April 5 Events: Hop Lee – Chinese Heritage in Keizer – Hop Farmer
April 5 – Friday at 3:00 pm Memorial Ceremony @ Claggett Cemetery
April 5 – Friday at 6:00 pm Book Signing and Presentation @ Keizer Cultural Center
“A Willow Tree Becomes a Forest”
The Story of Hop Lee
As the 100th anniversary approaches of the death of Hop Lee, a successful businessman in early Salem history. The Keizer Heritage Museum, in partnership with the Willamette Heritage Center, is pleased to host upcoming presentations by the grandson of Hop Lee, a prominent businessman and hop farmer in Salem and Keizer. He owned three properties in the Mission Bottom area. Hop Lee died in 1925 and is buried at Claggett Cemetery that bordered his land. His grandson, Russell Low, recently published a book sharing the history of the well-respected Salem resident. After his death his wife and youngest daughter lived on the farm and the daughter, Connie, attended Clear Lake school in 1938. They sold the property in the mid 1940s and moved to California where Mrs. “Hop Lee” was born. It is through her American citizenship that they were able to purchase property.
We want to honor this unique heritage and other Chinese families that lived in the Keizer area. Another notable lineage is the Sun family who leased the McNary-Stoltz farm and had children attending Keizer School in the 1920s-30s. Ann Lossner, Keizer historian, wrote about these families back in the 1980s – the stories are recorded in her books.
The fascinating life has been beautifully told and documented by Dr. Low in his book that he will bring to life at the public events. The historical images tell the family story as well as our expounded local history.
Hop Lee’s largest farm — Fook Chong Ranch— Fir Grove Farm
Keizer (Salem), Oregon was purchased on March 5, 1914 as certified on the Warranty Deed.
Directions:
Claggett Cemetery, 389 Bolf Terrace N, Keizer, OR 97303
Keizer Cultural Center, 980 Chemawa Rd NE, Keizer
More details / Free to Attend All Events:
https://www.facebook.com/KeizerHistory
Contact:
Tammy Wild, Keizer Heritage Museum – tammy.wild@keizerheritage.org
Event Facebook Invite Links:
Claggett Cemetery: https://fb.me/e/1Hg3kKYZC
Book Signing & Presentation: https://fb.me/e/4hcr14otB
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Author, Russell Low Presentations:
Wednesday, April 3 – Oregon Chinese Diaspora Project in Ashland, Oregon –
https://oregon-chinese-diaspora-project-sou.hub.arcgis.com
SALEM and Keizer, OR – Community organizations from around the Salem-Keizer area are hosting a number of events during this year’s Qingming Festival that will help remember the area’s early Chinese American community.
- See Press Release from WHC for more details for Salem April 4 & 6 events:
- 20240219 Community QingMing Celebrations.docx
- https://www.willametteheritage.org/calendar/book-signing-russell-low
Keizer Historian, Ann Lossner documented early Salem QingMing celebrations and local Chinese families including Hop Lee.
https://www.cityofsalem.net/community/things-to-do/history/annual-chinese-qingming-festival
