It is impossible to overstate the importance of this capture.

Historic evidence of Chinese labor on American rail is undoubtedly rare despite the widespread circumstance. Online research holdings number only in the dozens and none, including images showing in the Digital Public Library America (DPLA) and Library of Congress can hold a candle to the forthright inclusion of Chinese faces in portrait as we see here.

It is only through the highly unique circumstance of an independent frontier rail line, constantly in management flux, that a scene like this could ever be documented.

Henry Villard, a Bavarian born American speculator, saw an opportunity in the Transcontinental Railroad to free Portland from its dependence on San Francisco as a connecting commercial port. Villard and a group of German investors played keep away with access to Portlands valuable market with a series of company acquisitions and mergers between the Panics of 1873 and 93.

Identified in a later hand (by family) reverse as Coyote Station, a telegraph office and water pumping station, along the Oregon Railroad & Navigation Company line. Coyote, Oregon is a stop showing on period rail maps, but there is no documentation of the stations purpose on the short lived line.

According to the same hand, this photograph was taken on July 4th, 1899. That date certainly would have made a fine dedication day, so perhaps this image is that discovery. The line finally transferred to Union Pacific later in July of 1899, so it is possible that this station never saw real use.

Strong composition. Two Caucasian men pose proudly while the workers (in a mix of Western and traditional dress) appear ill at ease. There is a definite power dynamic at play here. Three men entirely turn away but two others stare straight into the camera. The young man at left seems to assert himself in the place of all 20,000 marginalized faces.

The two men in suits are identified as Joe Wilson & brother, separate owners of short narrow gauge tracks that reference Arlington, The Dalles & Umatilla Oregon. If not a nascent line, it is unlikely that two small owners would have taken a pride photograph like this. They are clearly eager to display all that they command, and in this case that includes the immigrant laborers.

Top notch Western Americana, Labor & Social History worthy of any archive. It will be years, if even then, that a comparable example will enter the market.