South Side in Billings in Yellowstone County, Montana — The American West (Mountains)

Billings' Chinatown

The Chinese Community and Workforce

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 15, 2020

1. Billings' Chinatown Marker

Captions: (bottom left) The Lee & Lee Building (known locally as the L&L) is located at 2624 Minnesota Avenue. Constructed in 1896, its is one of the last standing historically Chinese-owned buildings in Billings. It was renovated in 2005 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.; (bottom center) An advertisement for rooms in the L & L Building, ca. 1912.; (bottom right) This 1912 map shows an area south of the railroad tracks where the Chinese congregated. In the 2600 block are several Chinese-owned buildings between Minnesota Avenue and First Avenue South. Oddly, the Chinese-owned businesses are all named by their ethnicity.

Inscription. Originally coming to Montana for the 1860s gold rush, the Chinese made up almost 10% of Montana's population during the 1870s. They were also two-thirds of the labor force for early railroad construction. After a rail line was completed, many of the Chinese laborers settled in mining camps and railroad towns such as Billings.
Located on the 2600 block of Minnesota Avenue was Billings' "China Alley". (sic) Chinese owned or work in laundries, restaurants, dry good stores, hotels, saloons, and gardens in this southside neighborhood. The Chinese community was well-known for their annual celebration of the Chinese New Year. Chinese-owned businesses would be decorated and firecrackers were heard throughout the night.
Yee Sam Lee was a leader of the Southside. Mr. Lee was proprietor of several businesses and served as a liaison between the Chinese and the Billings Police Department. The Billings Gazette even deemed him, "the Mayor of China Town." Still standing today is an anchor of the long gone China Alley, the Lee and Lee Building at 2624 Minnesota Avenue. Constructed in 1896, it was named after Yee Sam Lee and his brother and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Asian Americans • Settlements & Settlers.

Location.

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45° 47.052′ N, 108° 29.878′ W. Marker is in Billings, Montana, in Yellowstone County. It is in the South Side. It can be reached from Montana Avenue (Business Interstate 90) near North 22nd Street, on the right when traveling east. The marker is found on the fence paralleling the railroad tracks. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2300 Montana Avenue, Billings MT 59101, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Montana’s Yellowstone Country.

It is also in the American Mountain West

and in the Lewis & Clark Corridor.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Battle of the Little Bighorn (a few steps from this marker); Northern Cheyenne Tribe (a few steps from this marker); How Billings Got Its News (a few steps from this marker); The Yellowstone River (a few steps from this marker); Steamboat City on the River (a few steps from this marker); The Fight or Flight of the Nez Perce (a few steps from this marker); Billings: The Father and the Son (a few steps from this marker); Children of the Large-Beaked Bird (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Billings.

Also see . . . A faded legacy -- Billings Gazette. Newspaper clips from the turn of the century into the 1910s describe Chinese New Year’s celebrations in Billings that sometimes lasted a week or more. According to those reports, the festivities included communal meals, homes and shops decorated with flowers, fireworks, carousing
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, September 15, 2020

2. Billings' Chinatown Marker
The marker is located on the fence line.
and spiritual ceremonies. (Submitted on March 7, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

An 1885 photo shows a Chinese immigrant among a group of people gathered for a portrait. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Western Heritage Center

3. An 1885 photo shows a Chinese immigrant among a group of people gathered for a portrait.

Credits. This page was last revised on January 5, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 7, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 1,900 times since then and 164 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 7, 2021, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.