Park County

The South Park region is one of the most significant regions in the history of mining in Colorado and was a home away from home for many immigrants from China. Park County, also known as South Park or Bayou Salado, is located in the center of Colorado about sixty-five miles southwest of Denver. Reports of gold findings in the area came as early 1806, with more significant findings in 1858 as miners moved northwest in the midst of the Pikes Peak Gold Rush.[1] Within two years, almost twenty-three percent, or 11,000, of Colorado’s population worked and resided in the South Park region.[2] Chinese immigrants started arriving in the late 1860s or early 1870s.[3] There are no recorded population totals for Chinese residents in either the 1860 or 1870 census, but there were supposedly 124 in 1880.[4] Chinese immigrants resided primarily in the towns of Hamilton, Fairplay, Como, and King.