Richland Steals the Show at the Celilo Celebration
Thousands flock to the Columbia River Valley to mark a milestone in regional development with parades, floats, and historic crowds.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
When the people of Richland make up their minds to do a thing you can leave it to them to do it right, as has again been proven by the fine showing made by our little town at the Celilo celebration last Tuesday. Not only were we represented by the largest part of our population, but had some of the finest floats in the parade, especially appropriate being that of the Horn Rapids Irrigation company, representing the hog industry with its alfalfa raising adjunct. Every car in town was requisitioned to take the crowds to the ferry at Kennewick where they crossed to Pasco for the parade. It is estimated that close to 10,000 people attended the celebration in the two towns. Large delegations from Prosser, Mabton, Hanford, White Bluffs and other small towns were in attendance with appropriate badges showing their respective localities. A beautiful day added to the pleasure of the event and May Fourth, 1915, will go down in the history of the Columbia river valley as one of the red letter days in its progress toward its highest development.
“When the people of Richland make up their minds to do a thing you can leave it to them to do it right.”
The Celilo celebration was a massive regional booster event, underscoring the era's obsession with irrigation and agricultural expansion. Today, the Celilo Falls themselves are submerged behind the Dalles Dam, a reminder of how the 'progress' celebrated in 1915 permanently altered the landscape and Indigenous heritage of the Columbia River.
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