Rock Springs erects monument to 1885 anti‑Chinese massacre
Rock Springs, Wyoming, this September dedicated a prominent bronze statue called 'Requiem' to mark the 140th anniversary of the 1885 Rock Springs massacre in which a mob burned Chinatown and killed 28 Chinese residents. The municipal dedication — led by Mayor Max Mickelson and supported by local museums and students — accompanies an archaeological project by Grinnell College researchers who uncovered a distinct 'burn layer' and artifacts (pottery shards, bones, a door handle and a wooden beam) at the former Chinatown site, as the town grapples with its immigrant history amid contemporary political tensions.
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Wyoming town erects new monument to violent, anti-immigrant history
New information:
- The 1885 Rock Springs massacre killed 28 Chinese people and injured 14; the town marked the 140th anniversary with a new statue over Labor Day weekend 2025.
- The bronze statue 'Requiem' stands more than seven feet tall and depicts a Chinese miner holding the remnants of a ceremonial dragon flag; Mayor Max Mickelson spoke at the dedication.
- Grinnell College archaeologists led by Professor Laura Ng excavated a 'burn layer' at the Chinatown site and recovered pottery sherds, animal bones, an ornamental door handle and a wooden beam.