Secret ~ 19th Century Catfish Pond
HJC embarked with a pilgrimage group to locate the elusive Chinese Catfish Pond situated in the Sierra Mountains. Legend has it that during the 1860s, Chinese workers employed by the Central Pacific Railroad while working on the construction of the first transcontinental railroad in the United States, introduced catfish into a pond located in the vicinity of Donner Pass for the Summit Tunnel. Despite the region being blanketed with over 30 feet of snow annually, purportedly, the descendants of those catfish have survived over the years.
Although Catfish are not indigenous to the Sierras and are not typically found at such high elevations, we observed numerous small, whiskered catfish in a pond that lacks any incoming streams, making their survival for 150 years remarkable.
In general, Chinese workers were in better health than their Irish counterparts due to their diet of beans and beef. Chinese employees preferred to drink hot water, rice and consume dried foods such as fish, vegetables, oysters, and fruit which was more pragmatic for their working conditions. The cooks on the Central Pacific Railroad, which extended through the Sierra Nevada Mountains, were highly valued.
While we may not be able to confirm that the 19th-century Catfish pond was created by Chinese workers, evidence of fish bone remains found at the camps suggested that they consumed locally. It is unlikely that a group of colleagues would not share their meals. Additionally, there is no evidence to suggest that the fish were intentionally introduced by the Chinese community, as catfish were a common food source for most ethnic groups during this period.
We thoroughly enjoyed the treasure hunt and most of all the view.
