top of page

Tacoma

Approximate Site of The Corral

 

According to an eyewitness report, the Chinese who were taken from their homes were first "herded together in a corral in the cold rain." Any clothes or household belongings they had managed to carry with them were put on wagons waiting nearby.

 

A small group of Chinese who were able to temporarily avoid the mob got to the telegraph office and wired the governor: "mob driving chinamen out of town. will you not protect us?"

 

They did not receive an answer.

 

At 3 o'clock in the afternoon, orders were given to march the detainees out of town. Approximately 200 Chinese men, women and children were forced to begin marching by a group of 50-60 armed men on horseback. Those who were elderly or sick were allowed to ride on the wagons with the belongings. They were followed by a crowd of club-carrying men who made sure no there were no stragglers.

 

After the procession left, the Sheriff wired the Governor: “MOST OF CHINAMEN HAVE BEEN REMOVED BEYOND CITY LIMITS. NO PROPERTY DESTROYED."

Sources: Chin, Hildebrand, Kinnear, Pfaelzer, Hunt, Karlin, Morgan, Wilcox, local newspapers

 

<Previous  |  1   |    |  3  |  Next>

 

About this site: Contemporary accounts talk about the location of the corral, but I have not been able to find a specific description of what it looked like. Most accounts indicate it was on Pacific Avenue between 7th and 8th Streets. This photo shows the intersection of 7th and Pacific. The tall building shown here, Old Tacoma City Hall, was built seven years after the Chinese expulsion.

bottom of page