Foreword

Foreword

Nathan Thomas, Deputy Preservation Officer, Utah State Office, Bureau of land Management

Raymond and Pike's Rails East to Promontory: ELM-Utah Cultural Resource Series No. 8 ( 1981 and reprinted in 1994) laid the foundation for the archaeological study of the Transcontinental Railroad on BLM-Utah administered lands. Their study provided a masterful point of departure for Rails East to Ogden: Utah's Transcontinental Railroad Story: BLM-Utah Cultural Resource Series No. 29. This new study exponentially increases historic research on one of the most important heritage resources on BLM-administered lands.

This new study provides a rare opportunity for the BLM to be a part of a "deep dive" into a site spanning over 100 miles with hundreds of features and thousands of artifacts. The significant amount of research and documentation associated with this study is unparalleled in BLM-Utah's cultural resource series.

The railroad, and its associated features and artifacts, are silent objects of the past. Without analyses such as this one, it may be difficult to move from the paradigm of historic debris, to that of rare objects of meaning and understanding. This study is a successful investigation into the past of the Transcontinental Railroad in that it provides the Public with more history, research, and ultimately more appreciation for the potentially eligible National Historic Landmark.

I am grateful to the authors for their time, energy, and commitment to this study. Their experience with historical archaeology and research is without match. As the Deputy Preservation Officer and State Archaeologist for Utah BLM, I think you will find this study to be of great worth.

Through the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the Congress finds and declares that-

(1) the spirit and direction of the Nation are founded upon and reflected in its historic heritage; (2) the historical and cultural foundations of the Nation should be preserved as a living part of our community life and development in order to give a sense of orientation to the American people; (3) historic properties significant to the Nation '.S' heritage are being lost or substantially altered, often inadvertently, with increasing frequency; (4) the preservation of this irreplaceable heritage is in the public interest so that its vital legacy of cultural, educational, aesthetic, inspirational, economic, and energy benefits will be maintained and enriched for future generations of Americans; (5) in the face of ever-increasing extensions of urban centers, highways, and residential, commerdal, and industrial developments, the present governmental and nongovernmental historic preservation programs and activities are inadequate to insure future generations a genuine opportunity to appredate and enjoy the rich heritage of our Nation; (6) the increased knowledge of our historic resources, the establishment of better means of identifying and administering them, and the encouragement of their preservation will improve the planning and execution of federal and federally assisted projects and will assist economic growth and development; and (7) although the major burdens of historic preservation have been borne and major efforts initiated by private agendes and individuals, and both should continue to play a vital role, it is nevertheless necessary and appropriate for the Federal Government to accelerate its historic preservation programs and activities, to give maximum encouragement to agencies and individuals undertaking preservation by private means, and to assist State and local governments and the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States to expand and accelerate their historic preservation programs and activities.

In Memoriam:

Judge Michael Wei Kwan

The authors dedicate this volume to the late Judge Michael Wei Kwan, who passed suddenly on July 31, 2020. Beyond the main driving force of the Chinese Railroad Workers Descendants Association, he was a great colleague and supporter of our efforts to tell the whole and complete story of the railroad and its Chinese workers. His obituary is included here with permission of the family.

The Honorable Michael Wei Kwan passed away at home on Tuesday July 21, 2020 of natural causes. Our loss is great and will be long lasting. Judge Kwan's life was filled by service to Utah and national Asian Pacific American communities as a mentor and teacher, fierce advocate for justice, peace and equity, and as an example of moral leadership. Michael was a true visionary whose humility prevented him from acknowledging his personal impact on our global communities, preferring instead to acknowledge the collective work of communities he helped come together.

Michael was born in Inglewood, California in 1962, the second child and only son of Fulton Checkfull Kwan and Marjorie Lim Kwan. He grew up in West Hills, California and graduated from Canoga Park High School in 1982, where he was an active member of the high school band and the Junior ROTC program. Following a long line of familial legal minds, Michael received his law degree from Whittier College School of Law in California and was later certified in Chinese Law by the East China University of Politics and Law.

