Dr. Chew Yuen

In 1899 Bo Do Hong asked his foster son, Chew Yuen (You Yen Bo Do Hong or Too You Fook or Too Den Yen) (1870-1947), to come and help with the business. Yuen had been running the family Kwong Cheung Youn herb shop in San Francisco. Ten years after arriving in Red Bluff, foster dad Bo Do Hong died at the age of 72 years old while visiting China (Volume XXIV, Number 309, 17 October 1909). Like the majority of Chinese in America, Bo Do Hong and his entire family would have their remains shipped by steamboat to mainland China for a sacred ceremonial burial in the ancestral plot.

With great pride, his nephew Chew Yuen took over the Red Bluff shop following in Bo Do Hong’s footsteps.

However, while operating the herb shop Chew Yuen would be arrested several times for practicing Chinese medicine which was illegal because he was technically an “unlicensed Practitioner” but family attorney W.A. Fish would defend him each time in court. Dr. Chew Yuen eventually became one of the towns leading citizens. The Red Bluff Daily Newspaper even they wrote “Dr. Chew Yuen is a Christian gentlemen and a man of splendid character and integrity”. After his second marriage, he had an additional four sons and four daughters:

• Robert Chew Yuen (Robert Bo Do Hong or Too Suey Wee) (November 8, 1907)

• Letitia Frances Bo Do Hong (Frances Too or Too Ngoot) (August 31, 1909)

• Margaret Rose Bo Do Hong (Too Gim) (December 15, 1910)

• Chew Owen Yuen (Too Chew Owen or Too Thin Wee) (June 22, 1915)

• Jew Fish Yuen (Too Doon Wee) (November 14, 1918)

• Cahoone Yuen (Too Gin Wee) (May 23, 1920)

• Hazel Yuen (Too Tew Ngon) (February 10, 1922)

• Helen Marie Yuen (Too Tew Fung or Chew Chow Fung) (September 27, 1926)

All of his children from his second wife became Yuen’s despite the fact that their fathers surname was actually Chew by Chinese custom. This common error resulted in confusion regarding Chinese names and was because most people did not realize that the Chinese put the last name first. The children attended Oak Street School.

His sons from his first wife were:

Too See Wee (Peter A Chan or Too Pei Chan) (born 1891) moved to America in 1909 and eventually resided at his herbal store located at 564 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA. In 1923, he married widower Ho Yee Chan born 1891. Her first arrange marriage was to Dr. Tom Wing (Tom Duck Sam) who was the nephew of the great Dr. Li Po Tai. Dr. Tom Wing died December 17, 1919 and was buried at Mt Hope Cemetery in Boston. They had four children: Marjorie (1909), Isabel (1911-1911), Frank (1912), and Thomas Wing (1915-1927) who went to Latin School and Radcliff College. The rest of her Ho Yee (Lau) Chan’s family settled in Cuba during 1908. He operated the Po Yuen Shing Company located at 207 Wing Lock Street, Hong Kong China.

Too See Ying (Too Bow Doon or Harry Too) (born 1893) resided in Brooklyn, NY, and

Too See Hung (born 1896) moved to Red Bluff, CA.

He had a total of eleven children. In 1915, when the time came to dissolved the “Bo Do Hong Company” known as the oldest herbal business in Northern California, Chew Yuen decided he would take over and buyout his fellow investors. After a few years, he hired Frank Hendricks to oversee the construction of a brand new two-story building located at 202-204 Walnut Street. Like many notable buildings in Red Bluff, Chew Yuen hired only the best. The O’Connor Brothers were well known for their craftmanship in structural brick and basement foundations and they would design an amazing banquet hall for the basement. With a new building on the horizon, Chew Yuen decided to rename the business to Chew Yuen & Company. He would continue Bo Do Hong’s tradition of hosting the Chinese Annual Reception banquet until his death. Mrs. J.A. Owens and Mr. W.A. Fish, particularly were a major helping hand in preparing the friendly gathering that was so eagerly attended.