The search for the lost graves of the Chinese miners in Hailey, Idaho, USA

Thousands of Chinese immigrants traveled to Idaho, USA during the gold mining boom in the latter half of the 19th century. In the former mining town of Hailey, a separate section of the cemetery was established to accommodate Chinese laborers. In the 1930´s, a fire destroyed the wooden grave markers in the Chinese section of the cemetery. As part of an effort to establish a memorial recognizing the contributions of these workers, a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey was commissioned in 2009 to identify the graves so that permanent markers could be placed. Interpretation of the pseudo-3D GPR survey identified 120 unmarked graves in the Chinese section of the cemetery. Efforts are currently underway to place markers on these gravesites and to raise funds for a permanent memorial to the Chinese laborers.