Rededicating the Wah Chong Tai Mercantile

Left: Ginger So visits with Pat Munday (June 15, 2013)
Right: Yvonne Chinn in front of the same doorway (1950)
Ginger and Yvonne are cousins, daughters of Pearl Chinn So and William Chinn,
respectively. Pearl and William grew up in the Mai Wah buildings.

In the Mercantile

June 15, 2013, the Grand Reopening of the Wah Chong Tai Mercantile at the Mai Wah Museum was a very special day. We thank everyone who helped and attended, especially those who joined the Museum as members or became sponsors of display cases.

Roger and Ginger So

We were thrilled to have Ginger So and Roger So in attendance. Their mother, Pearl Chinn So, was born in the building and grew up here in the 1920s and 1930s. They traveled from their homes in New Jersey to be part of the celebration, marking the return and display of 2,500 objects back in their original locations after 65 years. The collection is on loan from the Montana Heritage Commission; for the story, visit the Wah Chong Tai Mercantile page on our web site. Or better yet, come to the museum (Tues-Sat, 10-4) and experience it directly. This is one of the best collections of Chinese-American artifacts, in their original location, in the United States.

We also launched the start of the Chinn Family Exhibit. Four banners outline their story; an interactive touch-screen computer research station will be installed later this summer. The Chinn Family Exhibit was supported by a grant from the Montana Cultural Trust, a scholarship from the Dave Walter Research Fellowship (Montana Historical Society), and donations to the Mai Wah in memory of Pearl Chinn So.

It’s an exciting time at the Mai Wah Museum, and we hope you’ll come see the remarkable changes that have taken place.