Chinese Massacre Cove

At least eleven Chinese goldminers were murdered here in May 1887. This was one of the worst atrocities committed against Chinese immigrants to North America. The Chinese government attempted to get the United States to prosecute the murderers but the trial was left in local jurisdiction and no one was successfully prosecuted. An 1888 letter from Chinese Ambassador Chang Yen Hoon to the U. S. State Department provides chilling details of the crime and illustrates how the Chinese immigrants organized to enforce their legal rights. Excerpts from the letter are provided below and a transcript of the full letter is available here.

It is with great regret that I have to bring to your attention another case of outrage inflicted upon my countrymen which resulted in the murder of ten Chinese laborers in the most horrible manner. …{Chinese miners on the Snake River}for the purpose of seeking for gold; that they had been pursuing their avocation peaceably until… they were suddenly murdered by some unknown persons; that when Lee She and his party came out of the bar in their boat they found three bodies of Chea-po’s party floating down the river and …found Chea-po’s boat stranded on some rocks in the bar, with holes in the bottom, bearing indications of having been chopped with an axe, and its tie rope cut and drifting in the water… and on examining the three bodies found a number of wounds inflicted by an ax and bullets; that the bodies of the others that had been murdered have not yet been found. …a Chinese named Hung Ah Yee … had witnessed some cowboys, eight in number, forcibly driving Kong Shu and his party out of the bar in their boat and throwing their provisions and bedding overboard; …and that since he had learned of the murder of Chea-po and nine others he came to the conclusion that the cowboys had committed the crime…

The Sam Yup Association was instrumental in documenting and reporting this crime and records from that time are still in their possession in San Francisco. These include the names of ten of the victims (Figure 2) and documentation that fellow Chinese in Lewiston Idaho contributed $170 in gold dust to support the families of the victims (Figure 3).

The location has been formally renamed Chinese Massacre Cove and a memorial marker was established there in 2012 (Figure 4).

Access Directions: The easiest and most comfortable way to visit the site is by jet boat which can be arranged through a number of tour operators. A difficult 8.6 mile hike from the Dug Bar boat launch on the Oregon side of the Snake River is another option. To reach Dug Bar start in Imnaha, Oregon and travel north on the Lower Imnaha River Road (County Road 755) for 6.5 miles; as the road continues it becomes Forest Road 4260 also known as the Dug Bar Road; continue on Forest Road 4260 for 24 miles and park at the restroom above the boat launch. NOTE: The road is usually open all year, but Forest Road 4260 can be slippery when wet or frozen and is not recommended for trailers. Recommend only high clearance vehicles, but passenger cars could travel this road under dry conditions. To access the Snake River Trail (#102) walk 150 feet back up the road and turn left onto the trail passing by the corral. Keep uphill to the right. After 2.2 miles turn left down Dug Creek. After a mile the trail turns right along the Snake River. Continue for 1.1 miles to Deep Creek and Chinese Massacre Cove. NOTE: Be prepared for poison oak, rattlesnakes and blackberry bramble thickets. Wear good boots and long pants. Check in with the Forest Service office in Joseph, Oregon for current road and trail conditions.