The Traveling Archivist: Eastern Oregon

Running from the aftermath of a local murder and attempting to escape the pain of betrayal and loss, professional archivist Della Waters takes a temporary job as a traveling archivist in a small town in Eastern Oregon. 

An outsider in this close-knit rural community, Della immerses herself in the archives where she discovers misfiled trial documents detailing a racist massacre of thirty-four Chinese gold miners more than one hundred years ago. Her research uncovers uncomfortable truths for the local pioneer families. 

Will the pillars of the community embrace their hidden past or try to destroy it and her?

“This clever and inspiring debut is set against the backdrop of the small-town West, where the ghosts of settler colonialism cast long shadows. Della Waters is tenacious and full of heart--an unexpected hero who reminds us how the past speaks to the present through stories and how the truth will always find a way.”
—Megan Kruse, author of Call Me Home

Massacre at Hells Canyon. Oregon Experience, OPB, 2017

Massacred for Gold: The Chinese in Hells Canyon. by Nokes, R. Gregory. Oregon State University Press, 2009.

Chinese Massacre at Deep Creek. Greg Nokes. Oregon Encyclopedia. 2022

Nuisances-Petition from Chinese Residents. Council Documents, City of Portland Archives, 1859. 

Administration - Chinese Theatre Petition. Council Documents, City of Portland 

Archives, 1882.

Administration - Scandinavians Objection to Refusal to Allow Certain Groups to Perform Street Cleaning. Council Records, City of Portland Archives, 1893.

More records available online at the City of Portland Archives