By Sasha Khokha
California’s proposed high-speed rail system is still wrapped in lawsuits and controversy. But this week, the project broke ground in downtown Fresno. Sort of.
Construction equipment began digging trenches — not for future bullet-train tracks, but for archaeologists who are trying to make sure the project won’t damage historically sensitive sites in Fresno’s Chinatown.
The neighborhood was a thriving residential and commercial district in the late 1800s. It was actually home to a rich mix of Fresno’s immigrant population, including
Chinese, Japanese, Armenians, Mexican-Americans, Portuguese, Basques, Italians, Greeks, African-Americans and Germans from Russia’s Volga River.
“We are here to make sure we don’t bulldoze through any of the history,” said Benjamin Camarena, an engineer with the High-Speed Rail Authority. The site may not be a construction zone, but Camarena says he’s excited to finally be wearing a hard hat and a bright orange vest on the rail project. “It’s really happening, we’re starting. And pretty soon, you’re going to see a whole lot of construction going on,” Camarena said.
The first site excavated this week was a parking lot behind an adult video store. Archaeologist Stacey Schneyder, an expert in historic Chinatowns, used a giant sifter to sort through dirt, discovering a set of stairs from a turn-of-the-century house. She also found items like old glass bottles and a tiny porcelain doll.