Hotel De China, Chinese workers' hut on the C.P.R.R., circa 1868
- Card type
- Real photo
About this postcard
The photograph shows a small log hut with a plank roof and a single open doorway, set at the foot of a steep, rocky, brush-covered hillside. A small barred window sits to the right of the door, and scattered logs and debris lie on the bare ground in front. The printed caption calls it "Hotel De China" and identifies it as one of the huts used to house Chinese workers on the C.P.R.R., the Central Pacific Railroad. The grand name is ironic for a rough bunkhouse. Chinese laborers formed a large part of the Central Pacific workforce in the 1860s, living in camps and huts along the line as it pushed through the Sierra Nevada. The photograph is credited to T.C. Roche.
Postcard Details
No address detected
Postcard record
| Publisher | Lightfoot Collection |
|---|---|
| Series | No. 28 49633-C |
| Condition | Good |
| Place mentioned | Hotel De China |
| Publisher | Huntington Sta., NY |
| Stamp | none printed stamp box inscription (PLACE STAMP HERE), imperforate |
| Stamp | none printed stamp box inscription (PLACE STAMP HERE) in dotted-border indicator box with small '69' at lower right, imperforate |
| Notes | Black-and-white photographic image with slightly soft, faded tones; no printed text, border, or publisher mark visible on the front. No postmark. Divided-back card with printed caption and publisher imprint; pencil dealer mark "RMLT 2-" at top and a small "69" by the stamp box; no message or address written. Lightfoot Collection reprint of a T.C. Roche photograph. |
Cite this card
Hotel De China, Chinese workers' hut on the C.P.R.R., circa 1868, postcard, c. 1907. PostalPast Collection. https://postalpast.com/postcard/hotel-de-china-chinese-workers-hut-on-the-c-p-r-r-circa-1868. Accessed November 2, 2026.