River cove to be renamed for Chinese miners

ENTERPRISE, Ore. – A cove on the Snake River is to be named Chinese Massacre Cove in remembrance of a group of Chinese miners killed there and at a nearby camp in 1887.

Seven men killed between 10 and 31 Chinese miners.

The exact count may never be known.

Three of the suspects fled the area, one turned state’s evidence and three were convicted in August 1888.

But after further testimony the jury was ordered to reconsider and acquitted all three. Nobody served time for the killings.

The designation is to be made official Saturday when the Oregon Geographic Names Board meets in Enterprise.

Anti-Chinese sentiments ran high in much of the West in those years, historians say.

Many Chinese who came to build railroads later took to mining. Others came from China because of reports of rich gold fields.

Chinese were driven out of several communities and paid special taxes in others. Many who could, returned to China after the Chinese Exclusion Act made it virtually impossible for them to bring their families over from their native country.