It was 1915 and a lot was going on just east of Troutdale Oregon in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge. Planning was taking place for the construction of the now Historic Columbia River Highway.
Chief Tommy Kuni Thompson, a revered leader of the Wyam people, served as the salmon chief of Celilo Village for over eight decades. Born along the Columbia River in the mid-19th century, Thompson dedicated his life to preserving Indigenous fishing rights and cultural traditions at Celilo Falls—a vital fishing and trading hub for Native communities for thousands of years.
Here’s a rare view of Oneonta Bluff and the old railway bed prior to the construction of the Historic Columbia River Highway.
