CLAVERIE-MEYSAN RUIN
(AKA The Old China Store - Chinese Ruin - Meyssan Ruin.)
1856 - TODAY
© Columbia State Historic Park.
The Claverie/Sun Eun Sing Store/Chinese Store Ruin - c1936
(Main Street. North east of Jackson Street)
1854 The partnership of Louis Claverie (c44 years old), Charles Meysan and Victor Pinchard (24 years old), all French, operate a grocery, hardware and liquor business in a wood frame building on this lot.
1855 November - Louis Claverie buys the property from Adop Hains.
1856 July 3 - Claverie has built a brick building which he mortgaged for $2000. (Barbara Eastman Papers) However the sign in front of the ruin says that the building was built after the 1857 fire and there is another record that states by 1857 a wood structure [on this lot] burns in the August fire, and the partnership rebuilds of brick. The buisness is known as the L. Claverey & Co. Store.
1859 May - Victor Pinchard and Charles Meysan are partners.
1861 The partnership dissolves, Meysan takes the building and continues the business.
1866 Claverie sells to Meysan for $300.
1869 Meysan sells the building for $375, including a lot 12 feet by 50 feet next north, to Sun Yu Wo who continues the store. (Sun Yo Wo, Sun Yee Wo or San Te Wo purchased brick store from Charles Meysan on east side of Main next north to Maria Doutremont. Became the best known of the Chinese Stores.) (E1:12:1)
1872 March 20 - San Yee Wo sells the building to San Ling Sing for $265 including the aforementioned lot.(Barbara Eastman Papers) Sign in front says it was sold to Sun Lun Sing and became known as the "Old China Store."
1870s The sign in front of the ruin states, "This formerly French section of town became prominantly Chinese area. By the mid-1870s a Joss House and a Chinese theater adjoined the Claverie Building." (See Chinese pages)
1898 Deeds refer to the old Claverie-Meysan and Juan Cuesta lots as Chinatown on east side of Main north of Jackson. (E1:12:3)
1907 December 28 - The deed still shows San Yo Wo owner of Lot 6. Block 12 next south, which is the Claverie-Meysan building lot.
(The name of the building is visable in 1930s images and states; "Sun Eun Sing Co.")
