Kam Wah Chung & Co. Museum facts for kids

Kam Wah Chung Heritage Site 金華昌藥店歷史地點
Kam Wah Chung building
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Type	Public, state
Location	Grant County, Oregon
Nearest city	John Day
Area	0.42 acres (0.17 ha)
Operated by	Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
Kam Wah Chung Company Building
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
Built	1866
NRHP reference No.	73001575
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	March 20, 1973
Designated NHL	September 20, 2005

The Kam Wah Chung & Co. Museum is a special place in John Day, Oregon. It's a state park and a National Historic Landmark. This museum helps us understand the history of Chinese culture in the American West. It was built in 1865 by George Hazeltine. The building was first a supply stop for travelers and stagecoaches. It is the best example of a Chinese herbal medicine shop and store from after the American Civil War. This was a time when many people moved to the Western United States.

The History of Kam Wah Chung

The Kam Wah Chung (Chinese: 金華昌; Jyutping: gam1 waa4 coeng1) Company Building was built along an old wagon road. This road was later called The Dalles Military Road. It might have been a trading post for gold miners working near Canyon Creek. By 1878, a company called Kam Wah Chung was renting the building.

Doc Hay and Lung On

In 1887, two Chinese immigrants bought the company. Their names were Ing Hay and Lung On. Ing Hay was also known as "Doc Hay" (Chinese: 伍于念; Jyutping: ng5 jyu1 nim6). Lung On's Chinese name was (Chinese: 梁光榮; Jyutping: loeng4 gwong1 wing4). They both came from Canton, China.

Becoming a Museum

Doc Hay passed away in 1952. He wanted the building to become a museum for the city of John Day. However, his wish and the building's ownership were forgotten for many years. In 1967, the city was looking for a new park. They discovered they owned the building. The city then decided to restore it to how it looked in the 1940s. They also have many old records and personal papers from Doc Hay and Lung On.

A National Treasure

Today, the Kam Wah Chung & Co. Museum holds a huge collection of items. These items tell the story of Chinese immigrants in the American West. The museum was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. It became a National Historic Landmark in 2005. This means it is a very important historical site in the United States.

Renovation and Reopening

Mary Oberst, who was the First Lady of Oregon at the time, helped a lot with the museum. She worked to raise $1.5 million from private donations. This money was used to fix up the building and turn it into a state park. The renovation started in November 2006. The museum reopened in August 2007. A big celebration for the renovated museum happened on May 3, 2008.

See also

• List of Oregon state parks
• List of National Historic Landmarks in Oregon
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Grant County, Oregon