A Wyoming shed was a 140-year-old Chinese laundry; it will become a museum exhibit after restoration

The building has moved to Pioneer Village for restoration and display. (Pictures: Cowboy state daily) A weathered cabin that spent decades being used as a storage shed behind a building on Main Street in Lander, Wyoming, has been identified as a late 19th-century Chinese laundry and bathhouse. The building belonged to Sam Sing, one of Lander’s early and influential residents.The small log cabin was donated to the Fremont County Pioneer Museum about eight years ago by property owner Tony McRae. The donation began a long effort to raise money, move the structure and preserve it. The building has now been moved to the museum’s Pioneer Village, where it will be restored and turned into an exhibit.Sing was among about 30 Chinese residents living in the town, which had a population of around 1,000 at the time. Historical records describe the Chinese residents as important contributors to the growing community, although they also faced restrictions, discrimination and hostility.Museum Director Randy Wise said Sing played a role in improving Lander. One example was his support for concrete sidewalks at a time when many Western towns relied on wooden boardwalks. According to Wise, “Sing sai...