Polly Bemis
Encyclopedia
Polly Bemis (September 11, 1853—November 1933) was a famous Chinese American
pioneer woman who lived in Idaho
in the Pacific Northwest
in the late 19th and early 20th century. Her story became a biographical novel
, and was fictionalized in the 1991 film A Thousand Pieces of Gold
.
. As a child, she had bound feet and a group of bandits raided her village. Subsequently, she was forcefully sold by her father for two much needed bags of seed. Bemis was later smuggled into the United States and sold as a slave in San Francisco for $2,500 in 1872. Her buyer, Hong King, ran a saloon in a mining camp in Warrens
(now Warren, Idaho
), Idaho
.
Bemis worked for many years and by the mid 1880s was able to buy her freedom. She later ran a popular boarding house
in Warren. In 1894, she married Charlie Bemis, whom she had befriended when she first arrived in Warrens. Together, Charlie and Polly Bemis were among the first pioneers to help settle the Idaho Territory
, especially along the Salmon River
(The River of No Return). The couple had no children—Polly was 40 when they married—but they were known to care for a number of animals, including horses and a cougar. In 1922, a fire gutted their home on the Salmon River, possibly caused by an untended or overheated woodstove; Charlie died soon afterwards. He had been ill in the last several years, reportedly due to a lung ailment (probably tuberculosis
).
in 1933 at the age of 80.
Her final cabin is now a museum and in the National Register of Historic Places
. At the dedication ceremonies in 1987, Idaho Governor
Cecil Andrus stated, "The history of Polly Bemis is a great part of the legacy of central Idaho. She is the foremost pioneer on the rugged Salmon River."
Polly Bemis is the subject of an extensive and ongoing series of paintings by Chinese-American artist Hung Liu
.
; from a cultural standpoint, it is more likely that Polly was a concubine. Finally, close friends reported that as she neared death, Polly denied the long-standing public belief that she was "won in a poker
game."
According to a summary of author McCunn's research, "Charlie married Polly to prevent her from being deported as a result of the 1892 Geary Act
, which required legal Chinese residents to carry a certificate of admission, something Polly lacked. Despite Idaho's anti-miscegenation laws
, the Bemises were wed by a white judge who himself was married to an Indian."
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
pioneer woman who lived in Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
in the late 19th and early 20th century. Her story became a biographical novel
Biographical novel
The biographical novel is a genre of novel which provides a fictional and usually entertaining account of a person's life. This kind of novel concentrates on the experiences a person had during his lifetime, the people he met and the incidents which occurred are detailed and sometimes...
, and was fictionalized in the 1991 film A Thousand Pieces of Gold
A Thousand Pieces of Gold
Thousand Pieces of Gold is an English-language book written by Ruthanne Lum McCunn and based on the life of Polly Bemis, a 19th century Chinese immigrant woman in the American Old West...
.
Life
Polly Bemis was born in ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. As a child, she had bound feet and a group of bandits raided her village. Subsequently, she was forcefully sold by her father for two much needed bags of seed. Bemis was later smuggled into the United States and sold as a slave in San Francisco for $2,500 in 1872. Her buyer, Hong King, ran a saloon in a mining camp in Warrens
Warren, Idaho
Warren is an unincorporated town located in the north central region of the U.S. state of Idaho near the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.Warren is located within the Payette National Forest in southern Idaho County...
(now Warren, Idaho
Warren, Idaho
Warren is an unincorporated town located in the north central region of the U.S. state of Idaho near the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness.Warren is located within the Payette National Forest in southern Idaho County...
), Idaho
Idaho
Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....
.
Bemis worked for many years and by the mid 1880s was able to buy her freedom. She later ran a popular boarding house
Boarding house
A boarding house, is a house in which lodgers rent one or more rooms for one or more nights, and sometimes for extended periods of weeks, months and years. The common parts of the house are maintained, and some services, such as laundry and cleaning, may be supplied. They normally provide "bed...
in Warren. In 1894, she married Charlie Bemis, whom she had befriended when she first arrived in Warrens. Together, Charlie and Polly Bemis were among the first pioneers to help settle the Idaho Territory
Idaho Territory
The Territory of Idaho was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 4, 1863, until July 3, 1890, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Idaho.-1860s:...
