Historic Hood River
Fishing At Celilo
11-1-2012
Notes
I believe this image was taken on the rocks near Celilo Falls in September 1944, but I can’t identify the structure in the background. It is labelled “H. Avery.” Avery is on the Washington side near Celilo.
charlott
This if defnately Celilo Falls during the salmon run. This would have had to have been on the rocks at the rivers edge as the white men did not go out into the river rocky islands. As the river is so calm behind him, I am thinking he is quite a ways down the river. It appears that he is quite a ways down river of the "dead line." He has a nice probably 30 to 40 pound chinook on his gaft.
I can not get a good take as to the location and what is in the back ground. It appears to me that the white structure would have to be the railroad bridge crossng from Celilo to Wishram.
I can see, I can hear and I can smell it all.
l.e.
That is one happy fisherman!
I am guessing, because of the high water marks on the rocks, that this was taken during the summer.
I can’t find much about Avery online. I will check one of my Klickitat history books.
Like Charlott, I thought the structure on the left might be the railroad bridge, but it doesn’t look quite right.
l.e.
Duh…sorry Arthur. I just read September!!
charlott
Yes, fall salmon run. I agree that something just doesn’t look right about what I thought/think had to be the bridge. If that is a structure across the river it definitely was not there when I remember first going to Celilo which would have been about 1948 or 1949.
Wonder how many he got that day? The white man had a limit of 3 per day.
charlott
There is a place called Avery Recreation Area, but it is not in this locaton. Appears to be down river a ways, opposite what we always called Upper Memoloose before you get to Horsethief. That would make it on the other sde of the railroad bridge below Wishram. Maybe initially there was some little area on the Washington side there called Avery, then they named this recreational area further down the river that. I really don’t know as never had heard of Avery.
charlott
Avery Recreation Area is a tribual fishng area, that is probably why we aren’t that familiar with it.
Could a man by the name of Avery had a fish cannery there that he ran only during spring and fall runs?
l.e.
There were quite a few people by the name of Avery in Klickitat county.
There was a Captain Henry Avery who had an orchard in Hood River, but he died in 1934. Probably not him. His brother Thomas, also left Connecticut and came to HR.
l.e.
Before the day ends, I have to say that this photo is becoming one of my favorites.
The background is blurry, but the clearness of detail from the rock to the fishing pole to the worn shoes to the stains on the overalls keeps drawing me back to check and make sure he still has his fish.
l.e.
Is there any chance the long white structure in the background is the Seufert Brothers Cannery?