By Richard I. Gibson
The digital poster I made to announce Butte Chinese Heritage Week (June 23-29, 2014) and our open house June 28 contains historic photos relating to the Butte Chinese. Here’s a brief report on the people in those photos. The photos are from the Mai Wah collection or were provided by family members.
From left to right, top to bottom.
Top row: First is the 1912 immigration photo of Chin Yee Fong (later known as Albert Chinn), and his wife Liu Fong Loon (Lou Chinn). With them is their seven-year-old adoptive daughter, Sue Kee, who was Liu’s niece adopted when Liu’s sister died.
The second photo shows Lily Chew Huie, Kui, and baby Foot (Frank). Lily was the wife of Sam Huie, a tailor and restaurant owner in Butte. Sam was probably a nephew of Dr. Huie Pock.
The right image is inside the Chinese Baptist Mission and includes several children of Dr. Wah Jean Lamb.
Row Two: At left is a photo of Rose Hum Lee, born in Butte. She became a prominent sociologist and expert on America’s Chinatowns.
Next is a family portrait of the family of Dr. Lamb, circa 1914. It includes Dr. Lamb’s wife and children Gertrude, Gladys, Esther, Ruth, Paul, John, and Faith.
The centerpiece is a family portrait of the Chinns, about 1926. At far right is one of the Chinn sons in his U.S. army uniform, about 1945.
The bottom row includes a photo of an unidentified Chinese man, circa 1900, taken by Dusseau the photographer whose studio was at the corner of Broadway and Main, where the Hirbour Tower stands today.
Dr. Lamb’s advertisement appeared in Butte newspapers for many years between about 1908 and 1920.
The lower right corner is a family portrait of the Hum family.