, especially along the Salmon River
Salmon River (Idaho)
The Salmon River is located in Idaho in the northwestern United States. The Salmon is also known as The River of No Return. It flows for through central Idaho, draining and dropping more than between its headwaters, near Galena Summit above the Sawtooth Valley in the Sawtooth National...
(The River of No Return). The couple had no children—Polly was 40 when they married—but they were known to care for a number of animals, including horses and a cougar. In 1922, a fire gutted their home on the Salmon River, possibly caused by an untended or overheated woodstove; Charlie died soon afterwards. He had been ill in the last several years, reportedly due to a lung ailment (probably tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
).
Death and legacy
Friends helped Polly to rebuild a new home, and she lived another ten years, dying of a strokeStroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
in 1933 at the age of 80.
Her final cabin is now a museum and in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. At the dedication ceremonies in 1987, Idaho Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Cecil Andrus stated, "The history of Polly Bemis is a great part of the legacy of central Idaho. She is the foremost pioneer on the rugged Salmon River."
Polly Bemis is the subject of an extensive and ongoing series of paintings by Chinese-American artist Hung Liu
Hung Liu
Hung Liu in Changchun, China is a Chinese-American contemporary artist.Hung Liu was born in the People's Republic, China and emigrated to the United States in 1984. She attended Beijing Teachers College in 1975 and studied mural painting as a graduate student at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in...
.
Ongoing biographical debates
Current biographers continue to debate the details of Polly Bemis' life. For example, there is little evidence that she was ever actually known as "Lalu" or that "Hong King" was really her owner's name. Also, there is no evidence that Polly was actually a prostituteProstitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
; from a cultural standpoint, it is more likely that Polly was a concubine. Finally, close friends reported that as she neared death, Polly denied the long-standing public belief that she was "won in a poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
game."
According to a summary of author McCunn's research, "Charlie married Polly to prevent her from being deported as a result of the 1892 Geary Act
Geary Act
The Geary Act was a United States law passed in 1892 written by California Congressman Thomas J. Geary. It extended the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 by adding onerous new requirements....
, which required legal Chinese residents to carry a certificate of admission, something Polly lacked. Despite Idaho's anti-miscegenation laws
Anti-miscegenation laws
Anti-miscegenation laws, also known as miscegenation laws, were laws that enforced racial segregation at the level of marriage and intimate relationships by criminalizing interracial marriage and sometimes also sex between members of different races...
, the Bemises were wed by a white judge who himself was married to an Indian."
Books and films about her life
- Thousand Pieces of Gold is a biographical novel about Lalu Nathoy/Polly Bemis and includes an essay in which the author, Ruthanne Lum McCunnRuthanne Lum McCunnRuthanne Lum McCunn is an American novelist and editor of Chinese and Scottish descent.-Life:She was raised in Hong Kong.She graduated from University of Texas, in 1968....
, documents her research for the book and her discoveries in the years since Polly's death. - Polly Bemis' life was fictionalized in the 1991 film A Thousand Pieces of GoldA Thousand Pieces of GoldThousand Pieces of Gold is an English-language book written by Ruthanne Lum McCunn and based on the life of Polly Bemis, a 19th century Chinese immigrant woman in the American Old West...
, starring Rosalind ChaoRosalind ChaoRosalind Chao is a Chinese American actress. Chao's most prolific roles have been as a star of CBS' AfterMASH portraying South Korean refugee Soon-Lee Klinger for both seasons, and the recurring character Keiko O'Brien with 27 appearances on the syndicated science fiction series Star Trek: The...
(as Polly) and Chris CooperChris Cooper (actor)Christopher W. "Chris" Cooper is an American film actor. He became well known in the late 1990s. He has appeared in supporting performances in several major Hollywood films, including The Bourne Identity, American Beauty, Capote, The Town, The Kingdom, Syriana, October Sky, Seabiscuit, and...
(as Charlie). - Polly Bemis: A Chinese American Pioneer, written by Priscilla Wegars and published in 2003, is a noted elementary classroom history book.
- The Poker Bride: The First Chinese in the Wild West, by Christopher Corbett (2010)