Hells Canyon 1887

Hells Canyon Massacre 1887

A tragic massacre occurred in Oregon along the Snake River in Hells Canyon in 1887. Hells Canyon is a natural death trap with sloping cliffs, dangerous canyons, and massive boulders. It seems ironic that a massacre happened in such a traitorous area. On May 25, 1887, a gang of seven horse thieves killed 31 Chinese Miners. The thieves killed the Chinese Miners and deposed of their bodies in the river. They also took their gold equating to around $4,000-$5,000. They slaughter of these Chinese miners was brutal and disturbing. They were shot, dismembered, decapitated, drowned, and thrown in the river.

An investigation took place, but attention to detail was few and happened days after the massacre. A trial was held, however, no one was held accountable for the murders. George Craig, a Wallowa County Rancher who attended the trial said, “I guess if they had killed 31 white men, something would have been done about it, but none of the jury knew the Chinamen or cared much about it, so they turned the men loose.”

This event brought media representation to the Chinese population in the American West. The media coverage of the event was seemingly biased. Some articles stated that they couldn’t prove that it was white men who killed the Chinese miners and perhaps it was Indians who killed them. It was said that this was possible a mystery that would never be solved. Regardless how the massacre was represented at the time, it still provided media coverage in the form of articles and a trail. The trial and articles helped expose the racial factors that contributed to the massacre, even just by reading an article today, one can feel the tone of insincerity towards the ones who lost their lives.

The massacre was an act of hatred and racial discrimination. The police and legal system did not do the massacre justice. They simply did not investigate the crime scene enough. The investigations took place on several different occasions because the first investigation that happened days after the massacre didn’t provide enough detail. The trial did not even convict anyone of murder. It wasn’t until an active investigation occurred did anyone even confess to committing the crimes. A complete list of the victim’s names was never truly known. It wasn’t until 2005 that the Oregon Board of Geographic Names began to truly research the victims in this massacre.