旧金山 Gold Mountain ~ Shasta, CA

As the Chinese community arrived from 旧金山 San Francisco to the last steamboat stop in Red Bluff, CA, they held high hopes of striking it rich by mining for gold in the awe-inspiring Gold Mount Shasta and its breathtaking surroundings, visible from miles away.

During the 1850s, Shasta and Trinity County saw a thriving community of Chinese miners. By 1853, there was approximately 3,000 Chinese residents in most townships across California.

However, like all others, Shasta created a segregated neighborhood on the fringes of white settlements, called Chinatown.

Today, Chinatown is a glowing example of successful City Economic Development boasting a well-balanced economy of goods and merchandise, along with a diverse workforce of laborers and merchants. Within Shasta's Chinatown, there were skilled gardeners who peddled fresh vegetables to feed most of the community, laundry businesses that washed the working man's clothes, and general stores that provided daily necessities.

Interestingly, William Wilcox was a notable figure in Shasta actively sought to employ the Chinese community on his ranches, not only in Shasta but also in other areas of the North State. He leased fertile land along the Sacramento River, offering opportunities for the Chinese community to work and prosper in a foreign land.

Today, there’s not much to visit in old Shasta except these ruins pictured here. There’s even less of Chinatown. They only thing that survived is the beautiful plants.