PPAA18 ***** Saturday, June 12, 2004 ***** #First Edition
Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI)
http://communitylink.reviewjournal.com/lvrj/wbtiAdvisory Board: Governor Kenny Guinn, Chairman; U. S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign, Vice Chairmen; U. S. Representatives James Gibbons and Shelley Berkley, and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Executive Directors.
U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
Chairperson
Dr. Tony T. Lei
President
District Judges Mark Denton and Valorie Vega
Vice Presidents
Dr. William N. Thompson
Director of Public Administration Institution
Dr. E. Lee Bernick and Dr. G. Keong Leong
Deans of Graduate School of Business and Public Administration
Dr. Sue Fawn Chung
Director of Culture Institution
Justice of the Supreme Court William Maupin, Attorney General Brian Sandoval, and District Judge Stewart Bell, Honorary Chairmen of Clark County District Attorney and Police Civil Commission (CCDAPCC)
District Attorney David Roger and Clark County Sheriff Bill Young
Chairmen of CCDAPCC
(702) 255-9058
*It's our pleasure to pay a tribute to the above officials who dedicate to the civic and community service spects of our organization in an honorary or adjunct capacity.
-----------------------------------------
Island Mountain Days and Digging Up Our Past: Chinese Communities in Lumbering and Mining in late 19th Century California and Nevada
By Sue Fawn Chung, University of Nevada, Las Vegas*1
"Island Mountain Days: Discovering Nevada's Chinese
> Miners" is a(n) one
> hour education film that will air on KLVX Channel
> 10, Las Vegas' PBS
> station, on Wednesday, July 21st, at 9 p.m. and
> repeat on Sunday, July
> 25th at 11 a.m. It will be offered to national PBS
> stations so you can
> urge your local PBS station to pick it up.*2
>
> The script was written by Shelan Davis, based on
> research done by UNLV
> History Professor Sue Fawn Chung. Reginald LaFrance
> is the producer and
> Mitch Fox supervised the project. The inspiration
> for the program came
> from the Passport in Time volunteer archaeological
> project at Island
> Mountain. During the first year the Wing Luke
> Museum sent volunteers
> who appear in the film with the wonderful
> videography work of John Pai.
> Additional footage was done by Lin Anderson of Elko
> and Alan Solomon of
> Las Vegas. Many Elko volunteers assisted in the
> dig.
>
> The story focuses upon two characters, Emanuel
> Penrod of Illinois and
> Nevada, who founded Island Mountain, and China Lem,
> who ran the general
> store in Island Mountain. The community existed
> between 1873 and some
> time after 1917 (Lem pays taxes for the last time in
> 1916 and thereafter
> the town evolved into a ghost town). In 1875 the
> state census showed
> that the community had 50% Euro-Americans and 50%
> Chinese. By 1880 the
> U.S. census manuscript indicated that 80% of the
> residents were Chinese
> and by 1900 (the 1890 census manuscript was in a
> fire in D.C.) Island
> Mountain probably was entirely Chinese (the counting
> of the population
> merged with Gold Creek, a new town 3 miles away).
> The story of Island
> Mountain could not be told without the
> archaeological excavation.
>
> Historical photographs, recreated scenes, and
> coverage of the
> archaeological dig are featured. A. Maxine Chan
> even does some
> historical cooking. Professor Donald Hardesty of
> the University of
> Nevada, Reno, Anthropology Department, provided the
> graduate student
> leaders for the dig.
>
> Sue Fawn Chung and Hal Rothman of UNLV's History
> Department and Henry Yu
> of UCLA/University of British Columbia's History
> Department provide
> contextual interpretation.
>
> There is a premier on July19th at KLVX and if you
> would like an
> invitation, please let me know as soon as possible.
> After the showing
> the production team will be on hand to answer
> questions.
