Historical Marker Number: 11488
Marker Title: Site of The Kishi Colony
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larger view)
Index Entry: Kishi Colony
City: Vidor
County: Orange
Year Marker Erected: 1981
Marker Location: FM 1135 right of way 5 mi. S of FM 1135 & US 10
intersection, 2 mi. from Vidor
Marker Text:
Japanese native Kichimatsu Kishi (d. 1956), a veteran of the Russo-Japanese War, 1904-05, established an agricultural colony at this site in 1908. The first settlers were Japanese tenant farmers. Despite their eventual American citizenship and the adoption of several western customs, they managed to maintain the traditions of their homeland. Several crops were raised here, but the fertile soil and abundant water were best suited for rice production. Later, workers of Mexican and French Louisiana descent joined the settlement. In order to serve the growing colony, Kishi deeded land for a church and a school. A nearby cemetery was started in 1910 for the burial of a young colonist, T. Toba. Unstable market prices, damaged crops, and financial hardships led to the decline of the colony. The end came as a result of the economic Depression of the 1930s. Some settlers moved to other states, but many remained. Several of the men served with American forces during World War II. The Kishi colony was instrumental in the economic growth of Orange County. Only the cemetery and a few structures mark the site, but descendants of original settlers still live in Southeast Texas.
The information on Historical Markers is from
The Texas Historical Sites Atlas
Photos by Elaine Stone
