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Celilo Park and Celilo, Oregon, as seen from Washington State Highway 14.
Image taken May 24, 2005.
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Celilo Park is located at what once was the upper end of the The Dalles-Celilo Canal.
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The Dalles - Celilo Canal and Locks ...
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The 8-mile-long The Dalles - Celilo Canal, located three miles north of The Dalles, was completed in 1915, creating a steamboat waterway around the Fivemile Rapids ("Long Narrows"), Tenmile Rapids ("Short Narrows"), and Celilo Falls. It provided a clear journey to Lewiston, Idaho.
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"... The Dalles-Celilo Canal, 8.6 statute miles long, has its lower end 3.3 statute miles above The Dalles. There are 5 locks in the canal with a depth of 7 feet over the lower sill; the useable dimensions of the locks are 265 feet long and 45 feet wide. This canal is drowned out when the state at the upper pool exceeds 18 feet. There is a turning basin, 220 feet wide, in the canal near its lower end. There are two warehouses on the canal with a combined capacity of 15,000 tons of wheat. ..."
[The 1942 United States Coast Pilot, Pacific Coast, Serial No.649]
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"... The Canal and Locks Were Completed in the early summer of 1915,
eleven years after the first work was done; and the event was celebrated
in Portland by sending a steamboat on a trip to Lewiston and back, thus
actually realizing the benefit of an "open river." The canal cost a
trifle less than $5,000,000 and is approximately eleven miles long. There
are four locks, each 65 feet wide at the bottom, which have a depth of 8
feet at low water. The fall from Celilo to the lower end of the canal is
about 100 feet.
..."
[Horner, 1919]
According to the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center photo archives, the first two boats to pass through The Dalles - Celilo Canal were the Inland Empire and the J.M. Teal.
In 1957 opening of
The Dalles Dam and Locks flooded the locks and canal at Celilo, ending its history. Today, Celilo Park is located at what was once the upper end of the The Dalles-Celilo Canal.
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"The Golden Age of Postcards" ...
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The early 1900s was the "Golden Age of Postcards", with the "Penny Postcard" being a popular way to send greetings to family and friends.
The Penny Postcard today has become a snapshot of history.
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Penny Postcard: Celilo Canal near The Dalles, Oregon, ca.1920.
Penny Postcard, ca.1920, "Celilo Canal, near The Dalles, Oregon".
A.M. Prentiss Photo. Published by Lipschuetz and Katz, Portland, Oregon. Card #401.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Penny Postcard: Upper Section of The Dalles-Celilo Locks, Oregon, ca.1920.
Penny Postcard, ca.1920, "Upper Section of The Dalles-Celilo Locks, Oregon.".
Published by Chas. S. Lipschuetz Company, Portland, Oregon, Card #200.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Caption on back reads: "Upper section of the New Dalles-Celilo Locks constructed by the U.S. Government making continuous navigation possible on the Columbia River for its entire course along the Northern Boundary of the State. On the right hand side by side is The State Portage Railway and the O.W.R.& N. Line. The North Bank Railroad Bridge in distance."
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Penny Postcard: The Dalles-Celilo Canal, ca.1920.
Penny Postcard, ca.1920, "Celilo Falls, Upper End of Celilo Canal and Indian Village, B.C. Markham, The Dalles, Ore.".
Card #95.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Penny Postcard: The Dalles-Celilo Canal with Cape Horn, ca.1920.
Penny Postcard, ca.1920.
Card #650.
In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, October 22, 1805 ...
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A fine morning calm and fare we Set out [downstream of the John Day Dam] at 9 oClock passed a verry bad rapid [today the location of the "Biggs Bridge", Highway 97 crossing from Biggs Junction, Oregon, to Maryhill, Washington. The rapid, which was labeled "Five-Mile Rapid" in 1858, is now under the waters of the Lake Celilo, the reservoir behind The Dalles Dam.]
at the head of an Island close under the Stard. Side [???], above this rapid on the Stard. Side is Six Lodges of nativs Drying fish [Maryhill vicinity], at 9 mls. passed a bad rapid [Deschutes Rapid, also under the waters of Lake Celilo] at the head of a large Island [Miller Island] of high, uneaven [rocks], jutting over the water, a Small Island in a Stard. Bend [???] opposit the upper point, on which I counted 20 parcels of dryed and pounded fish; on the main Stard Shore opposit to this Island five Lodges of Indians are Situated Several Indians in Canoes killing fish with gigs [Haystack Butte, Columbia Hills, vicinity], <and nets> &c. opposit the center of this Island of rocks [Miller Island] which is about 4 miles long we discovered the enterence of a large river on the Lard. Side [Deschutes River] which appeared to Come from the S. E. - we landed at Some distance above the mouth of this river [Deschutes River] and Capt. Lewis and my Self Set out to view this river above its mouth, as our rout was intersepted by a deep narrow Chanel which runs out of this river into the Columbia a little below the place we landed, leaveing a high dry rich Island of about 400 yards wide and 800 yards long here we Seperated, I proceeded on to the river and Struck it at the foot of a verry Considerable rapid [Deschutes Rapids], here I beheld an emence body of water Compressd in a narrow Chanel of about 200 yds in width, fomeing over rocks maney of which presented their tops above the water, when at this place Capt. Lewis joined me haveing .... at about two miles above this River appears to be confined between two high hils below which it divided by numbers of large rocks, and Small Islands covered with a low groth of timber, and has a rapid as far as the narrows three Small Islands in the mouth of this River, <we returned> this River haveing no Indian name that we could find out, except "the River on which the Snake Indians live," we think it best to leave the nameing of it untill our return [Deschutes River].
