In 1876, Chinese immigrants arrived in Deadwood, South Dakota, building restaurants, laundries, medical practices, and a temple that smelled of incense from a block away. By 1880, there were over 200 - possibly 400. But then the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 changed everything.
In this episode, we explore how a thriving community faced systematic legal persecution - yet refused to disappear. We'll meet Wong Fee Lee, who became the first Chinese property owner in Deadwood in 1877, and Judge Granville Bennett, who made sure Chinese clients got fair trials even as the Supreme Court ruled that they had no constitutional protections. We'll witness elaborate public funerals where hundreds of white residents watched, and follow Ah Sam as he sues for his wages and wins.
Then we go underground: archaeologists discover Feature 17, a ritual burial interrupted mid-ceremony during the worst years of persecution, and a ceremonial burner built in 1908 that was used for decades - evidence that dignity survived.
By 1931, the last Chinese resident left Deadwood. But in 2025, South Dakota declared Wong Fee Lee Day, unveiled a statue, and 69 descendants gathered to celebrate.
For photos, maps and glimpses of the past, follow @rootedintheplains on Instagram.
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