“Uncovering the Chinese Presence in The Dalles�? is the title of the December 3, 2013 lecture sponsored by the Oregon Archaeological Society and delivered by Eric Gleason. The history of Chinese settlement in The Dalles, Oregon begins in the 1850’s and 1860’s, however it was not until the 1880’s that the Chinese community began to concentrate on a block long stretch of East First Street, that would come to be known as Chinatown.
Gleason will discuss the early development of The Dalles and the formation of Chinatown using maps and photographs and supplemented by archival documents from the US National Archives. Test excavations of a single building in Chinatown revealed portions of a cellar hole, filled with layers of artifacts that chronicle a century of intensive occupation. Though The Dalles Chinatown has been abandoned for more than 50 years, numerous stories can be revealed, many of which are still sealed below an asphalt parking lot.
Credits - OAS Website -
http://www.oregonarchaeological.org/events/
