Tag Archives: Fort Columbia

LAST PIECE TO THE RIVER’S MOUTH TRIAD – FORT COLUMBIA

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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”.

1937 aerial view of Fort Columbia.

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.

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THE BAR IS CLOSED – FORT CANBY ON THE COLUMBIA

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Having written last of Fort Stevens on the south side of the mouth of the Columbia River, the lynchpin of the triad of forts arranged to guard the entrance from the sea from 1865 until 1947, it is time to turn our attention to the north side of the river. First, Fort Canby set up on the headland on the north side of the entrance to the mouth. Even today, a visit by car to the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center – literally erected upon the aprons of one of Fort Canby’s former battery aprons – takes you winding along a narrow densely forested lane giving you just a taste of the primeval nature of the site.

Mouth of the Columbia River with the former defensive forts arrayed.

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FORT STEVENS – FRONT DOOR CLOSED ON THE COLUMBIA

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Replica of a 6-inch disappearing gun at Battery Pratt.

A visit to semi-restored Fort Stevens on the Point Adams along the southern mouth of the Columbia River transports one part way back in time. Here you see three or four distinct flavors of the month in terms of ideas on how to properly defend the nation.

Fort Stevens became the lynchpin of three forts developed in the latter half of the 19th century to defend the mouth of the Columbia River from would-be invaders, whether they be British, Confederate, German or Japanese. The other two forts forming the Columbiad triad forming on the north side of the river in Washington – Forts Canby and Columbia.

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