Fort Clatsop
Encyclopedia
Fort Clatsop was the encampment of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
in the Oregon Country
near the mouth of the Columbia River
during the winter of 1805-1806. Located along the Lewis and Clark River
at the north end of the Clatsop Plains
approximately 5 mi (8 km) southwest of Astoria
, the fort was the last encampment of the Corps of Discovery before embarking on their return trip east to St. Louis
.
The site is now protected as part of the Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Parks
, and is also known as Fort Clatsop National Memorial. A replica of the fort was constructed for the sesquicentennial in 1955 and lasted for fifty years; it was severely damaged by fire in early October 2005, weeks before Fort Clatsop's bicentennial. A new replica, more rustic and rough-hewn, was built by about 700 volunteers in 2006; it opened with a dedication ceremony that took place on December 9.
tribe of Native Americans
. Construction of the fort began on December 9 and the captains moved into their quarters (still unroofed) two days before Christmas 1805. The original stockade was a small cramped wooden structure, more of a barracks than a defensible structure. By their own accounts, the Corps members were largely miserable during the damp cold winter on the Pacific Coast. Whereas the previous winter on the Great Plains
(in present-day central North Dakota
) they spent a great amount of time with the local Mandan tribe, at Fort Clatsop their interaction with the local Clatsop was not social and was limited mostly to small-scale trading. The fort was opened to trading only 24 days during the entire winter.
The expedition's journals do not give a precise layout of the fort, and the two floorplans drawn by Sergeant John Ordway
and Captain William Clark differ. Clark's floorplan is the accepted version due to his rank and role in the construction work.
The area they had settled in was on the lands of the Clatsop
tribe, one of the Lower Chinookan
peoples. Prior to the expedition's arrival, the Clatsop had frequently traded with other European
traders and explorers visiting the area by ship. Because of their prior experience with traders, the Clatsop were shrewd at valuing the expedition's "Indian trinkets". Despite this, the tribe interacted frequently with the expedition, trading goods, services, and information.
The camp site was selected by Captain Lewis and construction took place over the month of December, with the expedition moving in by Christmas Day 1805. They remained at the fort for three months, until March 23, 1806, when they departed on their return trip home.
The original Fort Clatsop decayed in the wet climate of the region but was reconstructed in 1955 from sketches in the journals of William Clark. The site is currently operated by the National Park Service
.
operator's insistence that the fire was no more than fog over the nearby Lewis and Clark River
delayed firefighters’ arrival by about 15 minutes, possibly impacting their ability to save part of the structure. Investigators found no evidence of arson
. The fire started in one of the enlisted men's quarters, where earlier in the day there had been an open hearth fire burning.
The replacement was completed in December 2006. In spite of the loss, the fire renewed archaeological
interest in the site, as excavations had not been possible while the replica was standing. Additionally, the new replica was built utilizing information on the original fort that was not available for the 1955 replica. The 2006 replica also features a fire detection system.
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition, or ″Corps of Discovery Expedition" was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William...
in the Oregon Country
Oregon Country
The Oregon Country was a predominantly American term referring to a disputed ownership region of the Pacific Northwest of North America. The region was occupied by British and French Canadian fur traders from before 1810, and American settlers from the mid-1830s, with its coastal areas north from...
near the mouth of the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
during the winter of 1805-1806. Located along the Lewis and Clark River
Lewis and Clark River
The Lewis and Clark River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately long, in northwest Oregon in the United States. It drains of the Northern Oregon Coast Range in the extreme northwest corner of the state, entering the Columbia near its mouth. Near the river's mouth is the site of...
at the north end of the Clatsop Plains
Clatsop Plains
The Clatsop Plains are an area of wetlands and sand dunes between the Northern Oregon Coast Range and Pacific Ocean in northwestern Oregon in the United States. They stretch from near the mouth of the Columbia River south to the vicinity of Tillamook Head near Seaside...
approximately 5 mi (8 km) southwest of Astoria
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...
, the fort was the last encampment of the Corps of Discovery before embarking on their return trip east to St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
.
The site is now protected as part of the Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Parks
Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Parks
The Lewis and Clark National and State Historical Parks, in the vicinity of the mouth of the Columbia River, commemorate the Lewis and Clark Expedition...
, and is also known as Fort Clatsop National Memorial. A replica of the fort was constructed for the sesquicentennial in 1955 and lasted for fifty years; it was severely damaged by fire in early October 2005, weeks before Fort Clatsop's bicentennial. A new replica, more rustic and rough-hewn, was built by about 700 volunteers in 2006; it opened with a dedication ceremony that took place on December 9.