>
> Sue Fawn Chung
> UNLV Department of History
> National Trust for Historic Preservation Advisor
> Nevada Board of Museums and History
>
> ATTACHMENT part 2.2 message/rfc822
> Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 08:11:58 -0700
> From: Sue Fawn Chung
> To: MARLENE ADRIAN , Holly Fiala
> ,
> Benson Lee , Liane Lee
> ,
> Bill Leaf , Joan
> Mann ,
> Staff of NENM and Amber Johns
> ,
> Donna & Tim Murphy ,
> Timothy Murphy ,
> Pat Warren ,
> Hal Rothman ,
> Henry Yu
> Subject: "Island Mountain Days"
>
> "Island Mountain Days: Discovering Nevada's Chinese
> Miners" is a one
> hour education film that will air on KLVX Channel
> 10, Las Vegas' PBS
> station, on Wednesday, July 21st, at 9 p.m. and
> repeat on Sunday, July
> 25th at 11 a.m. It will be offered to national PBS
> stations so you can
> urge your local PBS station to pick it up. (Please
> note that this is a
> date change from an earlier message)
>
> The script was written by Shelan Davis, based on
> research done by UNLV
> History Professor Sue Fawn Chung. Reginald LaFrance
> is the producer and
> Mitch Fox supervised the project. The inspiration
> for the program came
> from the Passport in Time volunteer archaeological
> project at Island
> Mountain. During the first year the Wing Luke
> Museum sent volunteers
> who appear in the film with the wonderful
> videography work of John Pai.
> Additional footage was done by Lin Anderson of Elko
> and Alan Solomon of
> Las Vegas. Many Elko volunteers assisted in the
> dig.
>
> The story focuses upon two characters, Emanuel
> Penrod of Illinois and
> Nevada, who founded Island Mountain, and China Lem,
> who ran the general
> store in Island Mountain. The community existed
> between 1873 and some
> time after 1917 (Lem pays taxes for the last time in
> 1916 and thereafter
> the town evolved into a ghost town). In 1875 the
> state census showed
> that the community had 50% Euro-Americans and 50%
> Chinese. By 1880 the
> U.S. census manuscript indicated that 80% of the
> residents were Chinese
> and by 1900 (the 1890 census manuscript was in a
> fire in D.C.) Island
> Mountain probably was entirely Chinese (the counting
> of the population
> merged with Gold Creek, a new town 3 miles away).
> The story of Island
> Mountain could not be told without the
> archaeological excavation.
>
> Historical photographs, recreated scenes, and
> coverage of the
> archaeological dig are featured. A. Maxine Chan
> even does some
> historical cooking. Professor Donald Hardesty of
> the University of
> Nevada, Reno, Anthropology Department, provided the
> graduate student
> leaders for the dig.
>
> Sue Fawn Chung and Hal Rothman of UNLV's History
> Department and Henry Yu
> of UCLA/University of British Columbia's History
> Department provide
> contextual interpretation.
>
> There is a premier on July19th at KLVX and if you
> would like an
> invitation, please let me know as soon as possible.
> After the showing
> the production team will be on hand to answer
> questions.
>
> Sue Fawn Chung
> UNLV Department of History*3
> National Trust for Historic Preservation Advisor
> Nevada Board of Museums and History
*********************
Have you ever thought about what it would be like if the community was predominantly Chinese? A 3-year project (1999-2001) with the U.S. Forest Service, UNR, UNLV, Wing Luke Museum in Seattle, and the Passport in Time volunteers provided me with the opportunity to explore life in the late 19th century Chinese mining community called Island Mountain in northeastern Nevada, about twenty-five miles from the Idaho border. Using oral histories, government documents, local records, court documents, photographs, newspapers, and archaeological finds, it has been possible to gain some insight into the character of this transitional Chinatown from 1873 until 1916.*4
In 1873 Emanuel Penrod left his ranch in Genoa in search of gold. He had been one of the original founders of the rich Comstock Lode in Virginia City, but sold out to Henry Comstock before the Lode became a bonanza. He eventually settled down with his wife and children in Genoa and worked in nearby Carson City, the capital of Nevada. When one of his sons died from a tragic accidental death in Carson City, he felt restless and hopped on the Central Pacific Railroad heading east.
The transcontinental, completed in May 1869, opened new areas for mining and among them was the new mining town of Tuscarora, Elko County, which boasted a Chinese population of 2,000, thus rivaling Virginia City and Gold Hill (the Comstock Lode). The Beard brothers had founded the site and brought Chinese workers to help develop the irrigation system needed first for placer mining and then hydraulic mining. The Chinese stayed and mined. There were two Chinatowns and several wealthy merchants, most notably Ah Lee Lake (b. 1855, immigrated 1869, still active 1910), who in the winter wore an ermine lined Chinese silk jacket and who traveled to San Francisco and China regularly to buy supplies for the miners in the area. Ah Lee Lake was the wealthiest Chinese in Elko County and had good relations with both the Chinese and non-Chinese communities. In Tuscarora, Chinese miners worked alone, in groups, or with miners of other ethnic origins. It was a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural community.
