"Shortly after lightning sparked dozens of wildfires in California's Sierra Nevada foothills this week, author Stephen Provost received news that devastated him. Fire was sweeping through Chinese Camp, a Gold Rush-era town that a group of Chinese miners founded in the 19th century after they were driven out of a nearby settlement. The town's almost 100 residents were forced to evacuate and news reports showed flames consuming historic buildings."
"The settlement has a rich history that dates back more than a century. It was founded around 1849 amid the Gold Rush as tens of thousands of people were arriving in California from around the world in hopes of striking it rich. Chinese Camp was originally called Camp Washington before Chinese miners settled there after being displaced from nearby outposts due to racism and other miners who didn't want competition, Provost said."
"Miners in the area largely panned for gold rather than digging mines, and Chinese Camp eventually became a major stagecoach stop, a crossroads town with the amenities of the era: multiple hotels, opium dens, gambling halls and saloons. Black Bart, the outlaw and stagecoach robber, was said to have stopped in the area, Provost said."
Lightning sparked dozens of wildfires in the Sierra Nevada foothills, and one blaze in the TCU September Lightning Complex rapidly grew to nearly 7,000 acres. Fire swept through Chinese Camp, a Gold Rush-era settlement founded around 1849 by Chinese miners displaced from nearby outposts, forcing almost 100 residents to evacuate and leaving historic buildings aflame. The town originated as Camp Washington and became a major stagecoach crossroads where miners panned for gold and amenities included hotels, opium dens, gambling halls and saloons. The blaze threatens remaining historic structures and the tangible legacy of early Chinese miners in California.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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