Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts,
Archives and Special Collections
PC
145
Ullin, W. Chester (Warren
Chester)
Chet Ullin Photographs of Celilo Falls
circa 1940s
.25 Linear feet of Shelf Space
1 box
29 images
The slides depict the
Columbia River's Celilo Falls, Native Americans of the region, and fishing
activities and facilities located at the Falls.
Collection materials are inEnglish
From 1941-1945 W. Chester "Chet" Ullin served as Visual Aids Director in the Seattle
School District Office, and from 1945-1973 was Director of Instructional Materials
for the Bremerton and Kitsap County Schools. An avid amateur photographer, Chet
worked for the Washington State Fisheries Dept. and the West Coast Lumberman's
Association in 1945, which is likely when the photographs in this collection were
taken. Mr. Ullin passed away in Spring of 2002.
The collection consists of 29 glass 35mm slides. In addition to the 35mm slides, the
collection contains a 5 page document from 1948 consisting of a title page, two
pages in instructional guidelines, and two pages of brief descriptions of the
slides.
The slides depict the Columbia River's Celilo Falls, Native Americans of the region,
and fishing activities and facilities located at the Falls. The falls themselves
were subsequently drowned on March 10, 1957 by the completion of The Dalles Dam.
The actual date of the photographs is still unclear. The 1948 date of the creation of
the collection places that as the latest possible date, and color glass slides of
this type are rare before 1936, providing us our likely earliest likely date. As the
description of image I-17 references one of the women having "sons in the service,"
presumably these date from 1942-1945. Pending further identification, most likely
they date from 1945 when Mr. Ullin worked for the Washington State Fisheries
Department.
Photograph descriptions are from the original notes, 1948.
The images in this collection are maintained with their original order and
numbering.
This collection is open and available for research use.
Copyright restrictions may apply.
[Item Description] Chet Ullin Photographs of Celilo Falls, 1940s ca. (PC 145)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University
Libraries, Pullman, WA.
This collection was created as a visual teaching aid between February and August of
1948 by WSU's Margaret Marshall, and kept at the Universities Instructional Media
Services (IMS). It was moved to the Washington State University (WSU) Libraries'
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC) from IMS's successor
department, Media Materials and Reserves (MMR), on May 2nd, 2011 by Manuscripts
Librarian Cheryl Gunselman. It was accessioned as UPC 2011-02.
This collection was processed by University Archivist Mark O'English in May,
2011.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog.
Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should
search the catalog using these headings.
Ullin, W.
Chester (Warren Chester).
Celilo Falls
(Wash.)
Indians of North America --
Fishing -- Washington (State) -- Celilo Falls -- Slides.
Umatilla Indians.
Yakama Indians.
Cayuse Indians.
Walla Walla
Indians.
Pacific salmon fisheries --
Columbia River -- Management -- History.
Native
Americans
Washington
(State)
Fisheries
and Wildlife
Fishing
and Canning
(Image descriptions are from the
original notes, 1948)
I-1
Signboard telling about historical Celilo
Falls. Here the Indians exercise their inherited fishing right guaranteed
them under treaties made with the white men by their ancestors.
I-2
View from canyon wall on Oregon side showing
Celilo Falls.
I-3
View of Celilo Falls -homes of Indians and
Indians fishing.
I-4
Cable car transportation from shore to fishing
islands.
I-5
Cable car transportation from shore to
island.
I-6
Indians fishing from platforms at Celilo
Falls. Supported by cables anchored near the lips of narrow canyons where
fishing is best, the wooden platforms are lowered down the canyon walls
within easy reach of the roaring torrent below.
I-7
Indian pulling in salmon with dip net. Note
how net collapses.
I-8
Precarious fishing spot. Note cable car, falls
and platform.
I-9
Platforms built out in river where Indians are
dip-netting.
I-10
In September, when run is on, Indians from
many tribes fish on bank. By concentrating their fishing during the months
when the adult salmon are fighting their way up the river to spawn, the
Indian fishermen are assured of large catches of good-sized
fish.
I-11
Indians making own nets.
I-12
Close-up view of dip bag net.
I-13
Indian fishing with dip bag net. Note rope
around Indian.
I-14
Indian pulls dip bag net out of water with
salmon. Note net does not collapse.
I-15
Indian holding two heavy Chinook salmon which
he will sell.
I-16
Fish buyer weighs salmon and pays Indian. Some
Indians make a lot of money.
I-17
Indian woman near cable landing. Like many
white women you know, she had sons in the service - three of
them.
I-18
Indian boys enjoying themselves in cable
car.
I-19
10 year old Indian boy fishes with his Dad's
dip bag net -bashfully.
I-20
Indian boy catches nice Chinook
salmon.
I-21
Indian boy proudly displaying salmon which he
caught.
I-22
Note: this image was intended to be added to
this set, but apparently never was, and so is not present. Indians'
temporary summer home on island in Columbia River at Celilo
Falls.
I-23
Children playing with their dog. This is a
makeshift summer home on island.
I-24
Papooses wrapped in age-old
manner.
I-25
Papoose drops off to sleep.
I-26
Woman on right canned 96 pints - pressure
cooker. Here they are drying skin and backbone.
I-27
Woman picking bones from dried, shredded
salmon.
I-28
Tommy Yallup - Celilo Indian attorney - well
educated.
I-29
Chief Tommy Thompson - Celilo Falls. Note
braids wrapped in flannel.
I-30
"Day's End" - Old fish wheel that revolved and
caught fish; now outlawed.