Ah Louis
Encyclopedia
On Wong more commonly known as Ah Louis, was a Chinese American
banker, labor contractor, farmer, and shopkeeper in San Luis Obispo
, California
during the late 19th and early 20th century. His Ah Louis Store building is on the National Register of Historic Places
. Ah Louis was a central figure in the development of the Central Coast of California
, serving as an organizer of Chinese laborers during the construction of the Pacific Coast Railway
's Avila
—Port Harford spur and the tunnels through Cuesta Grade over the Santa Lucia Range.
, and arrived in California
between 1856 and 1861 in order to strike it rich during the California Gold Rush
. Unsuccessful at mining, he became a laborer working in Corvallis, Oregon
and points further south.
Ah eventually settled in San Luis Obispo, California in 1870, and was working as a cook in a hotel there in 1871. Soon he began to organize work-crews to help construct the Pacific Coast Railroad, delivering 160 Chinese Americans from San Francisco by schooner.
In 1877, Ah was awarded two large road construction contracts, including a road from Paso Robles, California
to Cambria, California
(now the western-most portion of State Route 46
) and the first stages of a road connecting San Luis Obispo to Paso Robles, California
(now referred to as Cuesta Grade, a portion of which is still drivable and is labeled off the freeway as "Old Stagecoach Road" and a portion of U.S. Route 101). In 1884, Ah received the contract to construct the four Cuesta Grade tunnels for the Southern Pacific Railroad
, requiring the provision of 2,000 laborers and taking ten years to complete.
, from which he sold goods including rice, rum, and opium (opium use was legal until 1915).
The wooden structure was replaced by a sturdy brick building in 1885, made from bricks from his own brickyard which still stands at 800 Palm Street on the corner of Chorro Street in downtown San Luis Obispo, marking where San Luis Obispo's Chinatown once stood. The shop is currently owned by Dr. William Watson, Ah Louis's great-grandson,
and the ground floor is now open as a gift shop, though now converted into a westernized shop, selling mostly housewares.
The Ah Louis store has been designated as a California State Historical Landmark
number 802
by the United States National Parks Service., and is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In May 1889, Ah married Gon Ying (a second wife) in San Francisco and raised eight children, five sons and three daughters.
Ying was murdered in 1909 by a son of Ah Louis from his first wife.
In 1933, accompanied by two sons,
Ah returned to China to visit family there and to observe the tradition of dying where one was born. Disappointed with banditry and lack of modern technology there, he returned to San Luis Obispo, dying in 1936.
The youngest and last of his children, Howard Louis, who continued to run the store until late in the 1990s, died on August 15, 2008, at the age of 100.
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
banker, labor contractor, farmer, and shopkeeper in San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, California
San Luis Obispo is a city in California, located roughly midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the Central Coast. Founded in 1772 by Spanish Fr. Junipero Serra, San Luis Obispo is one of California’s oldest communities...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
during the late 19th and early 20th century. His Ah Louis Store building is on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. Ah Louis was a central figure in the development of the Central Coast of California
Central Coast of California
The Central Coast is an area of California, United States, roughly spanning the area between the Monterey Bay and Point Conception. It extends through Santa Cruz County, San Benito County, Monterey County, San Luis Obispo County, and Santa Barbara County...
, serving as an organizer of Chinese laborers during the construction of the Pacific Coast Railway
Pacific Coast Railway
The Pacific Coast Railway is a defunct narrow gauge railway in the Central Coast of California. Not to be confused with the Pacific Coast Railroad Company, a tourist operation in nearby Santa Margarita, California, near Atascadero which has operated since 2000.Originally a 10 mile link from San...
's Avila
Avila Beach, California
Avila Beach , pronounced AH-vuh-luh, is a census-designated place in San Luis Obispo County, California, USA and located about 160 miles northwest of Los Angeles, and about 200 miles south of San Francisco. The ZIP Code is 93424. The community is inside area code 805...
—Port Harford spur and the tunnels through Cuesta Grade over the Santa Lucia Range.
History
Ah Louis traveled from his home in Guangzhou (Canton), ChinaGuangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, and arrived in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
between 1856 and 1861 in order to strike it rich during the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
. Unsuccessful at mining, he became a laborer working in Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis is a city located in central western Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Benton County and the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 54,462....
and points further south.