History
Fort Clatsop was named after the local ClatsopClatsop
The Clatsop are a small tribe of Chinookan-speaking Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. In the early 19th century they inhabited an area of the northwestern coast of present-day Oregon from the mouth of the Columbia River south to Tillamook.-Language:Clatsop in the...
tribe of Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. Construction of the fort began on December 9 and the captains moved into their quarters (still unroofed) two days before Christmas 1805. The original stockade was a small cramped wooden structure, more of a barracks than a defensible structure. By their own accounts, the Corps members were largely miserable during the damp cold winter on the Pacific Coast. Whereas the previous winter on the Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
(in present-day central North Dakota
North Dakota
North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....
) they spent a great amount of time with the local Mandan tribe, at Fort Clatsop their interaction with the local Clatsop was not social and was limited mostly to small-scale trading. The fort was opened to trading only 24 days during the entire winter.
The expedition's journals do not give a precise layout of the fort, and the two floorplans drawn by Sergeant John Ordway
John Ordway
Sergeant John Ordway , the youngest of ten siblings, was an important part of the Lewis and Clark Expedition across the United States. John Ordway was one of the sergeants from the United States Army who stepped forward as a volunteer for the expedition...
and Captain William Clark differ. Clark's floorplan is the accepted version due to his rank and role in the construction work.
The area they had settled in was on the lands of the Clatsop
Clatsop
The Clatsop are a small tribe of Chinookan-speaking Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. In the early 19th century they inhabited an area of the northwestern coast of present-day Oregon from the mouth of the Columbia River south to Tillamook.-Language:Clatsop in the...
tribe, one of the Lower Chinookan
Chinookan
Chinook refers to several native amercain groups of in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, speaking the Chinookan languages. In the early 19th century, the Chinookan-speaking peoples lived along the lower and middle Columbia River in present-day Oregon and Washington...
peoples. Prior to the expedition's arrival, the Clatsop had frequently traded with other European
European ethnic groups
The ethnic groups in Europe are the various ethnic groups that reside in the nations of Europe. European ethnology is the field of anthropology focusing on Europe....
traders and explorers visiting the area by ship. Because of their prior experience with traders, the Clatsop were shrewd at valuing the expedition's "Indian trinkets". Despite this, the tribe interacted frequently with the expedition, trading goods, services, and information.
The camp site was selected by Captain Lewis and construction took place over the month of December, with the expedition moving in by Christmas Day 1805. They remained at the fort for three months, until March 23, 1806, when they departed on their return trip home.
The original Fort Clatsop decayed in the wet climate of the region but was reconstructed in 1955 from sketches in the journals of William Clark. The site is currently operated by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
.
2005 fire
In the late evening of October 3, 2005, a fire destroyed the replica fort. Federal, state, and community officials immediately pledged to rebuild it. A 9-1-19-1-1
9-1-1 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan .It is one of eight N11 codes.The use of this number is for emergency circumstances only, and to use it for any other purpose can be a crime.-History:In the earliest days of telephone technology, prior to the...
operator's insistence that the fire was no more than fog over the nearby Lewis and Clark River
Lewis and Clark River
The Lewis and Clark River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately long, in northwest Oregon in the United States. It drains of the Northern Oregon Coast Range in the extreme northwest corner of the state, entering the Columbia near its mouth. Near the river's mouth is the site of...
delayed firefighters’ arrival by about 15 minutes, possibly impacting their ability to save part of the structure. Investigators found no evidence of arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
. The fire started in one of the enlisted men's quarters, where earlier in the day there had been an open hearth fire burning.
The replacement was completed in December 2006. In spite of the loss, the fire renewed archaeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
interest in the site, as excavations had not been possible while the replica was standing. Additionally, the new replica was built utilizing information on the original fort that was not available for the 1955 replica. The 2006 replica also features a fire detection system.
External links
- Lewis and Clark National Historical Park - National Park Service
- History of Fort Clatsop - National Park Service
- Fort Clatsop & N. Oregon coast - The Seattle TimesThe Seattle TimesThe Seattle Times is a newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, US. It is the largest daily newspaper in the state of Washington. It has been, since the demise in 2009 of the printed version of the rival Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle's only major daily print newspaper.-History:The Seattle Times...
- Travel - 05-April-2007 - The Lewis & Clark Expedition: Documenting the Uncharted Northwest Name, a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan