Library. Additionally, Jacob has spent 8 years as a professional archaeologist working in cultural resource management in both Wisconsin and California and continues that career today by working for Dudek in Santa Cruz.