Locke, California
Historic Chinese Town
Welcome sign on north
side of Locke Street
Located 75 miles from San Francisco,
in the Sacramento river Delta, Locke is the only remaining authentic
Chinese village in the United States of America. Although many
cities in America have a Chinatown, Locke is the only separate
Chinese community that was built by, and exclusively for, Chinese
immigrants.
Window in the River
Road Art Gallery in Locke, CA
Locke was virtually unknown outside of
California until a book entitled "Bitter Melon" by
Jeff Gillenkirk with photographs by James Motlow was published.
The photograph in the window is featured on the front cover of
this widely acclaimed book.
At one time, 600 residents, all of whom
were Chinese, lived in this three square block community. Now
the permanent population of the town is less than 100, and less
than a dozen of the residents are Chinese.
The origin of the Chinese town of Locke
dates back to 1915 when a fire in the neighboring town of Walnut
Grove destroyed the city's Chinatown. Locke was established by
Lee Bing, on land owned by George Locke in 1915. There were two
sections in the Walnut Grove Chinatown, one of which was populated
by Chinese immigrants from Chungshan and the other by immigrants
from Sze Yap in China. The Chungshan group decided to rebuild
their community a half mile south of Walnut Grove where there
were already three buildings in a tiny hamlet called Lockeport.
To get to Locke from Sacramento, take
Interstate 5 South and exit onto Twin Cities Road, then follow
the signs to the town of Walnut Grove, which is one half mile
south of Locke. It is easy to miss Locke as you are driving down
the River Road on top of the Sacramento river levee. The town
buildings which face the highway extend for only one block, but
welcome signs face the River Road on each side of Locke Street,
marking the turn into the town.
Locke Street, looking
west toward the River Road
Chinese Store on the
River Road, looking south
If you are driving south, you will see
a welcome sign on the south side of Locke Street, just before
you get to the Yuen Chong General Store shown in the photograph
above. If you miss your turn, just drive down the River Road
to the end of the line of buildings facing the highway and turn
left onto Levee Street, then left onto Key Street, which parallels
the one-way Main Street through Locke.
The town of Locke has only three major
streets, and that's counting the River Road which runs north
and south past the town. The other two streets are Main Street,
lined with commercial buildings, and Key street, which is the
residential section.
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