we proceeded on pass the mouth of this river [Deschutes River] at which place it appears to discharge 1/4 as much water as runs down the Columbia. at two miles below this River passed Eight Lodges on the Lower point of the Rock Island [Miller Island] aforesaid at those Lodges we saw large logs of wood which must have been rafted down the To war-ne hi ooks River [Deschutes River], below this Island [Miller Island] on the main Stard Shore is 16 Lodges of nativs; here we landed a fiew minits to Smoke, the lower point of one Island opposit [???] which heads in the mouth of Towarnehiooks River [Deschutes River] which I did not observe untill after passing these lodges
about 1/2 a mile lower passed 6 more Lodges on the Same Side and 6 miles below the upper mouth of Towarnehiooks River [Deschutes River] the comencement of the pitch of the Great falls [Celilo Falls], opposit on the Stard. Side is 17 Lodges of the nativs [near Wishram, Washington] we landed and walked down accompanied by an old man to view the falls [Celilo Falls], and the best rout for to make a portage
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we made 19 miles to day
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Clark, October 24, 1805 ...
The first pitch of this falls [Celilo Falls] is 20 feet perpendicular, then passing thro' a narrow Chanel for 1 mile to a rapid of about 18 feet fall below which the water had no perceptable fall but verry rapid
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It may be proper here to remark that from Some obstruction below, the cause of which we have not yet learned, the water in high fluds (which are in the Spring) rise <nearly> below these falls nearly to a leavel with the water above the falls; the marks of which can be plainly trac'd around the falls. at that Stage of the water the Salmon must pass up which abounds in Such great numbers above- below thos falls are Salmon trout and great numbers of the heads of a Species of trout Smaller than the Salmon. those fish they catch out of the Salmon Season, and are at this time in the act of burrying those which they had drid for winter food.
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Capt Lewis and three men crossed the river and on the opposit Side to view the falls which he had not yet taken a full view of-
At 9 oClock a. m. I Set out with the party and proceeded on down a rapid Stream of about 400 yards wide at 2 1/2 miles the river widened ito a large bason to the Stard. Side on which there is five Lodges of Indians. here a tremendious <heigh> black rock Presented itself high and Steep appearing to choke up the river [the future Browns Island] nor could I See where the water passed further than the Current was drawn with great velocity to the Lard Side of this rock at which place I heard a great roreing.
I landed at the Lodges and the natives went with me to the top of this rock which makes from the Stard. Side; from the top of which I could See the dificuelties we had to pass for Several miles below; at this place the water of this great river is compressed into a Chanel [the "Short Narrows" or Tenmile Rapids] between two rocks not exceeding forty five yards wide and continues for a 1/4 of a mile when it again widens to 200 yards and continues this width for about 2 miles when it is again intersepted by rocks. This obstruction in the river accounts for the water in high floods riseing to Such a hite at the last falls. The whole of the Current of this great river must at all Stages pass thro' this narrow chanel of 45 yards wide. as the portage of our canoes over this high rock would be impossible with our Strength, and the only danger in passing thro those narrows was the whorls and Swills arriseing from the Compression of the water, and which I thought (as also our principal watermen Peter Crusat) by good Stearing we could pass down Safe, accordingly I deturmined to pass through this place notwithstanding the horrid appearance of this agitated gut Swelling, boiling & whorling in every direction (which from the top of the rock did not appear as bad as when I was in it;[)] however we passed Safe to the astonishment of all the Inds: of the last Lodges who viewed us from the top of the rock [this high rock became Browns Island when the waters of Lake Celilo inundated the valley]. passed one Lodge below this rock and halted on the Stard. Side to view a verry bad place, the Current divided by 2 Islands of rocks the lower of them large and in the middle of the river, this place being verry bad I Sent by land all the men who could not Swim and Such articles as was most valuable to us Such as papers Guns & amunition, and proceeded down with the Canoes two at a time to a village of 20 wood housies in a Deep bend to the Stard. Side [area of Horsethief Butte and Horsethief Lake] below which a rugid black rock about <the> 20 feet hiter <of> than the Common high fluds of the river with Several dry Chanels which appeared to Choke the river up quite across; this I took to be the 2d falls or the place the nativs above call timm,
The nativs of this village reived me verry kindly, one of whome envited me into his house,
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I dispatched a Sufficent number of the good Swimers back for the 2 canoes above the last rapid and with 2 men walked down three miles to examine the river Over a bed of rocks, which the water at verry high fluds passes over, on those rocks I Saw Several large Scaffols on which the Indians dry fish; as this is out of Season the poles on which they dry those fish are tied up verry Securely in large bundles and put upon the Scaffolds, I counted 107 <Scaff> Stacks of dried pounded fish in different places on those rocks which must have contained 10,000 w. of neet fish,
The evening being late I could not examine the river to my Satisfaction, the Chanel is narrow and compressed for about 2 miles [the "Long Narrows" or Fivemile Rapids], when it widens into a deep bason to the Stard. Side ["Big Eddy", today the location of Spearfish Lake], & again contracts into a narrow chanel divided by a rock [head of Threemile Rapids] I returned through a rockey open countrey infested with pole-cats to the village where I met with Capt. Lewis the two old Chiefs who accompanied us & the party & canoes who had all arrived Safe; the Canoes haveing taken in Some water at the last rapids. here we formed a Camp near the Village [near Horsethief Butte and Horsethief Lake] ...
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