New Truths About Deadwood's 1800s Chinese Community Unveiled
The truth about Deadwood’s Chinese community during the late 1800s will be revealed in a new exhibition called “Digging Deadwood: Understanding Chinatown” starting Sept. 13 at 5:15 p.m. at The Adams Museum in Deadwood, South Dakota. The extended exhibit that will run into next year tells the story of Deadwood’s early Chinese community through the lens of the 2001–2003 archaeological excavations conducted on the city’s lower Main Street, the historic site of the city’s Chinatown. The exhibition will include many of the artifacts that were discovered during the excavations.
The Fee Lee Wong family, Deadwood, circa 1890, poses to have their portrait taken. Copyright photo courtesy Adams Museum
After more than 100 years of speculation, tall tales and dedicated professional research, the truth about Deadwood’s Chinatown was revealed during those excavations. Information about buildings dating to the 1880s, monetary currency, opium, personal hygiene and the daily life of the Chinese in Deadwood had been quiet secrets beneath the feet of thousands of people for more than a century. The exhibit’s opening begins on Sept. 13 with a lecture by Rose Estep Fosha, senior archaeologist with the State Archaeological Research Center and the director of Deadwood’s Chinatown excavations. A public reception follows. The State Archaeological Research Center (SARC) – a division of the South Dakota State Historical Society – directed the excavations. These digs uncovered pristine evidence that presented volumes of new information about the Chinese in Deadwood, filled in the gaps in existing research and brought to life the stories of a long-silent group of individuals. This event is sponsored by the Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission, Deadwood Gulch Resort & Gaming, Cadillac Jack’s Gaming Resort, the South Dakota Humanities Council, Silverado Franklin Historic Hotel & Gaming Complex, and the Black Hills Pioneer. For more information visit the museum’s web site at www.AdamsMuseumAndHouse.org or call (605) 578-1928.
