Kam Wah Chung Museum – John Day, Oregon
This museum will give you a wonderful opportunity to learn about Oregon history. Situated in a former trading post of the 1800′s on the Dalles Military Rd it is a piece of history itself. It provides a look at the culture and life of the early Chinese community in Oregon. It became a social, medical and religious center of the Chinese comminity of eastern Oregon. The Museum hosts a vast array of artifacts from business and financial records to supplies and ancient Chinese herbs and medicines.
The name means "Golden Flower of Prosperity" in loose translation. The Museum is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The walls of the first story are made of locally quarried volcanic tuff. The balance of the building is constructed of pine wood planking. The earliest customers of the building (when it was a trading post) were Chinese residents of Canyon City and John Day who worked the gold mines at the time.
The Museum tells the story of the Chinese and about Doc Hay and Lung On, the men who lived there and served the Chinese community for years. The building was home to Doc Hay and Lung On who shared it with relatives, friends and itinerants way up until the 1940′s. The building consisted of 7 rooms including tow bedrooms, a bunkroom and a kitchen as well as its general store, stockroom, herb room and of course the medical office. The building is 1,250 square feet of facinating history with things such as old tin containers and wooden boxes filled with Chinese teas, foodstuffs, tobacco and medicinal items as well as hand made Chinese antiques.
Come into Doc Hay’s former bedroom and you will see the cleaver on the bed stand. You will be able to visualize him mixing remedies in the apothecary where iron bars protected the windows. With at least 500 different herbs available to use he needed to protect them from less savory characters.
The Museum is wheelchair accessible, has bus parking available and is open seven days a week.
Hours: 9 – 5 from May 1st through September 30.
Location: NW 1st Ave., John Day, Oregon 97845
Phone: 800-551-6949
This is a great visit for all members of the family, from small children to grandparents.
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