grave site of 5 chinese workers
Grave site of 5 Chinese Rail Road Construction Workers, 1881.
Location of this large grave is 1 mile east of Penwell along and south of the rail road right-a-way. Grave marker indicates 5 Chinese Rail Road Construction workers died while constructing the rail way, probably in 1881. All workers lie end to end with the head marker on the East part of the grave site.

Easterly view; photos taken September 2, 1998.

Head Marker of the grave
Marker reads:

"five
chinamen died
while building
railroad
comon grave".

Marker located to east end of the long rock covered grave. Inscription is welded bead on a steel plate welded to a steel CROSS. It's a possibility the original wooden marker was replaced with this metal cross many years ago.

Site has been maintained since 1881 by Texas & Pacific Rail road. Base of pea sized gravel covered with neat row of hard cliche rock that has been painted white many times! One more Heritage site has been preserved for the following generations to know & enjoy.

Read contents of Historical Marker set in 1967 on Caprock Road Side Park located on IH 20 short distance East of Penwell.

Thanks to Marcy Rhodes we have some new Rail Road Construction Information of Ector County. Photograph has been set to a higher constrast to aid reading the information.

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updated: 9/04/98