Between 2006 and 2010, Dr. Chris Merritt created a database of Chinese archaeological and historical sites across the state of Montana. Merritt’s dissertation focused on documenting the Chinese experience of Montana through both history and archaeology. Many Montanans do not know the scale of influence that the Chinese had on shaping Montana history, and this project is first systematic attempt to document this heritage. Working in partnership with the Montana State Historic Preservation Office, the United States Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, and numerous private land owners, Merritt traveled the state and recorded sites and stories relating to the Chinese in Montana.