Ah Louis facts for kids
On Wong (Chinese: 黃安; pinyin: Huáng Ān; 1840 – December 16, 1936), better known as Ah Louis, was an important Chinese American person in San Luis Obispo, California. He was a businessman, helping people find work, and a shop owner in the late 1800s and early 1900s. His building, the Ah Louis Store, is now a special historical place.
Ah Louis was a key figure in building up the Central Coast of California. He helped organize many Chinese workers. These workers built parts of the Pacific Coast Railway, including a section near Avila and Port Harford. They also dug tunnels through the Cuesta Grade in the Santa Lucia Range.
Contents
Ah Louis's Life and Work
Quick facts for kids Ah Louis Store |
|
|---|---|
Ah Louis Store
|
|
| Location | 800 Palm Street, San Luis Obispo, California |
| Built | 1885 |
| Governing body | Private |
| Designated | March 26, 2008 |
| Reference no. | 08000203 |
| Designated | 1965 |
| Reference no. | 802 |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
Ah Louis came from Guangdong Province in China. He arrived in California between 1856 and 1861. Like many others, he hoped to find gold during the California Gold Rush.
When he didn't find gold, he became a worker. He worked in places like Corvallis, Oregon and other areas further south.
Settling in San Luis Obispo
Wong settled in San Luis Obispo, California, in 1870. By 1871, he was working as a cook in a hotel. Soon, he started organizing groups of workers. These groups helped build the Pacific Coast Railroad. He even brought 160 Chinese Americans from San Francisco by boat for this work.
In 1877, Ah Louis won two big contracts to build roads. One road went from Paso Robles, California to Cambria, California. This is now part of State Route 46. The other road connected San Luis Obispo to Paso Robles. This road is now known as Cuesta Grade.
In 1884, Wong got another big contract. He was hired to build four tunnels through Cuesta Grade. These tunnels were for the Southern Pacific Railroad's coast route. This huge project needed 2,000 workers and took ten years to finish.
The Ah Louis Store
Ah Louis saw that the Chinese community on California's Central Coast needed a place to buy goods. So, in 1874, he opened a small shop. It was the first Asian goods store in San Luis Obispo County. He sold items like rice and other supplies.
His first shop was a wooden building. In 1885, he replaced it with a strong brick building. The bricks came from his own brickyard. This new store was at 800 Palm Street in downtown San Luis Obispo. It marked the spot where San Luis Obispo's Chinatown used to be.
Today, the Ah Louis store is owned by Dr. William Watson, Ah Louis's great-grandson. The main floor is still a retail store. The Ah Louis store is recognized as a California Historical Landmark (number 802). It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States National Park Service.
Ah Louis's Family
Ah Louis married his first wife in China in 1860. She came to California in 1868 but went back to China around 1873. Ah Louis last saw her in China in 1888. Records from 1880 show a wife living with him, but no children at that time.
In May 1889, Ah Louis married Eng Gon Ying (also known as Silver Dove) in San Francisco. They had eight children together. They raised their five sons and three daughters in their home above the Ah Louis Store.
- Lena Ah Tye Louis (1891–1975)
- Young "Cholly" Jung Yeong Louis (1893–1988)
- Mae Ah May Louis (1895–1988)
- Walter Ah Sing Louis (1897–1993)
- George Ah Him Louis (1899–1993)
- Helen Ah Heong Louis (1903–1994)
- Fred Ah Yuey Louis (1907–1994)
- Howard "Toby" Ah Toa Wong Louis (1908–2008)
Ah Louis returned to China in December 1932 with his sons Fred and Howard. He wanted to visit family and follow the tradition of passing away in his homeland. However, he was disappointed by the lack of modern progress there. He also noticed a lot of banditry. So, Ah Louis decided to return to San Luis Obispo. He passed away on December 18, 1936.
The youngest of Ah Louis's children, Howard Louis, continued to run the store. He had a degree in economics and served in the military. Howard ran the store until the late 1990s. He lived to be 100 years old, passing away on August 15, 2008.
The store was damaged by the San Simeon earthquake in 2003. After the earthquake, the city declared the building unsafe. Around this time, Dr. William J. Watson, Ah Louis's great-grandson, fully took over the store. He worked to restore the building and its inside. The store was then placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.
Images for kids
-
Ah Louis, 1934
.jpg)
