Deadwood Live Cam

• North South

Deadwood Gulch's Chinatown

At the turn of the century, travelers from the north entered narrow Deadwood Gulch through a noisy, crowded, bustling village where "at every house signboards are hanging recommending to the public Ah-Chin as a linen washer, or Wah-Loo-Ting as tailor."

Today's visitor can find little physical evidence to mark the location of what was once purported to be the largest Chinese settlement east of San Francisco. Just how many Chinese were crowded into a 2 1/2- block area during those flourishing gold rush days is a matter of conjecture, since census records of that era were less than accurate and the Chinese themselves very secretive about their actual numbers.

In l893 a local newspaper stated:

Deadwood has for her size perhaps the largest colony of Chinese east of San Francisco. All told they number 500. During the past year the settlement has been increased fully 150. Of these 98% can be said to have made a fraudulent entry into this country.