Archaeologists to share discoveries about The Dalles’ Chinese community
Archeologist Jacqueline Cheung
From Gretchen Kimsey
The Dalles, Ore., Oct. 8, 2026 — A historic First Street building has become a window into a largely overlooked chapter of The Dalles’ history, and two local archaeologists will share what they have discovered during a presentation Saturday, Oct. 24.
Eric Gleason and Jacqueline Cheung will present a look into “The Chinese Community of The Dalles” at 2 p.m. at Historic St. Paul’s Chapel on Union Street. The free presentation will focus on the early Chinese community and its contributions to the “vibrancy, growth and development” of The Dalles, drawing on historic documents and archaeological excavations.
Gleason and Cheung have a particularly personal connection to the story. In 2000, they purchased the historic Chinese Building, also known as the Wing Hong Hai Company store, on First Street. Their ongoing effort to restore the building led them into a much deeper exploration of the archaeological site and the history of The Dalles’ Chinatown.
The restoration and archaeological work have helped uncover stories about the Chinese community and its significance not only to The Dalles, but to the region and the nation.
Archeologist Eric Gleason, kneeling
Both Gleason and Cheung are professional field archaeologists with extensive experience working on archaeological sites throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Gleason grew up in Boring and attended Sam Barlow High School in Gresham before earning a degree in anthropology from Washington State University in 1982. Cheung grew up in Southern California and earned a degree in anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1984.
The two met while working on an archaeological dig in the San Fernando Valley. They later worked together surveying across Washington for a fiber-optic line before moving to The Dalles in 1989.
After buying an old house formerly owned by Alf Wermark, they took on another major restoration project when they purchased the Chinese Building more than a decade later.
What began as an effort to restore the building eventually brought together their interests in archaeology and historic preservation. Their work included detailed documentation of the Chinatown archaeological site and a small excavation.
The discoveries have provided archaeological evidence to complement historic records and shed light on the people, businesses and community that once made up The Dalles’ Chinatown.
Gleason and Cheung’s presentation will examine that history and what the archaeological record reveals about the Chinese community’s role in the development of The Dalles.
The presentation begins at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, at Historic St. Paul’s Chapel, 317 Union St., in The Dalles. Admission is free.
Donations are welcome to help preserve the historic chapel, the oldest church building in The Dalles.
