[3/26/24] 16. The Legacy of Chinese Workers on the Transcontinental Railroad in Utah with Chris Merritt

Places and Profiles Podcast with Adam Camac

Chris Merritt, an archaeologist who is Utah’s historic preservation officer, joins host Adam Camac to discuss the legacy of Chinese railroad workers on the transcontinental railroad in Utah and what we are learning about their work through archaeological investigation. The show notes page for this episode can be found at placesandprofiles.com/16.

1:28 - Overview of the work of the guest (Chris Merritt) and his interest in the legacy of Chinese railroad workers on the transcontinental railroad in Utah

5:00 - The influence of the US Civil War on the construction of the transcontinental railroad, China in the 1860s, Utah in the 1860s

12:05 - Who the Chinese immigrants were who came to work on the railroad, background of these workers, their experiences after actually coming to Utah and starting to work on the railroad

19:07 - Recognition, if any, for the Chinese workers when the golden spike was driven into the ground on May 10, 1869 at Promontory Summit, Utah

22:23 - The area of Utah the railroad used to go through, the ghost town of Terrace, Utah

31:05 - Stories from Chinese railroad workers dealing with the maintenance of the railroad, how the Chinese Exclusion Act coming into law in 1882 affected these railroad workers

38:56 - Violence and attacks faced by Chinese railroad workers

43:21 - Artifacts and objects found in the fields during excavation projects in Terrace and other sites in Utah where Chinese railroad workers once lived

51:11 - Descendents of the Chinese railroad workers in Utah and the guest’s interactions with them

53:55 - Recommended resources, additional information about the contributions of Chinese railroad workers to the history of the United States