Kami Horton

Massacre at Hells Canyon

In 1887, a gang of horse thieves gunned down as many as 34 Chinese gold miners on the Oregon side of the Snake River near Hells Canyon. Some have called it the country’s worst massacre of Chinese by whites. Though the killers were known, and at least one confessed, no one was ever convicted. In 1995, a Wallowa County clerk discovered hidden trial documents, uncovering the nearly forgotten incident. Why was the story buried? What happened to the killers? Who were the victims?

Massacre at Hells Canyon

In 1887, a gang of horse thieves gunned down as many as 34 Chinese gold miners on the Oregon side of the Snake River near Hells Canyon. Some have called it the country’s worst massacre of Chinese by whites. Though the killers were known, and at least one confessed, no one was ever convicted. In 1995, a Wallowa County clerk discovered hidden trial documents, uncovering the nearly forgotten incident. Why was the story buried? What happened to the killers? Who were the victims?