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Oro Grande: General Area of the Chinese Camp
On February 12, 1879, five Chinese miners were murdered at the
Oro Grande (sometimes spelled Orogrande) mining camp in central Idaho. Local officials claimed
that the Sheepeater Indians, who had lived in the region for
many years, were to blame.
The Sheepeaters denied they were responsible for the killings,
and no evidence was ever found to connect them to the deaths.
Many years later some white miners claimed that other whites had killed the Chinese for the
small amount of gold they had in their camp.
Nonetheless, at the time the military took advantage of the accusations and
initiated what became known as the
Sheepeater Indian War. The army
pursued the Sheepeater people throughout central Idaho for many
months, and in October, 1879, the remaining 60 members of the
tribe surrendered. They lived out their lives on the Fort Hall
Reservation in southeast Idaho.
No one was every charged with the murders of the Chinese miners.
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About this site: The site of the Oro
Grande mining camp is located in a remote valley in the Challis
National Forest. The general area where the camp existed is
marked by a U. S. Forest Service sign.
GPS:
44° 34' 48.02" N, 114° 50' 14.50" W |
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