The Expulsion of the Chinese from Humboldt County
The expulsion of the Chinese race from Eureka, California on February 7, 1885 was among many of the Chinese expulsion acts taking place on mainly the West Coast of California, Oregon, and Washington. The entire event had been expected to happen because of the “tong” or gang wars between the rival Chinese gangs in the Chinatown fought to secure economic advantages. Also, the Chinese were generally disliked among the white Eureka inhabitants because of the different ways of life of the two mixing cultures. The Eureka Daily Times Telephone editorial foreshadowed the expulsion in saying, “If ever an unoffending white is offered up on the altar of paganism, we fear it will be good-bye to Chinatown.”
The Murder
According to the event, David Kendall, 56, a highly respected Eureka city councilman, was on his way to his office after dinner on February 6, 1885 at approximately 6:00 p.m. The Chinatown bordered on Fourth and E Streets. At that moment, two Chinese gang members began shooting at each other, just another of the daily shootouts between the rival tongs. According to a firsthand interview with Sam Kelsey, “I don’t know why, but there were two tongs and each one had a flag pole stuck down in the street, and the great game was to chop the other’s flag pole down.” As David Kendall was returning to his office, one stray bullet struck him in the chest. Another bullet hit a twelve year old Louis Baldschmidt in the foot. Shortly after being carried to his home by a friend, Kendall passed away. At that point, the white people of Eureka saw this as an opportunity to expel the much disliked Chinese for good from their society. The gunfights for weeks earlier had aggravated the whites and when this important figurehead was murdered, the Eureka citizens formed mobs immediately to expel all the “celestials” that same night. A gallows was built on the edge of Chinatown hanging an effigy of a Chinaman.
The Murder
According to the event, David Kendall, 56, a highly respected Eureka city councilman, was on his way to his office after dinner on February 6, 1885 at approximately 6:00 p.m. The Chinatown bordered on Fourth and E Streets. At that moment, two Chinese gang members began shooting at each other, just another of the daily shootouts between the rival tongs. According to a firsthand interview with Sam Kelsey, “I don’t know why, but there were two tongs and each one had a flag pole stuck down in the street, and the great game was to chop the other’s flag pole down.” As David Kendall was returning to his office, one stray bullet struck him in the chest. Another bullet hit a twelve year old Louis Baldschmidt in the foot. Shortly after being carried to his home by a friend, Kendall passed away. At that point, the white people of Eureka saw this as an opportunity to expel the much disliked Chinese for good from their society. The gunfights for weeks earlier had aggravated the whites and when this important figurehead was murdered, the Eureka citizens formed mobs immediately to expel all the “celestials” that same night. A gallows was built on the edge of Chinatown hanging an effigy of a Chinaman.
The Outcome
In fury, a mob of 600 men gathered at Centennial Hall and began formulating ideas on how to rid the county of all Chinese influence. Ideas were thrown out such as to massacre every Chinaman in the area. The second idea was to pillage the Chinatown and drive the inhabitants into the Redwood Forest. After such rabble, the Reverend Huntington stopped the hostile conclusions and explained to them that the Chinese had not meant to murder Kendall, and that they pay their rent and keep to themselves. This ended all hostile intentions, with only the new idea of banishing the whole Chinese race from the county immediately. This method of removal came to be known as the Eureka Plan because it involved no violence to expel the Chinese. A team of fifteen men were sent out then, and without the consent of the mayor or police department, began going through Chinatown ordering all to gather what belongings they could carry and to leave Humboldt County by 3:00 p.m. the next day. Chinese shops were raided by white gangs while the shop keepers watched helplessly. Hanging from the gallows was a sign reading: “Any Chinese seen on the street after three o’clock today will be hung to this gallows.” The angry mobs dragged the Chinese’ supplies down to the dock and filled wagons with other supplies and the banished. Meanwhile, in Blue Lake, a mob had captured twenty railroad workers and marched them back to the bay under the accusation of murder of David Kendall. In only less than 48 hours, the city of Eureka had transformed from a reasonably peaceful place to a hostile, Chinese-hating community. Only one Chinaman was allowed to stay. “Charlie” Moon was among one of the more accepted and respected Chinese man in the community mainly because of his good cooking, well known in Eureka. His employer refused to give up the hard worker and no further struggles persisted. Charlie became the father of many children and his descendents still populate Humboldt to this day. Another Chinese man, Charley Wei Lum was going to say good-bye to the Reverend Huntington and to thank him for converting him to Christianity when the mob of white men dragged him out of the Reverend’s house and to the gallows. A remark from Huntington’s Methodist colleagues saved Wei Lum: “Boys, take that rope off that boy’s neck! If you hang him you’ll hang him over my dead body.” At this the men allowed Wei Lum to join the rest of his fellow Chinamen, alive, and the mob hung and effigy of the minister instead from the gallows. Though Wei Lum had been saved, he still was banished among the other 309 Chinamen.
