Existence of Chinese cowboys discovered by archaeologists at historic Oregon ranch site
Researchers from several government departments and institutions joined forces over the summer to excavate Stewart Ranch, a remote area Historic site (Grant County in eastern Oregon).
Excavation, first reported by oregon public radio, It was a special collaboration with the Southern Oregon University Anthropology Laboratory (SOULA) and the Oregon Historical Society.
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Chelsea Rose, one of the participating archaeologists, called the summer excavation a “happy accident” because of the excellent preservation of the Stewart Ranch.
“So far, our team has uncovered connections between Chinese immigrants and more than 30 farms in the area,” she told Fox News Digital.
A summer excavation at a remote Oregon ranch uncovered artifacts indicating Chinese immigrants were ranch workers and cowboys. (Southern Oregon University Anthropology Laboratory; Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site)
“Some of these farms are long gone, some are still operated or owned by the same families for generations — and others, like the Stewart Farm, are preserved on public lands.”
Rose, Sula’s director, said her team found bullets, food scraps and floor sweeps — including broken dishes, bottle fragments and “animal bones representing… Past meals“.
Archaeologists also discovered jeans buttons and rivets. Rose estimates that the artifacts may date back to between the early 1900s and the 1930s.
The leftovers were not unexpected; She pointed to a primary document describing one chef as being famous for his lamb.
“This reinforces our need to collect more data. Fortunately, we have several farms to look forward to next summer.”
“We found a lot of animal bones at the site that reflect the shared meals the crew ate, including… Remains of some mammals “Which corresponds to sheep,” she said.
“So we could see leftover meals that (Jim Lee, one of the cowboys) prepared for hungry ranch hands after a long day.”
Rose added that the ranch looked “very much like it did when cowboys and Chinese chefs worked there,” an experience that felt like “stepping back in time.”
Researchers are still analyzing Artifacts were found over the summer, which she said “will help us determine some of the dates of the materials we found.”
Archaeologists have discovered broken plates, bottle fragments and animal bones that are believed to reflect meals shared by the farm crew. (Southern Oregon University Anthropology Laboratory)
“Another complication is that we cannot limit the presence of Chinese Americans on the farm to artifacts made in China,” she said.
“These men lived and worked In the region For decades, they had access to goods and supplies from Chinese stores…what they used and owned would reflect their personal preferences, their economic standing, and the stores they had access to.
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“This reinforces our need to collect more data,” Rose added. “Fortunately, we have several farms to look forward to next summer.”
The “coolest” part is “having the same views and sense of place as 100 years ago,” she said.
“We know of at least two Chinese-American men who also ran their own farm.”
“Normally when we work on a location, we have to work harder to imagine how the space would have been used or experienced in the past… and that sometimes means ignoring the nearby McDonald’s,” she said.
“Although some of the buildings have moved over time, the Stewart Ranch house remains in place, the homestead still survives, and the traffic flow used by the early residents remains evident to this day.”
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Chinese immigrants first settled southern Oregon during the Oregon State period Oregon Gold Rush in 1850 — and previously represented nearly 80 percent of the area’s miners, she said.
“With gold dwindling, as it always does, these men had to focus on other opportunities, so it is not surprising that many of them ended up involved in the growing sheep and cattle industry where they worked as cowhands, farm hands, sheep herders, cooks, farm hands, and even a farm foreman.”
“So far, our team has discovered connections between Chinese immigrants and more than 30 farms in the area,” Rose (not pictured) said. (Southern Oregon University Anthropology Laboratory; Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site)
“We know of at least two Chinese-American men who also ran their own farm.”
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Unfortunately, restrictive legislation prevented many of these cowboys from bringing their families to the United States, meaning that much of their heritage was never passed on to the next generation.
Rose stressed the importance of the dig, as Chinese American cowboys are often overlooked in the historical record, despite their significant economic impact.
The excavations at Stewart Ranch have been described as a rare opportunity to experience a historic site that has remained largely unchanged for more than a century. (Southern Oregon University Anthropology Laboratory)
“The addition of Chinese Americans to Oregon’s early ranching industry does not detract from the many white families who worked hard to raise sheep and cattle under sometimes difficult circumstances,” she said.
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“It adds richness and depth to the story. It allows us to look at the ways in which humans interact and support each other… How wonderful it is to be able to add them back to the stories they belong to. It’s Oregon history!”
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