Chinatown, Fresno

The U.S. city of Fresno, California is home to a historic Chinatown, founded in 1872 before the city of Fresno was established in 1885. Excavations have discovered several underground tunnels that connected the buildings in the Chinatown.HistoryFresno's Chinatown began in 1872 when the Central Pacific Railroad line reached Fresno station. Rehar talks further about other Chinese residents moving into area called "China Alley" which existed between F and G Streets where "... opium dens and gambling parlors were prevalent." For a long time, the tunnels underneath Chinatown were well known by city officials that connected basements of several buildings. However, the area surrounding the Chinatown was a larger "slum" with known criminal activity. In general, the author further states that the Chinatown was generally considered "filthy" with houses "... lining a single dilapidated street."