Wetaskiwin District Heritage Museum Centre & City of Wetaskiwin Archives

Built circa 1908, this hand-cranked washing machine is a significant feature of the Heritage Museum’s Chinese immigration exhibit, as it highlights a history of Chinese laundries prior to a modern era of automatic washing machines. Following an influx of Chinese immigrants who sought employment as laborers for the Canadian Pacific Railway, the establishment of hand-laundries allowed the Chinese community, who then faced much racial prejudice and socio-economic discrimination, a means to earn a living. Eventually, Chinese-run laundries could be found across Canada where people could get their clothes washed, ironed, and pressed. This wooden washer, an invention that would have aided this process, has a galvanized metal tub with a hand crack that turns a dolly within, agitating the clothes to rid them of dirt, grime, and other impurities. It tells the story of hardworking laundrymen and their struggles immigrating and adjusting to a new country. If you have a story you’d like to share about immigrating to the area of Wetaskiwin, the Heritage Museum welcomes any contribution to an upcoming exhibit commemorating the process of immigration!