Billy Chinook (aka William Parker) was born circa 1827 in the area that was to become Fort Dalles, Oregon Territory.
Chinook then traveled to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he lived with the Quaker family of Dr. Caspar Wistar, and studied English further.
In 1853 Chinook wrote a letter to Joel Palmer, Oregon Superintendent of Indian Affairs asking him to protect native lands at The Dalles area from encroachment by non-native settlers.
[3] Chinook enlisted as Acting First Sergeant in Captain John Darragh's Company of 50 U.S. Army Indian Scouts in 1866 for a term of 1 year during the Snake War.
The Wasco Scouts joined with regular army units in pursuing Paulina around the middle Deschutes country from 1864 until 1867.
On September 16, 1866, Chief Paulina and 14 Paiute warriors attacked the James N. Clark ranch in the vicinity of Bridge Creek and the John Day River.
Subsequently, Chinook and his Wasco scouts tracked Chief Paulina to an area near Harney Lake by Steens Mountain Oregon.
He is buried in the reservation cemetery and his epitaph reads in part: A faithful and true friend of the white man.
[7] The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs named the reservoir at the Round Butte Dam in honor of Billy Chinook in the area where he guided Frémont and Carson.
Lake Billy Chinook extends beyond the boundaries of The Cove Palisades State Park in Oregon.