History
A Daring Rescue
Story & Photos provided by Terry Ommen
Donaldina Cameron as she appeared in about 1920.
This is the Tulare County Jail as it appeared in about 1895 on the northeast corner of Church and Oak streets. (Current site of Jack & Charlie's restaurant)
y almost all measures, Donaldina Cameron was an unlikely
B
Everyone seemed to know that these illegal and demoralizing
fighter. She was tall, slender, and extremely shy. She was deeply
conditions existed, but few, including public officials, were willing to
religious and had the “gracious manners of a society belle.” But to
act, which added to the importance of the work of the mission and
those who crossed her, she was anything but timid. She could be as
Cameron. These women were desperately in need of someone willing
tough as nails when necessary, and her enemies knew it. They called
to advocate for them—to free them from indignity and captivity.
her the “white devil.” But to those in need, her compassion had no
Much of Cameron’s rescue work was done in San Francisco’s
limit. To them she was their “Little Mother.” Her home base was San
Chinatown, but she was willing to go anywhere in California and
Francisco, but her jurisdiction knew no bounds. In 1899, even Visalia
beyond when the circumstances required it.
made it into this freedom fighter’s travel plans—and her visit wasn’t
In 1899, the Tulare County seat came up on Cameron’s assignment
a social call! She came to free a captive young girl.
list. Visalia at the time was a half-century old with about 3,000
Cameron was born in New Zealand in about 1869 to Scottish
people, nearly 200 of which were Chinese. Most of them lived in the
parents who were sheep ranchers. Shortly after she was born, her
Chinatown district—an area established in the late 1850s.
family moved to California. She grew up in San Francisco where, as
Undoubtedly, mission workers were surprised when they heard that
a young adult, she began working at the Presbyterian Mission
one of the recent residents living in Visalia was in trouble. The young
Home on Sacramento Street. The mission was there to keep young
lady named Fong Jar had lived under the protection of the mission in
Chinese women out of the sex slavery business. It was a serious
1898. A young man named Gum You had frequently visited her and
problem. All too often, unscrupulous men brought these girls to
the two became good friends. Soon he proposed marriage. Jar liked
America strictly to be sex workers. It was a dirty but thriving
him and staff at the mission did too, so the two were married in late
business with these young girls often held against their will in
1898. Most predicted a long and happy marriage.
dark, dingy, shacks and rooms frequented by men with loose morals. Many of these ladies contracted venereal disease, and suffered mental breakdowns and horrible indignities. 44
