The Endicott Plan finally brought about the construction of a fort on Chinook Point. Fort Columbia was planned for at the time of the Civil War, but not built, the fort went up between 1896 and 1904. Off Chinook Point is where Captain Robert Grey anchored his ship Columbia Rediva after crossing the bar and gave the river its name. The nearby village of Chinook predates the Lewis & Clark visit of 1805 near where they established ‘Middle Camp”.
Built on a hill rising off the north shore of the Columbia – Highway US 101 goes underneath the fort in a tunnel – gave the fort a great view out over the river and the mouth. The same hill caused for crowding. Building the batteries meant them placed closer to each other than normal.
Fort Columbia was mostly accessible by water. Both Fort Stevens and Fort Canby had some civilian settlements nearby. Fort Columbia was much more isolated and self-contained, as a result. The fort had its own dairy cow, eggs and vegetable gardens to augment the Army rations brought in. Like the other Columbia River forts, Fort Columbia became inactive in 1947.
NEW LIFE AS A PARK
The State of Washington took control of the former post in 1950. The buildings of the fort – barracks, support buildings and gun emplacements – are still in decent shape. Two of the houses restored for guests to stay, today. Again, a visit is either a $10 day pass or $30 annual Discovery Pass good for all Washington State Parks including Cape Disappointment State Park.
BATTERY JULES ORD
The first battery built at the fort in 1898 was Battery Jules Ord.. Two 8-inch guns mounted on disappearing carriages in the main emplacement with another 8-inch gun placed on an experimental carriage mount in a separate emplacement a little further to the east. That gun went by the named Battery Neary for awhile. It became a part of Ord when the experimental carriage became replaced by a more normal disappearing carriage taken from Battery Burnham at Fort Mason, San Francisco in 1909 with the same gun barrel remounted. Water drainage problems caused the gun to go out of service a year later with In 1910 and the magazine room and the corridor remodeled used as a switchboard room for awhile.
The guns were all removed in August 1917 for possible use in France. The guns never replaced and the gun carriages sold off shortly after the end of that war.
The battery gun pits open – no guns or replicas have been placed there. Deterioration has closed some areas of the casement underneath, but you can still access parts. The third gun emplacement covered with concrete with no access.
Jules Garesche Ord
Jules Ord was a first lieutenant killed on San Juan Hill 1 July 1898. Ord was the son of Major General E.O.C. Ord a well-known Federal general of the Civil War. Jules grew up in San Antonio, Texas where his father spent time as commander of the Department of Texas.
His middle name, Garesche “Garry” given to him in honor of his father’s friend Colonel Julius P. Garesche who died hit by a cannon ball at Stones River while serving as the chief of staff for commanding general William Rosecrans.
Jules did not do well in school, ending up enlisting in the Army as a private in 1887. By 1890, he gained a commission as a second lieutenant in the 1st Infantry Regiment. A year later, promoted to first lieutenant in the 6th Infantry.
During the Spanish American War, he was acting on the brigade staff of General Hamilton Hawkins – 1st Brigade 1st Division – when with the brigade pinned down on the hill, Ord moved the attack forward mainly on his own volition. With his sword waving, Ord went forward leading Buffalo soldiers of the dismounted 10th Cavalry up the hill. Ord was the first American to reach the top of the hill. He was, however, killed once atop. In the same assault, Lieutenant John Pershing assumed command of his company with his captain wounded.
BATTERY WILLIAM MURPHY
Two 6-inch guns mounted here on disappearing carriages. These guns stayed in active service through the whole life of the fort 1900-1945, the longest serving Endicott-era guns at the fort. While the guns never fired at an enemy, thousands of rounds were expended in practice. While there are no guns or carriages here, a visit to the battery finds the gun pits and casement in good shape.
the captain
The battery named for Captain William L. Murphy who died in the Philippines at Tanauan. His history is not easily accessible, but he probably came over with one of the Iowa volunteer regiments at the end of 1898. With the end of the war with Spain in December, he may have elected to stay on in federal service. His gravestone notes he was with the 39th US Volunteers.
BATTERY FRANK CRENSHAW
Like Battery Smur on the other side of the river at Fort Stevens, this battery – built between 1899-1900 – helped to protect the minefields in the river. Three 3-inch rapid fire guns mounted on masking parapets looked out over the river. Inherent problems with the guns led to their removal from the entire seaboard in 1920. The pedestal mounts for the guns are still in place in the gun pits.
Even with the guns gone, river minefield control concentrated here during World War II – instead of split between here and Fort Stevens. The mine control casement is off on the west side of the fort near the river.
The Captain
Captain Frank F. Crenshaw, mortally wounded 5 June 1900 in Payopa, Philippines, signed up for the Spanish American War. Initially Crenshaw belonged with the Ray’s Immunes according to his obituary, otherwise known as the 1st Georgia Volunteers, the first volunteer regiment to be raise from the former Confederacy for action with the federal army. The 1st Georgia never made it further than the large encampment on the old battlefield at Chickamauga. The obituary goes on to mention he went to Cuba, but the only Georgians getting that far was the 3rd Georgia and then only for two months after the fighting was over.
Crenshaw went on to sign up for federal service after his time in the State volunteers was up. A captain in the 28th US Volunteers, wounded early into his time in the Philippines. He survived an awful ordeal during his evacuation back to the US – 22 days of neglected treatment. Taken back to Atlanta, he died shortly after surgery performed to eliminate a fist-sized abscess on his head where he suffered his wounded – 30 August.
MINING THE RIVER MOUTH
Most mining operations emanated from Fort Stevens. The mines stored, equipped and laid out from there. Initially, mines in the North Channel under control from Fort Columbia. All of the mines in the river given over to control from Fort Columbia just before World War II.
BATTERY 246
Battery 246 began construction in 1942 but never completed before the fort became inactivate. Along with Battery 245 – Fort Stevens – and Battery 247 – Fort Canby – this battery provided protection to the mouth of the river in place of the old Endicott batteries which had dwindled considerably by the time of World War II.
Two 6-inch guns were placed behind armored gun shields covering all but the rear of the gun. Everything was complete except for some final circuitry before the war ended. If fired, the guns were capable of sending a 105 mm shell over 15 miles at a rate of five shells per minute. The guns tubes went south to Battery 243 near San Francisco where mounted in 1948 only to be decommissioned two years later.
new guns
The State Park was able to obtain two 6-inch guns from Fort McAndrew in Argentia, Newfoundland in 1994. The guns had been part of Battery 281. The fort was one of those allowed by the Lend-Lease agreements between the US and the UK which gave the US a 99-year lease for bases in Newfoundland and Labrador. McAndrew included Battery 281 and 282 – the two guns of 282 are still there. The guns of 282 and 246 represent four of the six remaining guns of this type – 45 of the type completed. Two more found at Fort Pickens, Battery 234 in Florida.
The casement bunker was used in the early 1960’s for possible use for the Washington State government to relocate if an atomic attack occurred. Enough food and water was stored to last months underground with generators and a sealed environment.