The Unexpected Shipment
All of Saturday morning, they loaded the ships Humboldt and City of Chester with the Chinese supplies and the 290 men and 20 women. Though most of the men were shipped by boat, many were transported by train along the railroad tracks they had built. By Sunday morning, February 8, they began their 24 hour sail to the San Francisco Bay. San Francisco had not yet heard about the banishment in Humboldt County so no one met the ships. The homeless Chinese simply gathered their supplies and disappeared into the Chinatown there. After disembarkment, some of Eureka’s Chinese met with the Ong Cong Gon So Association in San Francisco to discuss a possible lawsuit against the city of Eureka for allowing a rowdy riot of people to run an entire population out of their homes for life. Though there were a few tongs that were dangerous to Eureka's community, expelling the entire race was unnecessary.
Eureka Transformations
Meanwhile back in Eureka, again the citizens met, but this time to discuss the fate of the now vacant Chinatown. The white race in Eureka wanted to dispose of any Chinese tradition and culture that ever existed in Humboldt. To do this, they were to destroy the Chinatown and build over it. As one Eureka resident observed, the Chinatown was a stagnant swamp where a “pool of water had gathered in the center, and the refuse from kitchens of seventeen houses and outhouses was dumped into this pond. There green scum formed from the decaying vegetables and filth, gave rise to an odor seasoned by dried fish and opium smell.” The Reverend Huntington explained again to the whites that it was not the fault of the Chinese that their block was so filthy but the fault of the authorities who would not put a sewage system into the Chinatown. After the Banishment of the Chinese workers from their homes in Chinatown, Eureka, the local paper headlined: “Wipe out the Plague Spots.” It continues: “In the very heart of the city of Eureka is a community in which exist slums and festering dens… our readers will not stop to ask for the location of this leprous quarter. They know it too well. They know it is where… under a small heathen hoard, acts of riot and assassination are more and more boldly being committed from month to month. They know that it is the pestilential quarter where Chinese gambling dens, opium smoking hell-holes and the lowest brothels abound. They know and acknowledge that this leper’s colony is a curse to the city and its future prosperity.”
Conclusion
One day the Chinese and White races were at tolerable peace with one another in the city of Eureka, California. Through the death of one man however, this toleration transformed into intolerable rage brought on by many less significant actions of the Chinese. In one night, the future of the county was changed forever, because of the actions of two gangsters. To this day, there is a very minimal population of Chinese people in Humboldt County; no doubt because of the life banishment of the initial 300 inhabitants from their Chinatown. -Matthew LaBelle
Eureka Transformations
Meanwhile back in Eureka, again the citizens met, but this time to discuss the fate of the now vacant Chinatown. The white race in Eureka wanted to dispose of any Chinese tradition and culture that ever existed in Humboldt. To do this, they were to destroy the Chinatown and build over it. As one Eureka resident observed, the Chinatown was a stagnant swamp where a “pool of water had gathered in the center, and the refuse from kitchens of seventeen houses and outhouses was dumped into this pond. There green scum formed from the decaying vegetables and filth, gave rise to an odor seasoned by dried fish and opium smell.” The Reverend Huntington explained again to the whites that it was not the fault of the Chinese that their block was so filthy but the fault of the authorities who would not put a sewage system into the Chinatown. After the Banishment of the Chinese workers from their homes in Chinatown, Eureka, the local paper headlined: “Wipe out the Plague Spots.” It continues: “In the very heart of the city of Eureka is a community in which exist slums and festering dens… our readers will not stop to ask for the location of this leprous quarter. They know it too well. They know it is where… under a small heathen hoard, acts of riot and assassination are more and more boldly being committed from month to month. They know that it is the pestilential quarter where Chinese gambling dens, opium smoking hell-holes and the lowest brothels abound. They know and acknowledge that this leper’s colony is a curse to the city and its future prosperity.”
Conclusion
One day the Chinese and White races were at tolerable peace with one another in the city of Eureka, California. Through the death of one man however, this toleration transformed into intolerable rage brought on by many less significant actions of the Chinese. In one night, the future of the county was changed forever, because of the actions of two gangsters. To this day, there is a very minimal population of Chinese people in Humboldt County; no doubt because of the life banishment of the initial 300 inhabitants from their Chinatown. -Matthew LaBelle
