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Tekoa

The Rail Trestle overlooking the town

 

The February 22, 1889, edition of the Palouse Gazette, published in Colfax, Washington, carried this brief story:

 

"On Wednesday of last week the Chinese in and about Tekoa, railroad and other laborers, were notified to vamoose to parts unknown within a few hours. The time being limited the whites fell to and assisted them to pack their grips and escorted them on their way toward Farmington. The occasion of the outbreak was the action of the railroad company a few days previous in discharging the whites and putting Chinese labor in their place. About 200 white men engaged in the escapade and about 40 Chinese were driven off. No blood was shed nor blows exchanged. It was simply a blank shot charge and a bloodless victory...The Chinese are thoroughly frightened and will not return."

Source: local newspaper

 

About this site: A long railroad trestle stretches over the outskirts of Tekoa. The trestle is thought to have been the original one built by workers in the late 1880's. The rail line through the area is now abandoned, and the trestle is no longer used.

There are no known historical remnants of Chinese residents or workers in the community.

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