Photo of the Tong House building from the South Park City Museum in Fairplay, item description from the Museum states “A Chinese Tong House is correct for this area. Chinese did placer mining on river immediately behind Stage Stop, Stage Barn, Star Livery Stable. There was racial discrimination in those days. Chinese had to live across river and this Tong House is located at only place in Fairplay the Chinese were permitted to come. Chinese Tong members received daily work assignments here. China Mary had laundry, and was the only Chinese to live, in town.” Source: South Park City Museum, Deits Bros. 119 E. Pikes Peak Colorado Springs, Colo.

Photograph of a Chinese woman, identified as China Mary, sitting in front of a mountain landscape background in Asian clothing and shoes with a small ornate metallic vessel next to her, circa 1880s. Source: Ed & Nancy Bathke Collection. Park of the Park County Local History Archive Photographic Collection.

To learn more visit these references:

• Building the Transcontinental Railroad: How 20,000 Chinese Immigrants Made It Happen
• A Legacy from the Far East
• Denver’s Chinatown
• The Rise and Fall of Denver’s Chinatown
• Time Piece
• In South Park, a microcosm of America’s long history of xenophobia