Brief History:
Locke was founded in 1915 after a fire broke out in the Chinese section of nearby Walnut Grove. The Chinese who lived in that area decided that it was time to establish a town of their own. A committee of Chinese merchants, led by Lee Bing, Chan Hing Sai, Tom Wai, Chan Dai Kee, Ng So Hat, Chan Wai Lum, Chow Hou Bun, and Suen Dat Suin was formed. They approached land owner George Locke and inquired if they could build on his land. An agreement was reached. The town was laid out by Chinese architects and industrious building ensued. The founding of Lockeport, later 'Locke', was a reality. By 1920 Locke stood essentially as you see it now.
Levee construction originally brought the Chinese to this area, but by the time Locke was built most of the work was in farm labor. Locke had many businesses that catered to the farm workers and residents of this region. In the 1940's restaurants, bakeries, herb shops, fish markets, gambling halls, boarding houses, brothels, grocery stores, a school, clothing stores, and the Star Theatre lined the bustling streets of Locke. At its peak 600 residents, and as many as 1500 people occupied the town of Locke.
On August 2, 1970, Locke was added to the registry of national historical places, by the Sacramento County Historical Society, because of its unique status as the only town in the United States built exclusively by the Chinese for the Chinese.
Locke is no tourist trap, nor is it a ghost town. Its unusual, out-of-the-way charm is genuine. Perhaps it is this authenticity, without any hypocritical overtones, which brings so many out of town visitors to its doors.
Currently, there are between 70 to 80 people live in Locke. Chinese population is down
to about ten.
Current and
Upcoming Events in Locke:
Mahjong
Lesson: Sunday, February 5, at the Chinese Association
Museum, 13947 Main Street, Locke , from 1PM to 4 PM.
Call 916.776.1661 to sign up. LESSON FLYER
Board of Directors Meeting
Locke Management Association - Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 6:30 p.m.
Locke Foundation - Monday, January 23, 2012 at 6:30 p.m.
All meetings will be held at the
Locke Boarding House.
Bitter Melon One Day One Dollar Bittersweet Roots
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Year of the Dragon 2012
The
DRAGON symbolizes life, growth, and brings blessings of longevity,
virtue and harmony. Dragon people are born extroverts, their opinions and
ideas are worth listening to since their advice is usually the best.
Elegant and with a good eye for spotting the latest trends, Dragon people
are always to the forefront of the fashion scene. Blessed with rich
imagination, the Dragon always comes up with exotic ideas for new
ventures. a Dragon should choose a career as artist, doctor, or architect.
This page last updated: 01/06/12