{"id":2411,"date":"2009-03-02T04:24:19","date_gmt":"2009-03-02T12:24:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wpmu.library.oregonstate.edu\/osu_archives\/2009\/03\/02\/2411\/"},"modified":"2009-03-02T04:24:19","modified_gmt":"2009-03-02T12:24:19","slug":"2411","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/scarc\/2009\/03\/02\/2411\/","title":{"rendered":"OSU Archives in The Commons: Images of Celilo Falls"},"content":{"rendered":"

Look for more from the Gerald W. Williams Collection Wednesday March 4th <\/sup><\/em><\/p>\n

On March 10, 1957, the Columbia River pooled behind the newly constructed Dalles Dam, effectively drowning a five-mile stretch of cascades known as Celilo Falls. The rising water flooded one of the most prolific salmon runs in North America; it was also an area that had been occupied by Pacific Northwest Indians for at least 10,000 years.<\/p>\n

Continuing our focus on photographs from the Gerald W. Williams Collection, we\u2019ve decided to show you all some of the images he collected of Celilo Falls. Many of the pictures you\u2019ll find in this set were taken by Williams’ father, Jack Williams, in September 1956 — only a few months before the falls were inundated.<\/p>\n

For thousands of years, Celilo Falls was a traditional fishing spot for mid-Columbia tribes, producing millions of pounds of salmon each year; but the area was much more than a \u201cfavorite fishing hole.\u201d Nearby Celilo Village was also trading hub for tribes from California, Montana, and Canada, with an active and lively market that saw local salmon traded for medicines, dried meats, and hides from the East and cedar, shells, and beads from the Pacific Coast. Noted by the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1805, the explorers said they found a “great emporium\u2026where all the neighboring nations assemble,” and a population density unlike anything they had seen on their journey \u2014historians have called the Celilo area the \u201cWall Street of the West.\u201d However, even beyond commerce, the area was a place where \u201cfriendships were renewed, and men found brides.\u201d<\/p>\n

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) began work on The Dalles Dam in 1952 as a means of harnessing the Columbia River and providing \u201cclean, sustainable, and cheap\u201d hydroelectric power to Portland and Seattle . Between 1952 and 1955, \u2018USACOE and representatives from the Warm Springs, Umatilla, Yakama, and Nez Perce reservations negotiate a monetary settlement for the loss of fishing sites resulting from construction of The Dalles Dam.\u201d It was completed it five years later. Records and recollections say that Big Eddy was under water in less than an hour and Celilo Falls in six.<\/p>\n

Where to go for more?<\/strong><\/p>\n

To watch the Oregon Field Guide \u201cCelilo Fishing\u201d video, which features a color film shot by the Army Corps of Engineers, click here<\/a>. To see a detailed picture of the bottom of the Columbia River at Celilo Falls, check out the sonar data from the Army Corps of Engineers, check out the \u201cCelilo Animation\u201d video found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

YouTube also has many videos of Celilo Falls, with a search for \u201cCelilo,\u201d you\u2019ll find plenty! For example, there are some great historic photos of the people of Celilo Falls in the \u201ccelilo finished 0001\u201d YouTube video by clicking here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Oregon Public Broadcasting Oregon Territory program called \u201cCelilo Falls,\u201dwhich aired March 3, 2007 is worth a viewing. Find out more here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Katrine Barber\u2019s 2005 book Death of Celilo Falls is another excellent resource for information on the both the cultural and political history of the area. \u201cThis book examines the negotiations and controversies that took place during the planning and construction of The Dalles dam and the profound impact the project had on both the Indian community of Celilo Village and the non-Indian town of The Dalles.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sites Consulted:<\/strong><\/p>\n