Ah eventually settled in San Luis Obispo, California in 1870, and was working as a cook in a hotel there in 1871. Soon he began to organize work-crews to help construct the Pacific Coast Railroad, delivering 160 Chinese Americans from San Francisco by schooner.
In 1877, Ah was awarded two large road construction contracts, including a road from Paso Robles, California
Paso Robles, California
Paso Robles is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Paso Robles is the fastest growing city in San Luis Obispo County: Its population at the 2000 census was 24,297; in 2010 it recorded some 29,793 residentsLocated on the Salinas River north of San Luis Obispo, California,...
to Cambria, California
Cambria, California
Cambria is a seaside village located midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the California State Route 1 . The name Cambria was settled upon in 1869 .It is a census-designated place in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States...
(now the western-most portion of State Route 46
California State Route 46
State Route 46 is an east–west state highway in the U.S. state of California. It is a major crossing of the Coast Ranges, connecting SR 1 on the Central Coast near Cambria and US 101 in Paso Robles with SR 99 at Famoso in the San Joaquin Valley. East of Paso Robles, where it carried U.S...
) and the first stages of a road connecting San Luis Obispo to Paso Robles, California
Paso Robles, California
Paso Robles is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Paso Robles is the fastest growing city in San Luis Obispo County: Its population at the 2000 census was 24,297; in 2010 it recorded some 29,793 residentsLocated on the Salinas River north of San Luis Obispo, California,...
(now referred to as Cuesta Grade, a portion of which is still drivable and is labeled off the freeway as "Old Stagecoach Road" and a portion of U.S. Route 101). In 1884, Ah received the contract to construct the four Cuesta Grade tunnels for the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
, requiring the provision of 2,000 laborers and taking ten years to complete.
Store
Seeing a need for the California central coast's Chinese community, Ah opened a small oriental mercantile in 1874, the first in San Luis Obispo CountySan Luis Obispo County, California
San Luis Obispo County is a county located along the Pacific Ocean in the Central Coast of the U.S. state of California, between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2010 census its population was 269,637, up from 246,681 at the 2000 census...
, from which he sold goods including rice, rum, and opium (opium use was legal until 1915).
The wooden structure was replaced by a sturdy brick building in 1885, made from bricks from his own brickyard which still stands at 800 Palm Street on the corner of Chorro Street in downtown San Luis Obispo, marking where San Luis Obispo's Chinatown once stood. The shop is currently owned by Dr. William Watson, Ah Louis's great-grandson,
and the ground floor is now open as a gift shop, though now converted into a westernized shop, selling mostly housewares.
The Ah Louis store has been designated as a California State Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmarks are buildings, structures, sites, or places in the state of California that have been determined to have statewide historical significance by meeting at least one of the criteria listed below:...
number 802
by the United States National Parks Service., and is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Family
Ah Louis married his first wife in China in 1860. She was in California in 1868, but returned to China about 1873. Ah last saw her in China in 1888. The 1880 census shows a wife living with him, but no children are shown.In May 1889, Ah married Gon Ying (a second wife) in San Francisco and raised eight children, five sons and three daughters.
Ying was murdered in 1909 by a son of Ah Louis from his first wife.
In 1933, accompanied by two sons,
Ah returned to China to visit family there and to observe the tradition of dying where one was born. Disappointed with banditry and lack of modern technology there, he returned to San Luis Obispo, dying in 1936.
The youngest and last of his children, Howard Louis, who continued to run the store until late in the 1990s, died on August 15, 2008, at the age of 100.
External links
- Google Maps location of Ah Louis' store at corner or Palm & Chorro, includes Google StreetView
- Historical Marker Database
- Chinese Contributions to San Luis Obispo County
- Chinese Pioneer Timeline
- Brief History of San Luis Obispo's Chinese
- San Luis Obispo: a history in architecture by Janet Penn Franks, 2004
- Preliminary Report on December 22, 2003 San Simeon Earthquake Ah Louis Store on pages 10-11
- Image of 1875 ad for Ah Luis Store
