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What Couldn't Be Erased: Deadwood's Chinatown
In 1876, Chinese immigrants arrived in Deadwood, South Dakota, building restaurants, laundries, medical practices, and a temple that smelled of incense from a block away. By 1880, there were over 200 - possibly 400. But then the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 changed everything.
In this episode, we explore how a thriving community faced systematic legal persecution - yet refused to disappear. We'll meet Wong Fee Lee, who became the first Chinese property owner in Deadwood in 1877, and Judge Granville Bennett, who made sure Chinese clients got fair trials even as the Supreme Court ruled that they had no constitutional protections. We'll witness elaborate public funerals where hundreds of white residents watched, and follow Ah Sam as he sues for his wages and wins.
Then we go underground: archaeologists discover Feature 17, a ritual burial interrupted mid-ceremony during the worst years of persecution, and a ceremonial burner built in 1908 that was used for decades - evidence that dignity survived.
By 1931, the last Chinese resident left Deadwood. But in 2025, South Dakota declared Wong Fee Lee Day, unveiled a statue, and 69 descendants gathered to celebrate.
For photos, maps and glimpses of the past, follow @rootedintheplains on Instagram.
Want to learn more?
- Chen, Joyce J. "The Impact of Skill-Based Immigration Restrictions: The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882." Journal of Human Resources (2015).
- Fosha, Rose Estep, and Christopher Leatherman. "The Chinese Experience in Deadwood, South Dakota." Historical Archaeology 42, no. 3 (2008): 97–110.
- Garrison, William Lloyd. "Chinese Exclusion." The Advocate of Peace 64, no. 2
- Maher, Jim. Facebook post about Wong Fee Lee Day statue unveiling. June 26, 2025. Accessed February 16, 2026. https://www.facebook.com/jimmahersculpture/posts/1565495491474042/.
- “THE AMENDMENT OF THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT.” American Advocate of Peace (1892-1893) 55, no. 12 (1893): 277–78.
- "The Supreme Court and the Chinese Exclusion Act." American Advocate of Peace 55, no. 6 (1893): 130–31.
- Sanborn Fire Insurance Company. Insurance Maps of Deadwood, South Dakota. New York: Sanborn Map Company, 1891, 1897, 1909, 1915.
- Wong, Edith C., Eileen French, and Rose Estep Fosha. "Deadwood's Pioneer Merchant: Wong Fee Lee and His Wing Tsue Bazaar." South Dakota History 39, no. 4 (Winter 2009): 283–322.
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By Nicole BlackstockIn 1876, Chinese immigrants arrived in Deadwood, South Dakota, building restaurants, laundries, medical practices, and a temple that smelled of incense from a block away. By 1880, there were over 200 - possibly 400. But then the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 changed everything.
In this episode, we explore how a thriving community faced systematic legal persecution - yet refused to disappear. We'll meet Wong Fee Lee, who became the first Chinese property owner in Deadwood in 1877, and Judge Granville Bennett, who made sure Chinese clients got fair trials even as the Supreme Court ruled that they had no constitutional protections. We'll witness elaborate public funerals where hundreds of white residents watched, and follow Ah Sam as he sues for his wages and wins.
Then we go underground: archaeologists discover Feature 17, a ritual burial interrupted mid-ceremony during the worst years of persecution, and a ceremonial burner built in 1908 that was used for decades - evidence that dignity survived.
By 1931, the last Chinese resident left Deadwood. But in 2025, South Dakota declared Wong Fee Lee Day, unveiled a statue, and 69 descendants gathered to celebrate.
For photos, maps and glimpses of the past, follow @rootedintheplains on Instagram.
Want to learn more?
- Chen, Joyce J. "The Impact of Skill-Based Immigration Restrictions: The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882." Journal of Human Resources (2015).
- Fosha, Rose Estep, and Christopher Leatherman. "The Chinese Experience in Deadwood, South Dakota." Historical Archaeology 42, no. 3 (2008): 97–110.
- Garrison, William Lloyd. "Chinese Exclusion." The Advocate of Peace 64, no. 2
- Maher, Jim. Facebook post about Wong Fee Lee Day statue unveiling. June 26, 2025. Accessed February 16, 2026. https://www.facebook.com/jimmahersculpture/posts/1565495491474042/.
- “THE AMENDMENT OF THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT.” American Advocate of Peace (1892-1893) 55, no. 12 (1893): 277–78.
- "The Supreme Court and the Chinese Exclusion Act." American Advocate of Peace 55, no. 6 (1893): 130–31.
- Sanborn Fire Insurance Company. Insurance Maps of Deadwood, South Dakota. New York: Sanborn Map Company, 1891, 1897, 1909, 1915.
- Wong, Edith C., Eileen French, and Rose Estep Fosha. "Deadwood's Pioneer Merchant: Wong Fee Lee and His Wing Tsue Bazaar." South Dakota History 39, no. 4 (Winter 2009): 283–322.