Locke, California
Historic Chinese Town
One of the most popular spots in Locke
in the early days was the Dai Loy Gambling house, owned by the
town's founder, Lee Bing. The Dai Loy Gambling house was the
social center of the community from 1916 to 1950. It is now a
museum for tourists.
Dai Loy Museum on east
side of Main Street
In the 1950ies, Locke was still a vibrant
community with 400 residents, mostly Chinese. They lived in apartments
on the second floor above the stores and restaurants. The main
industry in the town was gambling.
Former gambling hall
on west side of Main Street
Locke used to have several gambling halls,
including one on Main Street with Chinese characters painted
on seven glass panels at the top of the building. The Chinese
writing means "Victory Club" in English. The building
now houses a store called Locke Ness, which advertises the sale
of "Things Old and New."
Building where Foon
Hop casino was formerly located
The gambling halls and opium dens in
Locke were owned and operated by the Chinese residents in Locke,
but the houses of prostitution were owned by Caucasians, who
staffed them with white prostitutes.
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