Funded the founding of a Chinese school in the joss house (temple) at 818 Palm Street
Lived a bicultural life
Invited non-Chinese family friends to celebrate the Lunar New Year with his family.
Wife -
En Gon Ying Louis:
Ah Louis' wife - they met in San Francisco in 1889, when Mrs. Louis was 20 and Ah Louis was 48
Married and moved to San Luis Obispo, where she lived in the apartment above the Ah Louis store
She is said to have left that building only twice, over a span of 20 years
Hosted celebrations and dinners put on by her husband for business purposes, and to build relationships with the community
Had eight children
She died in her sleep at the age of 40 on September 30, 1909, with her baby Howard beside her
She was shot in the head by a .38 - caliber revolver
Known as "Silver Dove"
Children -
Philanthropist
Youngest of the eight children
San Luis Obispo High School Football Team's team captain
Known as a community-minded and generous man who enjoyed visiting classrooms and sharing stories of growing up on Palm Street - San Luis Obispo's Chinatown
Died in 2008, after his 100th birthday
Helen Louis:
Pianist
Performed a solo at a 1912 temperance revival
Performed at the wedding of Young Louis and Stella Chandler in January 1913
Helen Louis in 1939 [2]
George Louis:
Vocalist and steel guitarist
Performed at a concert at the Elmo Theater in 1923
Fred Louis:
Wrestler at the University of Chicago in 1931-32
Fred Louis in 1957 [3]
Grandchildren -
Elsie Louis:
Won the California state spelling bee in 1928
Sept. 4, 1928 Telegram about Elsie Louis being Spelling Bee Champion (Image courtesy of History Center of San Luis Obispo)
Works Cited
Gregory, Jim. San Luis Obispo County Outlaws: Desperados, Vigilantes and Bootleggers. The History Press, 2017.
Image Sources
[1] Louis, Gon Ying, no date, photograph, Louis Family Papers, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Calisphere, https://calisphere.org/item/b8ef57d79f64ff2c2341c492deb60d2b/.
[2] Helen Wong Louis, c. 1939, undate, photograph, Louis Family Papers, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Calisphere, https://calisphere.org/item/e12a133cf807cd2aa02b12fe3ed594c0/.
[3] Fred Louis, c. 1957, circa 1957, Louis Family Papers, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Calisphere, https://calisphere.org/item/b799441c206b8d8632ecb7351269cb01/.
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