Margaret Laplante

Abandoned Chinatowns Margaret Laplante

It was as if the word GOLD echoed around the world as people came to the Pacific Northwest in droves in search of sudden wealth in the 1850s. Thousands of Chinese men came to America dreaming of the wealth that had eluded them in their native land. They traveled far in search of Gum Shan, also known as Gold Mountain. They worked mining for gold, building railroads, logging, and in agriculture and factories. They planted vineyards and cleared the delta, diverting water so that crops could grow on land where only water had been. They dug canals so water could be diverted for agriculture; installed irrigation for orchards; and worked in the fishing industry and in canneries. They worked as servants in private homes, in hotels and restaurants, and operated laundries, restaurants, markets, and other businesses.