Isleton Chinese and Japanese Commercial Districts

Isleton's Asian American commercial district covers about six acres along Main Street between E and H streets, on the south bank of the Sacramento River. After a fire on May 31, 1926 destroyed the Chinese and Japanese sections of town, residents rebuilt with one- and two-story brick and frame buildings. Many have false fronts, and the frame buildings were covered in pressed tin or stucco to resist fire. The tin, often laid in a mosaic of cut scraps, came largely from the Noah Adams Lumber Yard. No architects were involved; builders copied designs they admired. The Chinese section lay west of F Street and the Japanese section to the east. The district served as the commercial, recreational and social center for Asian American workers on nearby farms and in canneries during the Delta's agricultural boom. The Bing Kung Tong building keeps its original furnishings. The district is recognized for its commerce, ethnic heritage and architecture from 1926 to 1941.