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In Their Own Words

Portable Apartment Houses in the Shadow of Mt. Hood

On April 11th, 1806, Meriwether Lewis wrote about the villages of the Wahclellahs, Clahclellahs and Yehhuhs, people of the Watlala Nation, Along the rapids and falls between the great mountains:

The inhabitants of the Y-eh-huh Village on the North side immediately above the rapids have lately removed to the opposite side of the river, where it appears they usually take their salmon. like their relations the Wah-Clel-lars they have taken their houses with them. I observe that all the houses lately established have their floors on the surface of the ear[th}, are smaller and of more temperary structure than those which are sunk in the ground. I presume the former are their spring and Summer dwellings and the latter those of the fall and winter, these houses are most generally built with boards and covered with bark. some of an inferior ore more temperary cast are built entirely of cedar bark, which is kept smooth and extended by inserting small splinters of wood through the bark crosswise at the distance of 12 or 14 inches assunder. several families inhabit the same appartment. (Lewis, from Moulton V.7, 106-7)

Related pages:

Portable Apartment Houses in the Shadow of Mt. Hood  |  Large Houses Along the Rapids and Falls | 
Subterranean Houses along White Salmon River  | 
Canoes at Celilo  |  Houses of the Echelutes  |  Horses of the We-ock-sock and Wil-la-cum

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