Penrod decided to search for a new placer mining site and headed in a northeastern direction after disembarking at the major Central Pacific roundhouse town of Carlin. Instead of heading toward Tuscarora, he went further to the northeast, about 75 miles, near the mining town of Bruno City that quickly became a ghost town. He came upon a 8,000 feet loaf-shaped mountain surrounded by clouds and called it ¡§Island Mountain.¡¨ There, along with two friends, he discovered a rich new source of gold. He realized he needed water for more placer mining so he turned to Chinese workers, noted for their irrigation systems in China and in the Carson Valley, especially in Genoa, as well as Tuscarora. Eventually they brought in hydraulic mining equipment. A monitor had a force of 5,000 pounds under water pressure. A ¡§Little Giant¡¨ monitor could blast 16,000 gallons of water a minute and wash away 4,000 cubic yards of earth in a 24-hour period. Penrod and his two associates struck it rich. With his newfound wealth, he ran for State Assembly and won a seat for one year in 1874-5. But his real success was at Island Mountain, where he, his wife, and children had settled and where he lived until 1897. Penrod estimated that during his 24 years at Island Mountain, he took out a quarter of a million dollars. He also set the precedent of allowing law abiding Chinese to remain relatively unmolested.
According to the 1875 state census, 50% of the population of Island Mountain was Euro-American and 50% was Chinese, a total of 50 people. Some of the ditch diggers and miners had come from nearby Tuscarora, Mountain City, and Placerville, Elko County. By 1880 there were 71 inhabitants of Island Mountain: 54 (76%) Chinese, of whom 45 (83%) were miners and the remainder: 4 cooks, 2 woodchoppers, 2 merchants, 1 laundryman, 1 loafer, and 1 prostitute; 6 Native Americans (2 women, 1 child, 1 medicine man, 2 hunters); and 11 Euro-Americans (2 women, 1 farmer, 2 teamsters, 6 miners), including William Allen Penrod and his wife, Rebecca. Nevada attracted the Chinese because its constitution allowed resident aliens to buy, own, and sell land. By 1897 the character of Island Mountain changed because Penrod had sold his interests to the Gold Creek Mining Company, and the company decided to develop a new town named Gold Creek about 3-5 miles away on flat land instead of hillside. There the Euro-Americans resided in their new buildings, but the local hotel had a Chinese cook (Ah Bing, b. 1854, immigrated 1880, single, replaced in 1920 by Charlie King, b. 1874, married). By 1900 there were only five Chinese officially living in Island Mountain. The Gold Creek Mining Company recognized the need to have a larger water supply and built the 137 acre Sunflower Reservoir (821/310 million gallons of water), employing approximately 200 Chinese workers and 89 other workers. Some of these Chinese workers probably remained in the area and a few moved into the recently abandoned houses in Island Mountain, now called Gold Creek¡¦s Chinatown between 1897 and 1900. The Reservoir controlled the water from the canal system that the Chinese had built earlier and improved it to the point that it was maintained by a little boat that sailed along the canal system. Mining was possible only from approximately March to September/October, so most of the Chinese miners had other jobs or spent the winter elsewhere. According to the local newspaper, the average income from a season was $9,000 during peak years, so it was possible for miners to rest upon their laurels on a good year.
In 1903 Doctor and Mrs. Mathey visited Island Mountain and Gold Creek. A professional photographer, Hilda Mathey provided a visual of the town filled primarily with Chinese miners. Two notable residents stood out: Hong Lee and Hong Lem, two brothers who ran the local store on Peking Street for a total of 40 years. When one brother died, the other moved from Tuscarora to take over the business. When the U.S. government required a registration of Chinese businesses, the Hong Lee Store was duly recorded. They sold goods to the local population: Chinese, Native American, Euro-American. They carried American products such as sugar, maple syrup, bullets, and clothing as well as Chinese products, such as silks, rice wine, and preserved vegetables. The Hong Lee Store advertised in the newspaper. They welcomed visitors to the community and this was publicized in the newspaper, in particular, when a reporter traveled through the area and stopped at Hong Lee¡¦s for the traditional shot of whiskey to fend off the freezing cold. Hong Lee¡¦s was on the main route between Carlin/Elko (major Central Pacific/Southern Pacific stations) and Boise until the 1920s. The Chinese also shared their Chinese New Year¡¦s celebration with everyone and ladies were often rewarded with silk handkerchiefs. Lem, as the merchant was called, purchased toads from the children, pickled them, and sent them to China. He probably collected pine nuts from the Native Americans and sent these back to China too.
