I am a third-generation native of Visalia, dating back to the mid-1800's. My dad was born in 1909 and lived his entire life in this community; he was a man with an insatiable curiosity for all things historical. I can recall as a child he spoke of what he referred to as underground 'opium dens' in the area known as Chinatown. Thinking back, I imagine my father, who never journeyed on the road most taken, probably saw the dens. He passed in 1963.
Nope they are all made up. Not necessarily on purpose but through rumors and not knowing any better as many that saw those tunnels didn't know what they were looking at they probably broke in illegally as kids and their imaginations ran wild. They already went in with preconceive ideas and anything remotely even backs up those notions they will take as fact. Mostly due to ignorance and stories and lore spread about Asians and Chinese as criminals and lawbreakers and can't be trusted and up to no good with no evidence to back it up. No pictures not even of any Chinese smoking any opium there just because they heard stories about opium dens in San Francisco and other cities they figure the same thing was going on there.
Back in the old days the Chinese prospered significantly in visalia, expecially downdown. The more prominent visalians didn't like that. So a city ordnance was invented that would keep the Chinese people in check. They were not allowed to conduct business during the day, use the sidewalks and street. 😳 crazy right? Industrious as they were, the Chinese started building tunnels that connected all their business's underground and they conducted business as normal. A lot of the tunnels have collapsed over the years and a lot of them were closed off. There was still access to a lot of them in the 80s. How do i know this? A Chinese lady who lived in the area and was 100 years old around 2005 told me about it.
I grew up in Visalia and in the early 90's myself and a few friends walked the Mill creek passage under downtown Visalia. Also, up on Rocky Hill we went into a cave that opened up into a tunnel that went through to the other side of the hill. It was bizarre at the time because the spot we entered we could barely squeeze through it and then it opened up and was secured with giant wood poles and the ceiling was arched. Thinking back on it I am thankful that this didn't collapse as nobody knew we had went into that cave tunnel.
Does Fox Theater still have the search light(s)? I remember 50 years ago on Friday/Saturday night you could see them as far away as Exeter (maybe even further).
This "historian" has to do more research. Why would anybody put a open water canal directly under the wood floors of a building? That tunnel had to be dugout after the buildings where put there. And they wouldn't build over an open trench either. It would be filled. I worked at the Lums bar and restaurant years ago. I've been down in that basement room and there is an adjacent tunnel that is blocked off do to a partial collapse in that tunnel. That tunnel went somewhere. A real historian goes out and finds history not just reads books and documents and assumes history.
I live in Visalia and the tunnels do exist , 40 years ago I was shown three different entrances to them two of which have since been destroyed by construction. ,when the road collapsed on main and bridge street from all the bus traffic when they built the new bus terminal they pulled all kinds of debris from the collapsed tunnel crossover ,when I saw them years ago all they had done to fill the crossover,s was fill them with old scraps of lumber and broken brick.
I remember working for the Depot restaurant back in the late 80s and they the city fumigated a tunnel and we were inundated with roaches at the restaurant
Well Surely! I see you know how to come put with no flaws at All rights. Now drive up and work with everyone who lives here yo do it our ways and youll grow the government ibto sonething easier and more fruitful than a kiwi!
I am a third-generation native of Visalia, dating back to the mid-1800's. My dad was born in 1909 and lived his entire life in this community; he was a man with an insatiable curiosity for all things historical. I can recall as a child he spoke of what he referred to as underground 'opium dens' in the area known as Chinatown. Thinking back, I imagine my father, who never journeyed on the road most taken, probably saw the dens. He passed in 1963.
Yes I'm 4th Generation my uncle use to tell me the opium dens and the tunnels they use to go into them.😊
Nope they are all made up. Not necessarily on purpose but through rumors and not knowing any better as many that saw those tunnels didn't know what they were looking at they probably broke in illegally as kids and their imaginations ran wild. They already went in with preconceive ideas and anything remotely even backs up those notions they will take as fact. Mostly due to ignorance and stories and lore spread about Asians and Chinese as criminals and lawbreakers and can't be trusted and up to no good with no evidence to back it up. No pictures not even of any Chinese smoking any opium there just because they heard stories about opium dens in San Francisco and other cities they figure the same thing was going on there.
Back in the old days the Chinese prospered significantly in visalia, expecially downdown. The more prominent visalians didn't like that. So a city ordnance was invented that would keep the Chinese people in check. They were not allowed to conduct business during the day, use the sidewalks and street. 😳 crazy right? Industrious as they were, the Chinese started building tunnels that connected all their business's underground and they conducted business as normal. A lot of the tunnels have collapsed over the years and a lot of them were closed off. There was still access to a lot of them in the 80s. How do i know this? A Chinese lady who lived in the area and was 100 years old around 2005 told me about it.
I grew up in Visalia and in the early 90's myself and a few friends walked the Mill creek passage under downtown Visalia. Also, up on Rocky Hill we went into a cave that opened up into a tunnel that went through to the other side of the hill. It was bizarre at the time because the spot we entered we could barely squeeze through it and then it opened up and was secured with giant wood poles and the ceiling was arched. Thinking back on it I am thankful that this didn't collapse as nobody knew we had went into that cave tunnel.
Does Fox Theater still have the search light(s)? I remember 50 years ago on Friday/Saturday night you could see them as far away as Exeter (maybe even further).
This "historian" has to do more research. Why would anybody put a open water canal directly under the wood floors of a building? That tunnel had to be dugout after the buildings where put there. And they wouldn't build over an open trench either. It would be filled. I worked at the Lums bar and restaurant years ago. I've been down in that basement room and there is an adjacent tunnel that is blocked off do to a partial collapse in that tunnel. That tunnel went somewhere. A real historian goes out and finds history not just reads books and documents and assumes history.
i work at Double L rn and went in there the other day. seen the tunnels lol i wanted to go in them but yes its still blocked off
I live here in town I want to see!
It’s real! There’s one right smack dab in the consession booth of the LJ Williams Theater at Redwod Highschool
I live in Visalia and the tunnels do exist , 40 years ago I was shown three different entrances to them two of which have since been destroyed by construction. ,when the road collapsed on main and bridge street from all the bus traffic when they built the new bus terminal they pulled all kinds of debris from the collapsed tunnel crossover ,when I saw them years ago all they had done to fill the crossover,s was fill them with old scraps of lumber and broken brick.
I remember working for the Depot restaurant back in the late 80s and they the city fumigated a tunnel and we were inundated with roaches at the restaurant
Visalia has a dark past.
Yes we have them & so does Hanford Ca!
The canopy walking into the double L, was built by my father
i think i may go check out the sublevel of one of the biulding i work in downtowne. see whats up
Are there still hmong people live on Visalia?
that was our go to...steak house and chinese restaurantlum lums
we are powerful
OK 👍
“Historian”?
Joe Biden's America
#tungsten
Well Surely! I see you know how to come put with no flaws at All rights. Now drive up and work with everyone who lives here yo do it our ways and youll grow the government ibto sonething easier and more fruitful than a kiwi!
Liz is still a hottie ❤
Porterville has the same thing under main Street they were made for a bomb shelters during world war II