Preservation Thursday: Chinese in Deadwood: An Overview into the Lives and Legacy

2026 marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Chinatown archaeological excavations along Deadwood’s lower Main Street. Upon the conclusion of this project, over 350,000 objects were unearthed during the four field seasons. In 2009, the Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission became the curator of this assemblage. Since receiving this collection, city staff, led by City Archivist Michael Runge, have continued the research on various portions of this collection, providing a unique insight into the day to day lives of Deadwood’s Chinese population. This has been accomplished through combining the two different disciplines – archives and archaeology together to help reconstruct Deadwood’s Chinatown. Homestake Adams Research and Cultural Center; 12:00 p.m.; free for members and $5 for non-members.