Traces of Transcontinental Railroad Workers’ Cabin Uncovered

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH—KSL.com reports that an excavation in northern Utah at Terrace, a settlement site along the path of the transcontinental railroad, has uncovered traces of a house thought to have been built for Chinese railroad workers in 1869 or 1870. As many as 500 people once lived in the town, which featured two hotels, five saloons, and other businesses. The remains of the structure include upright wooden posts, charcoal suggesting that the structure burned, and floorboards, according to Chris Merritt of the Utah Division of State History. “This is the first fully excavated Chinese home on the transcontinental railroad regardless of state,” Merritt said. “It really helps us understand the technology they were using to build it with, the materials and also the style.” The house is thought to have been built with surplus materials from the railroad construction, he explained. A fire burned many of the town’s buildings in the early 1900s, and it was soon abandoned due to a lack of clean water and changes in the railroad route. For more on Chinese railroad workers, go to "America's Chinatowns: Labor."