Historic Locke is in the heart of the Sacramento Delta roughly midway between Sacramento and Stockton in California. It was founded in 1915 and holds the distinction of being the only town in the United States to have been built entirely by Chinese and for the Chinese.
In the late 1800's there was a large Chinese community, 600 to 700, in nearby Walnut Grove. Many of the first levees in the Sacramento Delta were built by Chinese. They came too seek jobs after the Gold Rush and the completion of the railroad that connected the span of the United States. The Chinese population grew very fast after it became known that this delta is fertile for farming. The Chinese labored with pick and shovel, earning very little for the earth that they moved.
A piece of land was leased from George Locke following a fire that destroyed the entire Chinatown in Walnut Grove in 1915. Since it was illegal for Chinese to own land, George Locke agreed to lease nine acres to a group of Chinese who wanted to build a Chinatown to replace the one that was completely burned down in Walnut Grove.
Locke became the new Chinatown, it grew and prospered as many Chinese from San Francisco area settled here. By the 1920's, it was alive with businesses of all types. However, after WWII, the residents drifted away, lured by the promise of big cities. Today it is a quiet town of about 160 residents, fewer than half are Chinese. The original buildings remain. There is a Locke Memorial Park dedicated in 2006, to the Chinese who built the railroad, levees, agriculture and the town of Locke.
In August 2, 1970, Locke was added to the national registry of historical places.
For more information on its history, current and upcoming events in Locke please visit www.locketown.com.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Fiddletown, California
Fiddletown is a small hamlet in California, USA. Its Chinese population there once was second only to that in San Francisco. Below paragraphs are quoted from the Fiddletown Preservation Society's website.
"Fiddletown began as a mining camp during the height of the Gold Rush, with ample placer gold deposits that attracted miners from all parts of the world. The story goes that it was named by early settlers from Missouri who fiddled during slow times when there was no water in the creeks for mining, a frequent occurrence in the summer. Music was always a part of this town, but so was fiddling around. "
"By 1853 Fiddletown evolved into a trading center for nearby mining camps and for farms in the neighboring Shenandoah Valley. Its commercial area during this period of growth featured fifteen to twenty stores, four hotels, several blacksmith shops, a carpenter’s shop, four taverns, a couple of bakeries, two or three restaurants, dance halls, and even public baths. With a church, post office, and school, it was quite a civilized town. In its heyday, the town’s population was about 2,000."
"Chinese miners and merchants also gravitated to Fiddletown, occupying the southwest part of the town. By 1880, half of Fiddletown’s population was Chinese. Though the Chinese departed in the first part of the 20th Century, they left behind several early gold rush buildings that make Fiddletown unique among Sierra foothill towns. The Chew Kee herb store was inhabited for more than 100 years by Chinese residents. It is now open as a museum, containing fascinating objects from the lives of its occupants."
There are three remaining Chinese buildings, Chew Chee Store Museum, Chinese Gambling Hall, and Chinese General Store. For updates on the preservation of these and other buildings in Fiddletown, please visit www.fiddletown.info. The last Chinese resident, Jimmy Chow, died April 1965. The three remaining buildings tell the story of the Chinese in Fiddletown.
"Fiddletown began as a mining camp during the height of the Gold Rush, with ample placer gold deposits that attracted miners from all parts of the world. The story goes that it was named by early settlers from Missouri who fiddled during slow times when there was no water in the creeks for mining, a frequent occurrence in the summer. Music was always a part of this town, but so was fiddling around. "
"By 1853 Fiddletown evolved into a trading center for nearby mining camps and for farms in the neighboring Shenandoah Valley. Its commercial area during this period of growth featured fifteen to twenty stores, four hotels, several blacksmith shops, a carpenter’s shop, four taverns, a couple of bakeries, two or three restaurants, dance halls, and even public baths. With a church, post office, and school, it was quite a civilized town. In its heyday, the town’s population was about 2,000."
"Chinese miners and merchants also gravitated to Fiddletown, occupying the southwest part of the town. By 1880, half of Fiddletown’s population was Chinese. Though the Chinese departed in the first part of the 20th Century, they left behind several early gold rush buildings that make Fiddletown unique among Sierra foothill towns. The Chew Kee herb store was inhabited for more than 100 years by Chinese residents. It is now open as a museum, containing fascinating objects from the lives of its occupants."
There are three remaining Chinese buildings, Chew Chee Store Museum, Chinese Gambling Hall, and Chinese General Store. For updates on the preservation of these and other buildings in Fiddletown, please visit www.fiddletown.info. The last Chinese resident, Jimmy Chow, died April 1965. The three remaining buildings tell the story of the Chinese in Fiddletown.
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