Day 154: Polly Bemis House, Riggins, Idaho
📌APIA Every Day (154) - The Polly Bemis House, located in Riggins, Idaho, served as the home of Charles and Polly Bemis during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Polly Bemis, a Chinese woman brought to the United States as an indentured servant, became a significant figure due to her resilience and compassion. Sold by her parents because of drought and famine, Polly arrived in Warren, Idaho, in 1872. She left her Chinese owner and later met Charlie Bemis, whom she nursed back to health after a severe injury.
Chinese miners began arriving in Idaho almost as early as white miners, and by 1870, they constituted about half of the state's population. However, during the 1890s, white suppression forced most Chinese immigrants to relocate to Chinatowns on the West Coast. As a result, Polly was the only Chinese woman in Warren at the time and managed Charlie's boarding house. The couple married in 1893, securing Polly's U.S. citizenship, and they established a homestead known as "Polly’s Place," which became a sanctuary for locals and travelers. The Bemis’ initially established their residence on a mining claim rather than a homestead, highlighting the unique nature of their settlement.
In 1922, the original Bemis home was gutted by a fire, likely caused by an overheated woodstove. Shortly after this incident, Charles Bemis, who had been suffering from a lung ailment, passed away. Polly Bemis, with the assistance of neighbors Peter Klinkhammer and Charlie Shepp, reconstructed a new house on the same site in 1923. She continued to live there until 1933, except for a brief stay in Warren, Idaho. Polly's later years saw her relocating to Grangeville, Idaho, where she died soon after. Currently part of a 26-acre non-profit ranch, the Polly Bemis House is a preserved historical site, while the nearby Klinkhammer and Shepp residence has been converted into the Shepp Ranch guest facility. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in March 1988.
LEARN MORE:
Idaho Gov: Polly Bemis House NRHP Form
The Great American West: Polly Bemis, The Chinese Immigrant Who Built a Legacy in Idaho
NY History (Women & the American Story): Life Story: Polly Bemis (1853–1933)
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