12. Chinese Vegetable Gardens, Portland, c. 1905

This photograph, dating from circa 1905, features Chinese shanties and vegetable gardens in Portland. The gardens were located on the site of the present-day Multnomah Athletic Club and the Portland Civic Stadium (at SW Salmon and 18th).

The history of Chinese immigration in Portland dates back to the 1850s. Following the Burlingame Treaty of 1868, which allowed free entry for Chinese citizens to the United States, thousands of Chinese immigrants came to the Pacific Northwest seeking employment. Throughout the 19th century, the Chinese were prevalent in mining, railroad building, fishing, salmon canning, construction and small-scale factory production. In the urban areas, Chinese laborers also worked as launderers, gardeners, cooks, and domestic servants. By the latter decades of the century, market-oriented gardening had become an “acceptable” occupation for the the Chinese, and an important element in the Portland economy, including door-to-door sales. In addition to the laboring class, a Chinese immigrant merchant class developed in Portland and other urban areas around the state.