Explore Pendleton’s Red Light District On This Underground Tour In Oregon
By Sarah McCosham|Published August 03, 2021
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Sarah McCosham
Author
I write like it's my job - because it is! I have a Master's in English and love words: crossword puzzles, Scrabble games, Wordle, and, of course, good, old-fashioned books.
I'm a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState, and a contributing writer at Cincinnati Magazine. I love the Great Outdoors and am endlessly awestruck by this beautiful country of ours. Coffee keeps me going, yoga keeps me sane, my kids keep me grounded, and my writing keeps me inspired.
History isn’t always confined to what’s in the books. In fact, most times, it’s the unwritten history that really paints the most accurate picture of the past. This is most certainly true in Pendleton, Oregon, a historic town cloaked in scandal and secrecy. Hidden away beneath this small town in eastern Oregon, the Pendleton Underground is a network of tunnels that once was home to many secret businesses — both legal and illegal. It’s also a place where Chinese immigrant workers faced egregious persecution and discrimination. It’s not pretty, but it’s part of Oregon. And thanks to Pendleton Underground Tours, visitors can learn all about the town’s untold, underground history.
Beneath the streets of downtown Pendleton, Oregon is a secret district that has been around for more than 100 years.
Discovered when potholes started showing up on the streets of downtown Pendleton in the 1980s, the tunnels were built by Chinese immigrants who had been harshly discriminated against by the town’s white population -- to the point that it was unsafe for Chinese people to be out after sunset.
The Pendleton Underground Tours office is located in Pendleton’s Historic District, on the corner of SW 1st Street and Emigrant Avenue. The buildings that house the tours are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
It also tells the story of the Chinese who lived in eastern Oregon and helped build the state to what it is today.
In order to run businesses and move freely from place to place, hidden tunnels were built beneath the city, forming a secret underground district that became home to numerous illicit activities.
The buildings on the tour have all been maintained, true to the original state, allowing visitors to really get a sense of Pendleton as it was a century ago. In addition, historic recreations have been designed to give guests a sense of what was happening in the tunnels during that time.
The story of Pendleton's underground -- the good, the bad, and the ugly -- is an intriguing and essential part of history every Oregonian should know.
Did you know about these underground tours in Oregon — or the history of Pendleton’s red light district? For more information, visit the Pendleton Underground Tours website, or call (541) 276-0730.
