Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum
... Were non-whites, specifically Chinese, allowed to ride the Transcontinental RR in the 1800's?
posted from CPRR Discussion Group at 4:51 PM
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9 Comments:
Yes, regarding Chinese, read the account in:
Robert Louis Stevenson
ACROSS THE PLAINS
CHAPTER I: Across the Plains
Published 1892 describing a trip made in 1879 to visit his married but separated girlfriend, Fanny Osbourne, later to become his wife ...
"... Pacific Transfer Station near Council Bluffs, on the eastern bank of the Missouri river. ...
THE EMIGRANT TRAIN
All this while I had been travelling by mixed trains, where I might meet with Dutch widows and little German gentry fresh from table. I had been but a latent emigrant; now I was to be branded once more, and put apart with my fellows. It was about two in the afternoon of Friday that I found myself in front of the Emigrant House, with more than a hundred others, to be sorted and boxed for the journey. A white-haired official, with a stick under one arm, and a list in the other hand, stood apart in front of us, and called name after name in the tone of a command. At each name you would see a family gather up its brats and bundles and run for the hindmost of the three cars that stood awaiting us, and I soon concluded that this was to be set apart for the women and children. The second or central car, it turned out, was devoted to men travelling alone, and the third to the Chinese. The official was easily moved to anger at the least delay; but the emigrants were both quick at answering their names, and speedy in getting themselves and their effects on board. ... "
Regarding Indians riding the CPRR, see our FAQ.
From: "James Mark French" fireside31298@sbcglobal.net
Yes the Chinese were allowed to ride on the trains but, they usually rode in cars that were the Western version of the deep South's "Jim Crow" cars. They were segregated from the whites.
The Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City, Nevada has, possibly, the only existing example of one of these Western versions of the "Jim Crow" car, for use by the Chinese only. This is Virginia & Truckee Caboose/Coach number 9, built by the Kimball Coach Works of San Fransico, CA in 1872.
—Mark
See: V&T #9
Kimball Carriage & Car Mfg. Company
From: "Chen-Johnson, Mary" mchenjohnson@tacomacc.edu
Thank you! That was wonderfully helpful in your details.
From: KyleWyatt@aol.com
Re: James Mark French's comments
Hmmm. Well, not exactly. Virginia & Truckee coach/caboose #9 was used for third class travel at the end of freight trains – and used by Whites as well as Chinese, Indians and any others. Although note that Indians (but not Chinese or Whites) could ride free on the roofs of V&T and CP freight trains.
On some trains (where there were sufficent Chinese travelers) there may have been separate cars added for Chinese – as with the Union Pacific emigrant car recounted by Robert Louis Stevenson in his 1879 trip, but generally I think they just rode in the coaches like everyone else on the Central Pacific. I seem to recall accounts to that effect, although can't call up specifics off the top of my head.
While segregation and discrimination towards Chinese was not uncommon, my impression is that it was never as formalized and structured as in the Jim Crow south. But then, discrimination and segregation was not limited to the Chinese, either. Indians, African-Americans, Hispanics, other Asians, even many other Eurpoean immigrant groups all faced discrimination, and often varying forms of segregation in 19th century America. For that matter, if you take several steps back to a broader view, segregation and discrimination are common threads in the past histories and all too often the present practices of many (even most?) cultures all around the world. It is most certainly not something uniquely American.
—Kyle
See the additional discussion.
From: Hsweetser@aol.com
Re: Were non-whites allowed to ride?
Back on July 5, 2006, "Chen-Johnson, Mary" asked: "Were non-whites, specifically Chinese, allowed to ride the Transcontinental RR in the 1800's?"
Two commenters indicated that Chinese rode in segregated rail cars.
However, Kyle Wyatt replied: "On some trains (where there were sufficent Chinese travelers) there may have been separate cars added for Chinese – as with the Union Pacific emigrant car recounted by Robert Louis Stevenson in his 1879 trip, but generally I think they just rode in the coaches like everyone else on the Central Pacific. I seem to recall accounts to that effect, although can't call up specifics off the top of my head."
Kyle Wyatt had it right. Here is a passage from an 1890 issue of the Kern County Californian (a Bakersfield newspaper) commenting on crowded Southern Pacific passenger trains, unearthed by Bakersfield historian Gilbert Gia:
"...to this is added the nuisance of the Chinese who are not put in a car by themselves, as they should be, but are permitted to mix with the other passengers and to crowd themselves into seats with ladies with the apparent approval of the conductors and brakemen."
(Unfortunately, in the Bakersfield publication in which this passage was reprinted, Mr. Gia did not include the specific date of that issue of the Californian.)
—John Sweetser
From: kylewyatt@aol.com
A quick search turned up a few mentions of Chinese riding trains – mostly in relation to accidents. In these accounts they do not appear to have been segregated from other passengers. I do note that Chinese were often (but not always) riding in the smoking cars. I also note mention of a mixed race couple - white husband and Chinese wife, riding in a first class coach, this in the late 1880s. I didn't come across many accident accounts from the 1870s or early 1880s in my quick search. ...
—Kyle
1892 "Chinese in Train Cars" – San Francisco Call, Volume 71, Number 86, 24 February 1892.
1897 "Chinese Riding Train – in Smoker" – San Francisco Call, Volume 81, Number 65, 3 February 1897.
1888 "Mixed Race Couple" – Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 59, Number 113, 4 July 1888 – MONTANA.
See related discussion.
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