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Ballpark District in Denver in Denver County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
REMOVED
SEE LOCATION SECTION
 

Hop Alley/Chinese Riot of 1880

— Lower Downtown Walking Tour —

 
 
Hop Alley/Chinese Riot of 1880 Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, July 28, 2016
1. Hop Alley/Chinese Riot of 1880 Marker
Inscription. During the 1860's, the first Chinese settled in Colorado, drawn here by the completion of the transcontinental railroad as well as by other demands for cheap manual labor. Existing amidst persecution, poverty and wretched living conditions, the Chinese worked mostly in laundries, as house servants and in the mines. The Chinese neighborhood was bounded roughly by Blake and Market, 19th and 22nd Streets, and contained about 500 Chinese. By 1880, the city had 17 known opium dens in this area, where one could "hit the pipe" or "suck the bamboo." "Hop" Alley buildings were said to be connected by tunnels and secret rooms accessible only by trap doors. Hostilities between the Chinese and other immigrants intensified as competition for jobs increased and negative publicity about opium dens filled the local press. On October 31, 1880, in John Asmussen's Saloon, located on the 1600 block of Wazee, an argument broke out between two pool-playing Chinese and some intoxicated whites. When the Chinese slipped out the back door, they were attacked and beaten, beginning Denver's first recorded race riot. About 3,000 people congregated quickly in the area, shouting "Stamp out the yellow plague!" Destruction of the Chinese ghetto ensued. Several white residents show remarkable courage protecting the Chinese: Saloonkeeper James Veatch sheltered refugees,
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as did gambler Jim Moon and Madam Lizzie Preston, whose girls armed themselves with champagne bottles and high heels to hold the mob at bay. Many were injured, and one Chinese man lost his life. Despite 150 claims totaling over $30,000, no Chinese were ever paid for property and business losses, nor did this dark day end Denver's struggles with the underlying issues of racial prejudice.
 
Erected by Lower Downtown Historic District.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Asian AmericansDisastersSettlements & Settlers. A significant historical date for this entry is October 31, 1880.
 
Location. Marker has been permanently removed. It was located near 39° 45.237′ N, 104° 59.646′ W. Marker was in Denver, Colorado, in Denver County. It was in the Ballpark District. Marker was at the intersection of 20th Street and Blake Street, on the right when traveling south on 20th Street. Was located on the 20th St side of 1962 Blake St (Blake Street Sports store). Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 1962 Blake St, Denver CO 80202, United States of America.

We have been informed that this sign or monument is no longer there and will not be replaced. This page is an archival view of what was.
 
Other nearby markers.
View of the marker on building (right) and Hop Alley to left. image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Mark Hilton, July 28, 2016
2. View of the marker on building (right) and Hop Alley to left.
At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location. Red Light District Market Street (within shouting distance of this marker); Blake Street Area (within shouting distance of this marker); The House of Mirrors (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Windsor Farm Dairy Building / The Crocker Cracker Factory (about 500 feet away); The Reverend Yoshitaka Tamai (about 700 feet away); Merchandise Mart (about 700 feet away); General Electric Building (approx. 0.2 miles away); 18th St. Atrium / Littleton Creamery Beatrice Cold Storage Warehouse (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Denver.
 
Also see . . .
1. University of Nebraska - Encyclopedia of the Great Plains article on Chinese Riot. (Submitted on July 28, 2016, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.)
2. A plaque near Denver’s historic Chinatown marks a race riot. Its critics see it as an opportunity. An effort to replace the Lower Downtown marker has raised the possibility of reconciling a painful chapter in the city’s history -- and reimagining a new Asian district. (Submitted on January 9, 2022, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.) 

3. Denver removes anti-Chinese historical marker (KUSA-TV). The marker, removed on Monday, Aug. 8th, misrepresents a violent riot on Oct. 31, 1880, in what was then Denver's Chinatown. It reads "Hop Alley/Chinese
Colorado - the anti-Chinese riot in Denver, on October 31st 1880 image. Click for full size.
Photographed By N.B. Wilkins, 1880
3. Colorado - the anti-Chinese riot in Denver, on October 31st 1880
Wood engraving after sketch by N.B. Wilkins. Title and other information transcribed from caption card. Illustration in: Frank Leslie's illustrated newspaper, vol. 51 (1880 Nov. 20), p. 189. (Courtesy of the Library of Congress).
Riot of 1880," when the riot that took place can be more accurately described as an "anti-Chinese race riot." (Submitted on August 10, 2022, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.) 
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 28, 2016, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 1,195 times since then and 55 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on July 28, 2016, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.   3. submitted on November 25, 2019, by J. Makali Bruton of Accra, Ghana.

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Mar. 19, 2024