Chinese Laundries

Dates Unknown | Exact Location Unknown, near the edge of City Park

Located near the site of present-day city pool, two Chinese Laundries operated adjacent to city park for several decades in the late 1800's and early 1900's. For many Chinese immigrants, hand-wash laundries provided one of the few accessible paths to economic opportunity. Though forced to operate on the margins of the city, these businesses met an essential community need, and at one time, nearly every town in Yamhill County had a Chinese laundry. Among the most notable local proprietors was Sam Yick, who became a well-known local figure and a central member of the McMinnville’s Chinese community, which was especially vibrant in the 1880s and 1890s.

The site is known by its inclusion in the early 20th century Sanborn maps. Sanborn maps were the first detailed surveys of American cities so that downtown homes and businesses could procure fire insurance; a vital survival tool for businesses around the turn of the 20th Century. 

Several local historians are working to uncover more information about the site and the Chinese residents who worked here.