Chinese History in Eastern Oregon
In the town of John Day, the fascinating little Kam Wah Chung & Co. Museum (tel. 541/575-2800), on Northwest Canton Street adjacent to City Park, is well worth a visit. It preserves the home and shop of a Chinese doctor who, for much of the first half of the 20th century, administered to his fellow countrymen laboring here. The building looks much as it might have at the time of the doctor's death and contains an office, a pharmacy, a general store, and living quarters. It's open May through October only, daily from 9am to 5pm. Admission is free.
You'll find more Chinese history in Baker City, where an old Chinese cemetery can be seen on Allen Street, just east of exit 304 off of I-84. This cemetery has a modern Chinese pavilion that was built in Souzhou, China, designed by the same company that built the Portland Classical Chinese Garden. The Pendleton Underground Tours in Pendleton also focuses on the region's Chinese history.