Michael met his wife Jennifer Xiao Ying Chen in 1992. They married in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 4, 1994. They have two wonderful children, Elizabeth and Richard, and one granddog, Beebo. Michael adored them all. In 1996, Michael moved his young family from the San Fernando Valley in California to Taylorsville, Utah.

He began his career in Utah in the healthcare field as an EMT for Gold Cross Ambulance and then as a Burn Technician at the University of Utah Hospital Burn Unit. After passing the Utah bar, Michael worked as a Salt Lake City prosecutor and served as Pro Tempore Judge in 3rd District Court from 1996 to 1998, when he became the first Municipal Judge appointed to the Taylorsville Justice Court where he presided until his death. One of the benefits of being a judge is performing weddings, which Michael loved to do as evidenced by the numerous ceremonies he conducted.

He taught judicial and law classes at the Utah Judicial Institute, the American Bar Association, and the National Drug Court, among others, and lectured at countless educational programs across the country. He was a valued, highly sought-after speaker, as his presentations were always well-researched, interesting, and seemingly effortless. He could truly speak about anything, at any time, and anywhere. In addition, Michael was an adjunct professor in the Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) Criminal Justice Program for more than 20 years. Michael's service to SLCC extended to the maintenance of courses in the Criminal Justice Program and he also served as Chair to the SLCC Criminal Justice Program Advisory Committee (PAC).

Michael's professional career was marked by innovation. His honors and awards are plentiful. Among these, he started one of the first DUI/drug courts in the nation in 1998. The program was honored in 2008 with the Governor's Award for reducing drug and alcohol abuse- related crimes. It has been used as a prototype for other courtrooms across the country. His model for the domestic violence program was awarded the Peace on Earth Award from the Salt Lake Area Domestic Violence Advisory Council in 2002. Another example of the numerous awards he received is the Utah Judicial Council's Quality of Justice Award in 2001.

Michael was an active member of the community on many levels. He founded several social justice, community, and advocacy organizations and served countless others in a myriad of ways. Notable among the organizations in which he founded, served as board member, advisor, or consultant are OCA-Utah, and several OCA chapters, Utah Minority Bar, Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs- Utah chapter, Utah Asian American Chamber of Commerce, and the Refugee and Immigrant Center-Asian Association of Utah, where Michael was serving as Board Chair at the time of his death. Especially meaningful to him was the national OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates, in which he served on the Executive Board since 1997 and as the national President in 2015. Along with his sister, Karen, Michael founded and supported OCA-Utah in 1998, receiving the Pillar of the Community Award in 2012 for his tireless dedication to the Asian and Pacific Islander community.

Something that gave him much joy was working on the celebration and coordination of the 150th anniversary of the Chinese workers on the Transcontinental Railroad. In addition to being appointed to the State of Utah Golden Spike Commission, Michael spearheaded and led the global community of descendants, supporters, and advocates as President and Founder of the Chinese Railroad Workers Descendants Association. Michael worked tirelessly and successfully to honor and properly credit our ancestors in the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad, gaining global recognition for his efforts.

Preceded in death by both paternal and maternal grandparents and his loving mother, Marjorie Lim Kwan, Michael is survived by his wife Jennifer, children Elizabeth and Richard, granddog Beebo, father Fulton Kwan, (family friend Elaine Kwan and her son, Howard Kwan), sisters Deanna Lyn Kwan (Michael Evangelista), Karen Kwan (Travis Dahl) and Lisa Kwan-Golden (Jeff Golden), in-laws, nieces Meghan Kwan-Smith (Justin Layton), Shealyn Mayer (David Mayer) and Amelia Michael Kwan-Lee, nephew Brenner Kwan-Golden, grandniece Kaira Mayer, and many uncles, aunts, cousins, extended family and dear friends throughout the United States and China.

While his life was not long, Michael's legacy of good works, kindness, dedication to serving others, his leadership, and sense of humor will be with us for countless future generations to come.