The Wall Street of the West: How a Great Waterfall Powered Ancient Trade

Countries & Cities · Published 30 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: For 15,000 years, Celilo Falls was the heart of a vast Indigenous trading network and the oldest continuously inhabited community in North America. Then, in 1957, the roar of the Columbia River was silenced forever, submerged by a massive hydroelectric dam built to fuel the modern industrial age.

Located on the Columbia River between present-day Oregon and Washington, Celilo Falls was a geological marvel. The river, often over a mile wide, was forced through basalt narrows, creating a series of powerful cascades. It was among the largest waterfalls in North America by volume, with an average annual flow of about 190,000 cubic feet per second. For millennia, this site served as a vital gathering place where Chinookan and Sahaptian-speaking peoples fished for salmon using traditional platforms and spears.

Beyond its ecological importance, the site functioned as a bustling economic hub. Explorers like Lewis and Clark, who arrived in 1805, described a 'great emporium' where diverse nations assembled to trade goods sourced from as far away as Alaska and the Great Plains. This cultural melting pot was so significant that historians have compared the area to the 'Wall Street of the West.' The site was protected by 1855 treaties, which guaranteed Indigenous tribes the right to fish at their usual and accustomed stations.

The 20th century brought a shift in priorities. As the Pacific Northwest expanded, civic leaders pushed for hydroelectric dams to support defense manufacturing and navigation. Despite tribal opposition and federal hearings, the U.S. government proceeded with The Dalles Dam, paying $26.8 million in settlement for the loss of the fishing grounds. On March 10, 1957, the rising waters of Lake Celilo inundated the falls. While the physical structure remains intact beneath the reservoir, the site's destruction remains a point of contention, with tribal leaders continuing to call for restoration to address declining salmon populations and the loss of ancestral heritage.

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