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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Quills & Queues: Concert aims to reunite mother and daughter ... Man sentenced after admitting to thefts of SUV ... New wolf makes its way to Southern Oregon ... Quills & Queues: Concert aims to reunite mother and daughter ... Man sentenced after admitting to thefts of SUV ... New wolf makes its way to Southern Oregon ... AS IT WAS As It Was: Jacksonville's Chinese New Year Comment By Dan Winterburn Southern Oregon Historical Society DailyTidings.com By Dan Winterburn Southern Oregon Historical Society Posted Feb. 17, 2016 at 7:03 PM By Dan Winterburn Southern Oregon Historical Society Posted Feb. 17, 2016 at 7:03 PM » Social News The Chinese and Chinese New Year celebrations in Jacksonville, Ore., have a long history. Many Chinese came to Jacksonville from California during the 1850s gold rush. By 1862 about 300 Chinese lived in the mining town. The Chinatown section of Jacksonville was a block of closely packed, ramshackle wooden houses along Main Street. Not wanting to assimilate into western culture, the Chinese retained many of their customs, such as the New Year's celebration, complete with firecrackers and a parading dragon. Eventually, the numbers of Chinese fell, especially after the gold rush ended, but discrimination against them didn’t. Some stayed on as cooks or launderers, while others became part of the railroad workforce in the 1880s. Recalling his boyhood days in the 1920s, Jacksonville native George Wendt remembered the excitement around the Chinese New Year. In front of every Chinese house was a porch, where long bunches of firecrackers were hung “from the eaves to the floor.” In the evening these would be set off. The firecrackers were also a “sign for all kids in town to line up and go through each house for a treat of Chinese candy and Chinese sweets." Modern-day Jacksonville continues the tradition with a parade and other festivities for all ages. Source: Typed monograph "Recollections by George Wendt." Written circa 1970. Southern Oregon Historical Society, Jacksonville Museum, Jacksonville, Ore. Copy maintained in records of Larry Smith of Jacksonville. As It Was is a co-production of Jefferson Public Radio and the Southern Oregon Historical Society. As It Was stories are broadcast weekdays on Jefferson Public Radio and are available online at asitwas.org . By Dan Winterburn Southern Oregon Historical Society DailyTidings.com By Dan Winterburn Southern Oregon Historical Society Posted Feb. 17, 2016 at 7:03 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501