Culture History of the German Gulch Chinese
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University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 2001 Culture history of the German Gulch Chinese Garren J. Meyer The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Meyer, Garren J., "Culture history of the German Gulch Chinese" (2001). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 5858. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/5858 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Maureen and Mike MANSFIELD LIBRARY The University of Montana Permission is granted by the author to reproduce this material in its entirety, provided that this material is used for scholarly purposes and is properly cited in published works and reports. **Please check "Yes" or "No" and provide signature Yes, I grant permission No, I do not grant permission Author’s Signature: Date: 1 - 0 I____ Any copying for commercial purposes or financial gain may be undertaken only with the author's explicit consent. 8/98 A CULTURE HISTORY OF THE GERMAN GULCH CHINESE by Garren Meyer B.A. University of Montana, 1992 Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts University of Montana 2001 Chairman, Board oj Examiners ? A , 2 0 0 \_______ •ate Dean, Graduate School ( 2 - ( Date UMI Number: EP36659 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMT DMMTtalkm F\iMi«hing UMI EP36659 Published by ProQuest LLC (2013). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuest’ ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 -1346 ABSTRACT Meyer, Garren, M.A., December 2 001 Anthropology A Culture History of the German Gulch Chinese (252 pp.) ChairThomas A. Poor The period 1850-1940 witnessed an extensive outmigration from the southeastern Chinese coastal provinces. These "overseas Chinese" migrated to nearly all corners of the globe, in the process becoming incorporated into new and varied social situations. After the Chinese settled in an area, internal segmentation often manifested itself. The segments were based on various criteria, including kinship, dialect, region of origin, surname, and occupation. Such internal differentiation among the overseas Chinese suggests that we should be cautious in our interpretations regarding Chinese "ethnicity", which is just as likely to have a "Chinese-Chinese" dimension as a "Chinese-Host Population" dimension. A portion of this thesis focuses on the presence of segmentation within the German Gulch, Montana Chinese community and how this might be manifested in the documentary and archaeological record. Another issue addressed by this thesis examines the extent to which ethnic segmentation among the Chinese in Silver Bow county followed the pattern exhibited in California and elsewhere. Additional questions addressed herein include the nature of relations between the Chinese and Euroamericans, the role of socioeconomic class distinctions within the Chinese community, and the nature of settlement patterns and artifact variability both within German Gulch and with reference to other Chinese placer mining settlements. Perhaps the overriding aim of this study is simply to present a fuller culture-historical account of the German Gulch Chinese community. Information derived from historical research and archaeological investigations tends to support the hypothesis that the social structure of the Chinese miners in the gulch was relatively egalitarian. While certain individuals sometimes provided all of the capital for mining ventures, entitling them to sole control, the forming of partnerships was perhaps most common. A type of entrepreneurial system is thus hypothesized. Based on documentary sources, it is apparent that the Chinese organized themselves on the basis of regional distinctions, a pattern which coincides with the situation found in the early stages of Chinese settlement in California. The increasing complexity of the Chinese community led to the later adoption of surname as a criteria of identification among the Chinese who later settled in nearby Butte. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First of all I would like to thank my employers. Gene Munson and Dave Ferguson of GCM Services, for helping me to succeed in my graduate studies. Without their support and assistance it would have been much more difficult to balance family, work and school responsibilities. In addition, it was Gene's suggestion that I consider the German Gulch Chinese as a research topic. The receipt of generous financial assistance from the Montana Archaeological Society's Linda-Ward Williams Memorial Scholarship program is gratefully acknowledged. I would also like to thank the members of my thesis committee, Tom Foor, Greg Campbell and Dan Flores, for taking the time to work through a rather unwieldy first draft, and for their thought-provoking questions and critiques. Finally, I would like to thank my family and especially my daughter Lydia, who provided the inspiration to return to school in the first place. Ill TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION................................... 1 The Physical Setting of German Gulch.................. 2 Theoretical and Methodological Orientations........... 6 Research Objectives................................... 7 Thesis Organization.................................. 11 CHAPTER 2 . ETHNIC INCORPORATION IN IMPERIAL CHINA................................... 13 Formation of the Chinese State....................... 14 The Chinese Empire................................... 15 The Han Dynasty......................................16 The Expansion of Chinese Culture..................... 18 CHAPTER 3 . CHINESE SOCIAL ORGANIZATION IN LATE IMPERIAL TIMES.................................21 Kin Relationships.................................... 21 Social and Economic Classes.......................... 23 Mine Laborers................................... 24 Ethnicity- Kwangtung and Canton...................... 27 The Ying/Yang of Chinese Society..................... 34 CHAPTER 4. THE CHINESE DIASPORA......................... 3 6 The Chinese Frontier................................. 3 6 Emigration...........................................37 Ethnicity Among the Overseas Chinese................. 40 Ethnicity Among Chinese in the United States......... 46 CHAPTER 5. CHINESE IMMIGRANTS ON THE AMERICAN MINING FRONTIER..................................... 54 IV CHAPTER 6. THE GERMAN GULCH COMMUNITY 6 6 The Discovery of Gold and the Initial Period of Settlement................................... 67 The Consolidation of Claims and Introduction of Large-Scale Placering Methods................... 69 The Development of Lode Mines 7 0 Demographics and Population.......................... 72 Seasonality..........................................74 Violence, Mortality and Frontier Justice 7 5 CHAPTER 7 . THE CHINESE COMMUNITIES IN SILVER BOW COUNTY.................................. 7 8 CHAPTER 8. THE GERMAN GULCH CHINESE COMMUNITY 8 2 Demographics and Population.......................... 82 The Pattern of Chinese Mining Activity in German Gulch 8 6 Old Frederick District......................... 100 Central District............................... 101 Bo King Hong (California) Company.............. 102 Quong Wa Hong (Eureka) Company................. 106 Lot 41- Sing Wa Hong........................... 110 Wah Shay Hong Company.......................... Ill Wah Hing/Sin Faun, Tu a Goen.................... 114 The Murder of Hing Lee 12 0 CHAPTER 9 . ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS AT CHINESE- AFFILIATED SITES IN GERMAN GULCH...... 126 Locality 48.........................................128 Features 5 and 6- Chinese Business Establishment............. 133 Feature 28- Dump............................... 13 8 Feature 23- Opium Pipe Mender's Shop and/or Dwelling...................... 140 Weapon-Related Artifacts at Locality 48........ 141 Localities 18 and 30................................ 152 The 2000 Metal Detector Survey................. 159 Subsurface Testing in 2000..................... 163 Feature 1/Tool Repair Activity Locus........... 163 Feature 13..................................... 167 Feature 2- Possible Business Establishment..... 167 V Features 12, 16 and 17- Possible Building or Tent Platform Locations............... 185 Feature 8- Possible Foundation, Building Location................... 187 "Terraces A-H" and Feature 18- Possible Building or Tent Platform Locations.......188 Structures A and B at Locality 18- Cabin Remains and Foundation............. 192 Possible Ovens- Features 4, 5 and 6............195 Cairns- Features 3, 7 and Cairn Portion of Feature 12............................ 198 Features 10 and 11- Possible Privys............199 The Locality