Kosse Historical Marker Honors Chinese Laborers

Near the railroad crossing on Hwy. 7 in Kosse, a historical marker has been placed to honor the Chinese laborers who laid the tracks more than 150 years ago.
Several Kosse locals, two state representatives and an assortment of history aficionados gathered on Friday, June 7, to celebrate the dedication and unveiling of the historical marker.
Evan Thompson, Executive Director of Preservation Texas, shared details about how Chinese laborers ended up in Texas after their work on the transcontinental railroad.
“This was a pioneering effort in the South to make use of Chinese labor to build the railroads, and this is the first known instance where Chinese laborers had been brought to Texas to do any kind of work at all’” Thompson said. “It’s important for us to recognize this because this town only exists because of the railroad, and once this railroad was built, immigrants from all over the globe were able to come to this region and settle.”
Kosse Mayor Brooks Valls also said a few words about honoring the memory and acknowledging the sacrifices that Chinese laborers made.
“It’s a privilege to shed light on this important part of our shared history, ensuring that their stories are told and remembered for generations to come. Let us reflect on the past with respect and gratitude, and commit ourselves to a future where the contributions of all individuals are recognized and celebrated.”
Congressman Pete Sessions and State Representative Angelia Orr also made a few remarks, emphasizing the power and strength of the Lone Star State and the importance of preserving its history.

The marker reads:
By 1861, the Houston & Texas Central Railway (H&TC) extended from Houston to Milican, a distance of 81 miles but construction was halted during the Civil War. After the war, extension of this important transportation and commerce corridor continued.
On behalf of the railroad, General John G. Waker arranged with San Francisco-based labor contractor Chew-Ah-Heung late in 1869 to employ several hundred Chinese laborers to expedite construction of the H&TC. These experienced workers, most from southern China's Guangdong province, had just completed the Central Pacific Railroad. The group traveled this first transcontinental rail line from Sacramento to St. Louis in December 1869, then rode the steamboat Mississippi through New Orleans to Galveston. Finally, they were taken on the H&TC Railroad to its then-terminus at Calvert. The workers began clearing and grading the right-of-way from Bremond to Steele's Creek (near present-day Groesbeck), working at least as far as Thornton. Kosse was near the midway point of this 20-mile section. The 1870 U.S. census enumerated ten Chinese laborers boarding together in Limestone County, all men ages 19 to 36. Newspaper accounts reported celebrations of the Chinese New Year in January in Bremond.
Historians have noted the significance of this importation of Chinese labor as perhaps the earliest example in both Texas and the South. Some promoters intended it as an experiment to test post-Civil War political and economic ideas about contracting with Chinese laborers to displace African American labor. The initial group stayed only a few months, though some individuals moved to the area permanently after the rail work was done. Their initial experiences and imprint on the land laid the foundation for later generations of Asian Americans in Texas.