Hong Lem¡¦s store was well-constructed and branches of willow trees were used for the panes of the air-tight windows. There were at least two rooms in the store and in another building or room was three cooking areas ¡V probably for the different temperatures needed to boil hot water for tea, high heat for wok cooking, and lower heat for slow cooking, such as making soups. Shortly after 1903 Lem had made enough money to enter into the middle-class and put a middle-class wooden front on his store. His shop was a gathering place for many of the community members, most of whom had turned from mining to ranching as the years passed.
Nearby there was gambling in one of the buildings and the Chinese welcomed Native Americans and Euro-Americans to the gaming tables. Although there was one prostitute counted in 1880, it was more probable that women came to the town on a wagon from Tuscarora as the population decreased. Most of the Chinese miners were unmarried and many spent most of the lives away from women. A few probably married or lived with Native American women from the nearby Shoshone tribe.
Franklin Jesse Baker, a teamster, was among Lem¡¦s close friends and they helped each other in time of need. For example, when Mrs. Baker¡¦s sister was snowed-in and out of food, it was Lem who came to the rescue with provisions for the stranded family. One day Baker testified in court when two men tried to swindle Lem by selling him over $100 worth of goods for his store with the intent of never producing the products. By custom, Chinese testimony in court against whites, especially in criminal cases, were not regarded with any validity so Baker¡¦s testimony was crucial in recovering the money for Lem. The Bakers, like the Martin family, invited Lem and his room mate to dinner and, according to Della Baker Johns, the daughter, ¡§Mother served what she would normally serve to the family with the exception of always including rice when they came for dinner.¡¨ When Lem was ill, the Bakers and Martins often took him to the doctor in the neighboring town, either Tuscarora or Elko.
As isolated as it might seem to be, the Chinese of Island Mountain were concerned about larger issues. When the 1906 earthquake and fire wrecked San Francisco¡¦s Chinatown, the Chinese in Elko raised money to help their brethen and Lem was among them. From a fragment of a book in Chinese found at the store, it was evident that someone read Chinese and was concerned with the newly established republic (post 1912). Undoubtedly it was Lem since he could sign his name in Chinese.
Lem¡¦s roommate was known as China Joe. In 1910 he sent $1,000 back to his family in China -- $700 more than the average $300 sent to families in China. On the morning of August 2, 1910, he went duck hunting with Bob McKenzie and accidentally drowned in Sunflower Reservoir. Attempts to rescue him had been unsuccessful until the next day when they found him, a duck clutched in his hand. He was buried next to his brother in the local Chinese cemetery and from his headstone, it was revealed that the brothers came from western Guangdong. Thus differences that probably had existed in their homeland were obviously forgotten in their new homeland. Lem observed important Chinese traditions including the Qingming festival every year for the two brothers until his own death.
By 1916 the Hong Lee store disappears from the county tax rolls and one can presume that Lem either died or moved away to spend the last years of his life. With his departure, Island Mountain gradually became a ghost town and then disappeared. Gold Creek burned down in the 1920s and also became a ghost town with a sidewalk that leads nowhere. The Chinese community of Island Mountain thrived during a period of anti-Chinese movement elsewhere in the American west. The residents could establish positive relations with the larger community because of mutual economic benefits, the positive attitude of the community leaders toward other races and ethnic groups, and a frontier spirit that allowed positive interracial interactions.*5
--------------------------------------------------
References
*1. Dr. Sue Fawn Chung is also Fellow and Director of the Cultutre Institution (CI) of Washington Business and Technology Institute (WBTI).
*2. Chung, Sue Fawn. "'Island Mountain Days: Discovering Nevada's Chinese Miners' is a one hour education film that will air on KLVX Channel," (June 10, 2004), Las Vegas, Nevada: UNLV Department of History.
*3. Ibid.
*4. Chung, Sue Fawn. 'Digging Up Our Past: Chinese Communities in Lumbering and Mining in late 19th Century California and Nevada,'
"An e-mail to Dr. Tony Lei from Dr. Sue Fawn Chung," (June 4, 2004), Las Vegas, Neveda: UNLV.
*5. Ibid.
