While the Gallatin National Forest never had per capita the same number of Chinese within its land holdings, there were some located along Emigrant & Bear Creeks north of Yellowstone National Park. There were no previously recorded Chinese archaeological sites on the Gallatin NF before the summer of 2008, but this changed with the help of an improtant find in Livingston. While perusing the Water Rights Books at the Park County Courthouse, we discovered a purchase record for a ditch in the West Fork of Emigrant Creek, east of Chico Hot Springs. On April 30th, 1897 Wong Chong, President of the Quong Chong Company, declared rights to water from Emigrant Creek for mining purposes. The water right claim even detailed the length of the ditch, and the basic location of the mining claim.

Fragment of Chinese celadon rice bowl found at the Chinese cabin on Emigrant Creek

There were no recorded archaeological sites in the suspected area of the claim, so we performed a detailed pedestrian survey of the area. At the mouth of Huckleberry Creek, where it flows into Emigrant Creek, we discovered a mostly collapsed cabin with a large scatter of historical artifacts. Some of the artifacts discovered were of Chinese origin including some fragments to a Chinese celadon rice bowl. The isolated location of this site has protected it from the ravages of development and widespread looting, and offers a tremendous opportunity to learn more about the Chinese experience. In addition, this site is a rarity as it is an extremely late placer mining camp (1897) when most other Chinese had already left Montana due to the shift towards hard rock mines.

Landscape of the Chinese mining claim on Emigrant Creek. Area has been heavily placer mined and has returned to a more natural state.