Did you know that Salem once had a Chinatown? In the mid- to late-1800s, Chinese immigrants settled in the Willamette Valley, establishing businesses, homes, and a school. However, by 1903, Salem’s Chinatown had deteriorated, and the Salem City Council ordered the area burned to the ground.

Today, a Chinese Shrine in the Salem Pioneer Cemetery may be the last remnant of the Chinese American presence in Salem. Identifying and interpreting this historic site is an essential step in preserving Salem’s history.

Project Goals

As a Certified Local Government, Salem has access to grant funding for research and preservation activities. The goals of the Chinese Shrine Project include:

• Surveying and Mapping the Cemetery
  
  • Using Ground Penetrating Radar and a magnetometer to locate buried features.
• Excavation
  
  • Locating the remainder of the shrine
  • Recovering associated artifacts
• Site Interpretation
  • Developing educational materials and displays to share the history of the shrine and its significance

Project Team

The project team includes representatives from Willamette University, the Chinese Benevolent Association, the Friends of the Salem Pioneer Cemetery and other interested parties. Key contacts include:

• Project Manager: Kimberli Fitzgerald, City of Salem historic preservation officer
• Archaeological Permit Holder: Jamie French, Oregon SHPO archaeologist
• GPR and Student Archaeologist Field Manager: Scott Pike, Willamette University
• Research Assistant: Kirsten Straus, City of Salem Historic Planning intern
• Staff Assistant: Sally Long, City of Salem Planning Division

Background

Chinese Americans, along with African Americans and Native Americans, are considered underrepresented communities in historic preservation efforts. The National Historic Preservation Act prioritizes identifying and interpreting historic places associated with these communities.

Timeline of Key Events

• 1841: Earliest burial in Salem Pioneer Cemetery
• 1903: Salem’s Chinatown burned to the ground
• 1952: A Capital Journal article references a Chinese altar
• 1963: A Statesman-Journal article links the shrine to the 1916 flu epidemic
• 1985: The City of Salem took ownership of the cemetery
• 2013: Salem Pioneer Cemetery was listed on the National Register of Historic Places by Elisabeth Potter

Photos 

Qingming Festival - April 2018

View more photos in our Qingming Festival Facebook album.

Open House and Excavation - November 2017

View more open house photos in our Open House and Excavation Facebook album.