Step Into The Past At This Charming, 130-Year-Old Store Hiding In Oregon
Located in the town of John Day, Kam Wah Chung & Co. was once a Chinese-owned general store and apothecary, as well as a gathering place and community center for the town’s Chinese population. This unique establishment was opened in 1887, and what remains today is a fascinating slice of Oregon’s history.
Located in John Day, Oregon, Kam Wah Chung & Co. is a fascinating cultural museum that will take you back in time.
It was first opened as a military trading post in 1866, before it was bought by two Chinese business partners in 1887 and re-opened as a general store, mercantile, and apothecary. It soon developed into a community center for the town's Chinese residents as well.
At a time when racism against Chinese immigrants was rampant, Kam Wah Chung & Co. was a space where people gathered together to do business, relax, and support one another in various ways. Besides its official purposes, it was also a library, post office, temple, labor contractor, and more. It thrived.
After 61 years of business, the store closed in 1948, and in 1955 it was gifted to the city of John Day. The store was left untouched - and locked up - for many years, until the city reopened it in the 1970s and discovered that it was still perfectly intact, full of an amazing collection of herbs, food, letters, and artifacts dating all the way back to the 1880s.
Today, Kam Wah Chung & Co. is listed as a National Historic Landmark and State Heritage Site. Visitors can check out the fascinating interpretive center and take a free tour of the building.
