Oregon State Archives: A 1940 Journey Across Oregon

CELILO, 88.2 m. [West of Hwy. 730 Junction] (158 alt., 47 pop.), at Celilo Falls, is a canoe portage as old as the fishing stations still held by the Indians under a treaty granting exclusive and perpetual fishing rights to them. Long before Lewis and Clark passed here, fishing stands on these rocks were handed down by the Indians from father to son. Robert Stuart of the Astorians writes in his journal: "Here is one of the first rate Salmon fisheries on the river. . . . the fish come this far by the middle of May, but the two following months are the prime of the season during this time the operator hardly ever dips his net without taking one and sometimes two Salmon, so that I call it speaking within bounds when I say that an experienced hand would by assuidity catch at least 500 daily--"

When Lewis and Clark visited the falls they found ". . . great numbers of Stacks of pounded Salmon neatly preserved in the following manner, i.e. after suffi(ci)ently Dried it is pounded between two Stones fine, and put into a speces of basket neatly made of grass and rushes better than two feet long and one foot Diameter, which basket is lined with the Skin of Salmon Stretched and dried for the purpose, in this it is pressed down as hard as possible, when full they Secure the open part with the fish Skins across which they fasten th(r)o the loops of the basket that part very securely, and then on a Dry Situation they Set those baskets ... thus preserved those fish may be kept Sound and sweet Several years." Here at Celilo the Indians still spear or net the fish in the traditional manner, protected by treaty from infringement on their ancient rights. Near the north end of the falls is the old village of WISHRAM, described by Lewis and Clark in their Journals and by Washington Irving in Astoria. This village furnished many fine studies of Indian life to Edward Curates in preparing his North American Indians.

Lewis and Clark, finding seventeen Indian lodges along here, "landed and walked down accompanied by an old man to view the falls.... we arrived at 5 Large Lod(g)es of natives drying and preparing fish for market, they gave us Philburts, and berries to eate." A portage railroad, 14 miles long, was opened in 1863. The canals and locks here were constructed by the Federal Government in 1905 to accommodate wheat shipments. Below the falls the OREGON TRUNK RAILROAD BRIDGE spans the river, its piers resting on solid rock above the water.

"Between 1843 and 1845, thousands of settlers took to the Oregon Trail... At Celilo Falls, they let their boats down with lines."

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