DATE VISITED: 03/21/2015
HISTORICAL SITE: Wakamatsu Tea & Silk Farm Colony
LOCATION: 941 Cold Springs Rd., Gold Hill, El Dorado
Co., CA
MARKER #: 815
DEDICATED: June 7, 1969
"Site of the only tea and silk farm established in
California. First agriculture settlement of pioneer Japanese immigrants who
arrived at Gold Hill on June 8, 1869. Despite the initial success, it failed to
prosper. It marked the beginning of Japanese influence on the agricultural
economy of California.
**closer look below
Marker Placed By: Placed by the State Department of Parks
and Recreation in cooperation with the Japanese American Citizens League, El
Dorado County Historical Society and Friends of the Centennial Observance
PERSONAL REFLECTIONS:
Walking around the State Park took longer than I had expected. I gave my son an out so he didn’t have to go
to any more monuments, but he was up for it so off we went.
We had a little trouble finding this monument. Our GPS took
us straight to a school. Again, if I remembered where we were going beyond some
"Japanese farm", this might be easier. Then I remembered...I had just
downloaded "Historical Landmarker Database" application. It locates
where you are and tells you the landmarks around you. I turned it on and it
told me we were right near this sight. Not only that, it gave me enough
direction to actually find it...that is once David and I tried to figure
out...are we going north and so it’s on the right hand side? Or south and it’s
on the left side? After discussing, we
decided that we had to be headed south since we hadn't seen the landmark so
far. Yep, that was it. Right after the school, we saw the landmark.
Once you relax about the schools "you are always on
camera" signs, you'll find a beautiful little area, fenced in and well
maintained. There is pretty cherry tree blossoming and thriving even though it’s
being cut away from the electrical lines above it. Underneath, wild California
Poppies, one of my favorite flowers, were growing.
Fleeing the civil "Boshin" war being fought in
Japan between the Imperial Court and the Shogunate, 3 Samurai families
accompanied Mr. Schnell, their benefactor, to the United States.
As an aside…. I thought it interesting that the U.S. sold
the CSS Stonewall, a civil war ship, to the Japanese. The Japanese renamed it
and it was pivotal in one battle.
After looking around, Mr. Schnell decided to buy in Gold Hill and they found a
ranch for $5000.00. Each family, 3 now but many more to come, would have their
own house and garden.
The farm would have a central processing area for the tea
crop.
Newspapers across the U.S. wrote about the Japanese arrival
in a positive manner. Quite contrary to how the Chinese were treated and people
didn't have a problem comparing the two groups in a way that would be so
socially unacceptable today. Well, not just socially unacceptable but truly not
at all fair or objective.
In July, the news reported that the Japanese are excited
“for their friends to come to a country where everybody is free to do as he
likes, and there is no stanero". It
was written that "stanero" is the enforced kneeling when in presence
of a superior but I have been unable to verify that.
An 1870 news story gave quite a few interesting "facts"
about the Japanese. Its obvious people were curious...it was reported that
their buildings "do not contain a nail, all of the joints and timbers being
dove tailed together by many ingenious devices". As to the how they
decorate it was noted that the "Japanese are neat people, for they use no
paint to hide any blemishes of construction or ornamentation, no filigree work,
or plaster of Paris geegaws" and for their personalities, they were
"bright, intelligent, and polite, lifting their hats and bowing gracefully
to strangers". The article closed with this little bit of
"knowledge"...." Take them all in all, they are in every respect
a superior race to the Chinese, and resemble them in no manner except their
physical appearance." So sad!
By early spring in 1871, it was obvious the colony was in
trouble. It was reported that Mr. Schnell took his wife and kids and said he'd
be back but never did. Slowly, the Japanese moved from the colony until in April
1871, news articles were saying the farm has been abandoned and sold. Looks like the workers figured out that the
$4 a month Mr. Schnell was paying was insufficient and they could get a higher
pay elsewhere.
The next family to buy the farm held it for 125 year until
the America River Conservancy bought it in 2010.
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