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The Dalles Weekly Chronicle, The Dalles, OR., April 15, 1915, page 2

ORIGIN OF WORD CELILO IN DOUBT
Many Believe It Is Of Indian Derivation But Fact Is Not Established
By Mrs. C.J. Crandall

The opening of the "big ditch" which we are proud to call The Dalles-Celilo canal, seems to be the psychological time to ascertain the origin and meaning of the word "Celilo," and also the name of the person who first gave the appellation to the upper end of the portage.
Inquiries have been sent out to those who had an acquaintance with the history of those days, a part of which many of them were, asking for this information. And the following replies have been received from those whose authority no one can question.
Each disclaims any definite knowledge of the now historic name "Celilo" whether it be of the white man's language or "Siwash." Thus far "Celilo" and "Oregon" are in the same class, as that no one can say from whence they came.
Local Indians deny that the word "Celilo" is "Siwash." Cyrus H. Walker of Albany, is the oldest inhabitant. He was born at Whitman station near Walla Walla in 1838, and was therefore a resident of this country before any of us came.
His parents were missionaries to the Spokane Indians until he was ten years of age, and he knew no other companions. For 11 years he was a government employee on the Warm Springs reservation and has kept up his knowledge of Indian languages.
He says: "As to the name "Celilo" I can give you no information as to its origin or meaning."
A letter from Mrs. Nettie White Scott of Portland, who is the daughter of Captain Len White, the first steamboat man of the upper Columbia and the Snake rivers, and whose home when a child was at the mouth of the Deschutes and at old Celilo, says neither she nor her mother has anything definite about the word "Celilo." Mrs. Scott's mother is now Mrs. O.N. Denny of Portland, and is one of the few survivors of the Whitman massacre of 1847.
Captain E.W. Baughman who has been on the river since 1850, now retired, living at Moscow, Idaho, says: "I can't give you the origin of "Celilo," it is very Indian or "down-east." The first I remember of hearing the name was when a man by the name of Jones, a Yankee, took up the land and called it "Celilo." I think it is the Indian name for the "falls."
Another steamboat man is George H. Knaggs of Portland, now retired, who was a purser on the river for ages and he says: "I do not know what the word "Celilo" means. It is an Indian word.
The Oregon Steam Navigation company established and named "Celilo" as the terminal of The Dalles portage road in 1863. I think that L.W. Coe named the landing "Celilo."
Another purser contemporary with George H. Knaggs is N.B Engalls also of Portland, retired, and he says:
"I regret that I cannot supply authentic information in regard to the word "Celilo." As well as I have been able to discover it is an Indian word meaning "rapid water."
Major Morehouse of Pendleton, for years Indian agent on the Umatilla reservation says: "I do not know anything about the origin of the name "Celilo." Why not asked some of the old Indians at Wishram? If it is an Indian word they ought to know the origin and meaning."
Amos Underwood of Underwood, Wash., now the oldest living settler on the river says: "I don't know the meaning of the word, but it is Klickitat. "Celilo" is for falls or eddies or swift water, but I don't know. Some of the old Indians at Celilo might know, Tumwater is the Chinook of it."
Among the historians whose replies have been received is that of T.C. Elliott of Walla Walla. Mr. Elliott was chosen the historian of The Dalles-Celilo celebration. He says he does not know, and he spent a day last week at the Old Fort Dalles building going through files of the Mountaineer of that age for information and finding none.
Another historian is F.H. Saylor of Portland, who has made a specialty of Indian names and legends and who says: "I neither know nor have I been able thus far to find out from whence the name "Celilo" comes. I have, however, a faint remembrance that someone told me in the long ago, that it was a corruption of a Wishram Indian word."
Wisham or Wishram is the name of the Indian village opposite big Eddy.
Professor W.D. Lyman, historian of Whitman College of Walla Walla, and the author of a big book called "The Columbia River and its Tributaries," and one of the most active of the open river men has this to say: "I am seeking to learn the meaning of the name "Celilo" and its origin. I suppose it to be Indian but never learned the facts."
George H. Himes, secretary of the Oregon Historical society, says that many years ago when at The Dalles he had a talk with an Indian who said the word meant "shifting sands," and another Indian said the word came from the Klickitat people. Mr. Himes has been looking up this word for years and thinks this meaning is most likely to be the true one.
An old pioneer of the days when "Celilo" was first placed on the map, is E.F. Humason of Portland. He well remembers the story from "Father" Wilbur who was agent on the Yakima Indian reservation for years. "Father" Wilbur had the story from Chief Moses that "Celilo" was the name of the big chief of the sect of Indians called "Dreamers" and that his home was at the falls of the Columbia, now known as "Celilo." Chief Moses had this story from his father whose home was at Priest Rapids.
And the conclusion is not yet.