On a windy, yet mild and sunny morning last weekend, the historic Delta river town of Locke was celebrated with the official opening of the Locke Boarding House as a visitor and cultural center.

With about 200 people in attendance, a cast of speakers, a special Chinese dragon dance and a blessing of the boarding house preceded a ribbon cutting for the building, which recently underwent a $2.4 million restoration.

Efforts to complete the yearlong restoration of the boarding house were made possible through a large collaborative effort between California State Parks, the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency, county supervisors, Locke foundation and management association leaders, Locke building owners and residents, Chinese community groups and historical preservationists.

According to the center’s official release, the purpose of the Oct. 11 festivities was to introduce the Boarding House center as a place where visitors can learn about “the many stories of individuals who came from diverse backgrounds and whose hard work built the Delta region into the system of levees and agriculture that it became and still is today.”

A Unique Port of Call
Locke, which was founded in 1915, is recognized as the nation’s last remaining, freestanding town that was built and almost exclusively inhabited by Chinese throughout many of the years of its existence.

Although the town, which is located about 29 miles south of downtown Sacramento, is inhabited by about 80 residents today, 55-year Locke resident Connie King said that there are only a dozen Chinese people living in Locke today.

Nonetheless, Locke’s Chinese heritage is undeniably rich, as is evident by a wide variety of features, including the town’s buildings, which together resemble historic villages in China.

The town, which was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1990, also has its Japanese connection, which is most dominantly recognized by the fact that the boarding house was owned for about 20 years by the Japanese family, the Kuramotos.

The Kuramotos’ ownership of the boarding house, which housed migrant workers and was known as Sam’s Rooms, was terminated 66 years ago when the Kuramoto family was interned during World War II.

In honor of the Kuramoto family’s connection to Locke and the boarding house, the event’s emcee Scott Nakaji, a district superintendent with California State Parks, formally introduced members of the family who attended the event.

Among the event’s speakers was Sam Kuramoto, who was named after the boarding house, which his father named simply because he liked the name, Sam.

“I was born in 1928 and I lived here [at the boarding house] until World War II started,” Sam Kuramoto said. “My parents owned this building from 1921, is my understanding, until we were little kids in May of 1942. It is a great honor to have our [family’s] name and picture on the wall here inside the building.”

Sam Kuramoto also drew many smiles and laughter of approval from the audience when he said, “This place gives me a lot of memories. I remember next door was Jack Ross’ Flying A [gas] station and garage. Too bad, they should make that a state monument, too, but they’re gone.”

Speaking to the mostly standing audience, Wayne Donaldson, state historic preservation officer, expressed his views regarding the importance of the site.

“Today, the Locke Boarding House formerly takes its place within the context of some of the most important themes in California history—the Gold Rush, the reclamation of land, agricultural wealth and most importantly, immigrant peoples and their search for a better life,” Donaldson said.

Donaldson added that the preservation of the Locke Boarding House also represents advancements in the historic preservation movement to include the histories of people of all demographics.

The Chinese Connection
A major part of the history of Locke was made possible through Lee Bing, one of the individuals who gained permission from pear farmer George Locke to build the town of Locke after a devastating fire destroyed the Chinese section of the nearby Delta town of Walnut Grove.

While attending the event, Ping Lee, who will turn 91 years old on Oct. 22, commented to The Union regarding his connection to Locke, which was originally, yet briefly, known as Lockeport.

“I was born here [in Locke] and my father was one of four or five people who came up from Walnut Grove after the fire down there and came up to this orchard here and built the town here,” Ping Lee said. “Chinese couldn’t own land and they just rented the ground. That’s the way it was all through until Clarence [Chu] bought and sold it [in 2005]. That’s how long it was.”

Ping Lee added that he is pleased to see that the boarding house is being preserved for future generations to learn about Chinese culture.

The opening of the boarding house as a visitor and cultural center, which will include historic photographs, artifacts and stories of the town’s past, adds to the many improvements that have been made in Locke in recent years, including the replacement of building infrastructures, sewer system upgrades and the addition of fire suppression systems.

Another advancement in Locke history occurred in 2004, when the town’s residents were given the opportunity to purchase the land under the buildings in which they owned, 52 years following the repeal of the state law that prohibited Chinese from owning land.

Fifty-five-year Locke resident Connie King, 85, who is famous in her town for a variety of things, including her toilet bowl garden and her special recipe, home-baked Chinese almond cookies, said that she was delighted with the opportunity to purchase the property under her house.

“My husband [the late Tom King] told me to give up trying to purchase [the property],” Connie King said. “But I kept living here and when I finally got the deed four years ago, I held it up to heaven for him to see it.”

A Center for History
Following the event, District 5 County Supervisor Don Nottoli, who was among the event’s speakers, expressed his views about the new visitor and cultural center with The Union.

“The museum is a place where local residents, families and others can tell the story of Locke and its people,” Nottoli said. “It will be a good central point for visitors in particular, whether they are local folks or people who travel here from elsewhere in the state or even from abroad. I just think it really gives a good foundation for learning more about this community and helping to present its history.”

Operated by the Locke Foundation as a visitor and cultural center, the Locke Boarding House, which is located at 13913 River Road, is scheduled to be open to the public Tuesdays through Fridays, from noon to 4 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The foundation will also provide walking tours of Locke for students, general visitors and other groups.

Referring to the center, which remains a continuous work in progress, Donaldson said that he has cultural tourism visions that the Locke Boarding House will one day be connected with other California State Parks units such as the California State Railroad Museum, Angel Island and the Weaverville Joss House.