| Polly Bemis | |
|---|---|
Polly Bemis in 1894 |
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| Born | 11 September 1853 Northern China |
| Died | 6 November 1933 (aged 80) Idaho |
| Cause of death | Stroke |
| Resting place | Idaho |
| Nationality | United States |
| Occupation | Rancher |
| Spouse | Charlie Bemis |
Polly Bemis (possibly born Lalu Nathoy) (September 11, 1853 –November 6, 1933) was a Chinese American pioneer who lived in Idaho 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.
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Polly Bemis was born in northern China. As a child, she had bound feet. Later, her family fled group of bandits raided her village. Subsequently, she was sold by her father for two much needed bags of seed.[1][2] Bemis was then smuggled into the United States in 1872 and sold as a slave in San Francisco for $2,500.[1] It was common for Chinese men of that time to have multiple wives and concubines, all having some social status and living under the same roof. Those who moved to North America often left wife and children in China and took a concubine upon arrival in the New World.[2][3] An intermediary took her from San Francisco via Portland, Oregon, to Idaho, where her buyer, a wealthy Chinese man, possibly named Hong King, ran a saloon in a mining camp in Warrens, Idaho Territory, now Warren, Idaho. She arrived in Warrens on July 8, 1872.[4] Polly was 53 inches (130 cm) tall.
How Bemis gained her freedom from her Chinese owner is uncertain. According to academic Priscilla Wegars, her Chinese owner helped her gain her freedom.[4] In mid-1880, the census listed her as living with but not married to saloon owner and fiddler Charles Bemis (1848-October 29, 1922),[3] who befriended her when she first arrived in Warrens. Charles was often referred to as "Charlie" or "C.A". Polly had even worked for him.[4] She later ran a popular boarding house in Warren. Charles was almost killed during a gambling dispute in September 1890 and Polly nursed him back to health.[1] On August 13, 1894, she married Bemis and the couple moved from Warren to a site 17 miles north by trail at a spot that came to be called both Bemis Point and Polly Place. Charles Shepp reported that this was a marriage of convenience as Polly needed to establish legal residency in the USA and Charlie Bemis needed someone to take care of him. Polly's struggle for legal permanent residency went to the courts in Moscow, Idaho and her residency was finally granted on August 10, 1896 in Helena, Montana.[5] Together, Charlie and Polly Bemis were among the first pioneers to settle along the Salmon River (The River of No Return), only several yards from the riverside,[1][4] where they had a mining claim, rather than a homestead.[3] Even today this house is not accessible by road. Boats are a common means of access.[1] Although the couple had no children—Polly was 40 when they married, she was noted for her concern for children. They also were known to garden and care for a number of animals, including horses and a cougar. Polly was also noted for her nursing skills, fishing, friendliness, and sense of humor.[1][4]
Polly saved Charle's life twice.[1] In 1922, a fire gutted their home on the Salmon River, possibly caused by an untended or overheated woodstove. The Bemis moved across the Salmon River to live with Klinkhammer and Shepp. Charlie died soon afterwards. He had been ill in the last several years, reportedly due to a lung ailment (probably tuberculosis). Mining partners Peter Klinkhammer and Charlie Shepp, both German, helped Polly to rebuild a new home in the same spot as the one that burned down. Soon thereafter she moved to Warren. While on a trip to Boise, Idaho, she stayed at the Idanha hotel and saw her first movie, rode her first streetcar, and had her first elevator ride.[6] Polly gave the photo of herself in her wedding dress to a young schoolgirl who stayed with her during the academic year during this time.[4] In 1924 she moved back to the cabin. She made an agreement with Klinkhammer and Shepp that if they looked after her in her old age, she would will them her property. On August 4, 1933, Shepp came to visit her and found her lying on the ground. On August 6 she was taken to Grangeville, Idaho, where she stayed in the Idaho Valley Hospital for three months. On November 5 a lengthy newspaper article was published about her. She died on November 6 of a stroke at the age of 80. Two days later she was buried in Grangeville. Klinkhammer and Shepp were both unable to attend. Klinkhammer's sister bought a marker for her grave in 1970.[7][8]
In 1987 the cabin was restored, her body was reburied by the cabin. The cabin, known as Polly Bemis House, became a museum and placed on the the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.[9][10][11] 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."[1] Bemis was inducted into the Idaho Hall of Fame in 1996.[3] Polly Bemis is the subject of an extensive and ongoing series of paintings by Chinese-American artist Hung Liu.[12] The University of Idaho calls her "Idaho's most famous Chinese woman" and taught an anthropology course called "The World of Polly Bemis".[13][14]
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 prostitute; from a cultural standpoint, it is more likely that Polly was a concubine. One National Park Service site claims she was an indentured dance hostess.[15] Finally, close friends reported that as she neared death, Polly denied the long-standing public belief that she was "won in a poker game."[3]
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."[16]