The law that strangled South Dakota’s thriving Chinatown still echoes today

Wong Fee Lee’s Deadwood Chinatown Empire and Decline

Wong Fee Lee came to Deadwood in 1876 as a cook but built an empire.

He turned mining profits into the Wing Tsue store on Main Street, soon the heart of a booming Chinatown. By 1880, nearly 400 Chinese lived in Deadwood, running shops and laundries that made $10 a day.

Wong wed Haw Soog Gain and raised eight kids while bringing Chinese culture to town through parades and festivals. Yet laws blocked new immigrants, and the community shrank to just 73 people by 1900.

The story of Deadwood’s vanished Chinatown still stands at 566 Main Street, waiting for you to walk where Wong once did.

A Cook Arrived in Deadwood During the 1876 Gold Rush

Wong Fee Lee reached Deadwood Gulch in December 1876 as a cook with white gold hunters. The Black Hills Gold Rush was booming, and Wong quickly spotted better chances than cooking.

He used mining claim money to start businesses instead of digging for gold.

Deadwood was still rough when Wong got there, just months after Wild Bill Hickok was shot during a poker game. The Chinese community started small but grew fast as word spread about jobs in the busy mining town.

His Wing Tsue Store Became Chinatown’s Heart

Wong opened the Wing Tsue store on Main Street, which grew into the business center for Deadwood’s Chinese community.

In 1885, he built a solid brick building at 566 Main Street, replacing the wooden shops along the street. Wong grew his business by adding a second brick building in 1896.

The Wing Tsue buildings sold goods to everyone in town, from Chinese workers to white miners and their families.

Main Street Housed 400 Chinese Residents by 1880

Deadwood’s Chinese population grew to about 400 people by 1880, making it the biggest Chinese community east of San Francisco.

They lived and worked along Lower Main Street, running food shops, laundries, and various stores. Chinese laundry workers earned around $10 daily, good money back then.

The community built its own social groups, cultural spaces, and business networks while becoming a key part of Deadwood’s daily life.

Wong Married and Raised Eight Children in the Black Hills

Between October 1882 and May 1883, Wong married Haw Soog Gain. The couple raised eight children born between 1884 and 1902, all growing up in Deadwood.

Their family lived above or near the Wing Tsue store on Main Street.

Wong’s kids grew up in two worlds, learning Chinese ways at home while going to American schools and playing with local children.

Chinese Fire Teams Competed in Fourth of July Races

Wong backed Chinese groups in Deadwood’s yearly Fourth of July parades, showing community pride. He put together Chinese hose cart fire teams that joined the July 4, 1888 race against other town fire crews.

These public events let the Chinese community show their town spirit and skills.

Crowds loved watching the fire team contests, which tested speed as groups raced to hook up hoses and spray water targets.

Hungry Ghost Festival Welcomed Curious Neighbors

Wong asked everyone in Deadwood to join Chinese New Year parties with food, fireworks, and fun. He opened traditional Hungry Ghost Festival events to non-Chinese neighbors, sharing cultural practices.

These cultural swaps helped build bridges between communities when misunderstanding was common. Wong also bought burial plots at Mt.

Moriah Cemetery for Chinese residents, making sure they had proper resting places according to their customs.

Federal Law Crushed Immigration and Split Families

Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, stopping Chinese immigration for ten years. The law got longer in 1892 and became permanent in 1902.

This harsh law kept new Chinese people from entering America and blocked family members from joining relatives already here. Deadwood’s Chinese community couldn’t replace people who died or moved away.

Men who planned to bring wives and children from China found themselves cut off from their families.

Sol Star Helped Wong Return After His China Trip

Wong traveled to China in 1902 to visit family and handle business. When he tried to come back, border guards stopped him, citing the Chinese Exclusion Act.

Court Clerk Sol Star and Congressman Eben Martin stepped in to help their friend and respected businessman. Their political pull got Wong back into the United States, letting him return to Deadwood and his family.

Only 73 Chinese People Remained by 1900

The 1900 count showed just 73 Chinese residents in Deadwood, down from 400 twenty years earlier. This big drop came straight from the Chinese Exclusion Act stopping new arrivals.

Older community members died or went back to China with no newcomers taking their place. Chinatown shops struggled as their customer base shrank year by year.

Buildings that once housed busy stores stood empty or got new owners as the once-lively community faded away.

The Stroke That Sent Wong Back to China

Wong suffered a stroke during a 1919 Society of Black Hills Pioneers meeting. He had lived in Deadwood for over 40 years and earned respect from pioneers who had built the town.

After his stroke, Wong decided to return to his homeland. He died in China in 1921, ending his remarkable journey from gold rush cook to top merchant.

“Teeter” Turned Off the Lights in 1931

Ching Ong, known to locals as “Teeter,” worked as a janitor in Deadwood for decades. In 1931, after living in the Black Hills for 45 years, he packed his belongings and left town.

His departure marked the official end of Deadwood’s historic Chinatown. The Wing Tsue buildings stood empty, the last physical reminders of the once-thriving community.

After Teeter left, the Chinese presence in Deadwood existed only in memories and a few weathered gravestones at Mt. Moriah Cemetery, until recent historical preservation efforts brought the story back to light.

Visiting Deadwood, South Dakota

You can explore Deadwood’s Chinese history at several spots around town.

Start with the Wong Fee Lee statue at 558 Main Street, then visit Adams Museum for Chinese exhibits (open 9am-5pm May-September).

Pick up self-guided walking tour brochures at the visitor center or book the Lawman’s Patrol tour for $15 (call 1-800-344-8826). At Mt. Moriah Cemetery ($5 admission), see the reconstructed Chinese burner and altar built with original Wing Tsue building bricks.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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