At the top of Fort Stevens State Park Oregon<\/h2>\n\n\n\n After trying our best to get glimpses inside the roped off battery, the men in the group couldn\u2019t contain their excitement, and they split up, each taking a different set of stairs. THe different sets of concrete staircases ended at the top of the large dirt mound with the stairs on the right leading to Battery 245, which is smaller, but newer than Fort Stevens\u2019 other batteries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nHere, we found small concrete structures that were partially underground, with doors allowing entrance into the back of them. According to the map from the museum, this area housed the commander station and the mine
\nThe stairs we climbed to get up to the observation structures seemed much less steep on the way up. So, we carefully made our way back down them to the batteries again. On the right heading back to the museum
The Founding of Fort Stevens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n We may have gone about our self-guided Fort Stevens tour a little bit backwards. It makes more logical sense to start with the older fort portions at the front of the park and work your way back, but we let the elk be our initial tour guides. Going backwards in time, the original Oregon civil-war fort is seen off to the right as you drive in towards the museum and parking area.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe large mound of dirt we had viewed when entering the Fort Stevens State Park Oregon actually forms the embankment defense of the old civil war outpost. You can clearly see the moat and the earthwork that provided the defense of Fort Stevens in the civil war era. We climbed to the top of the dirt to see the river while the dog ran full speed up and down the man-made hill. The current earthwork is a reconstruction of the original built in 1864.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the right side of the earthwork part of Fort Stevens, is the Mine Casemate and Mine Commander\u2019s Station. This building seems a little more abandoned than most at this site, but you can go inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFor photographers, it has great color to it, with yellows and orange streaking down the building in contrast to the green earth around it. Inside, there is not much left to see, except an old electrical panel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gymnasiums, Hospitals, and Bakeries- the Other Buildings of Fort Stevens State Park Oregon<\/h2>\n\n\n\n On our way out, we deiced to do one last drive around the property and came upon a lot of seemingly random structures and foundations. This is when I realized just how many people were stationed here, and how large Fort Stevens was.<\/p>\n\n\n\nInterwoven with wartime buildings like the communications bunker, are buildings or foundations for the bakery, gymnasium, commissary, and hospital. A little farther back, we came across a large E-shaped building tucked in next to a residential neighborhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This building is a dark maze inside, so make sure you have a flashlight before entering. Inside is room after room for storing artillery. This building was one of my favorites, and I would have gladly spent more time inside. We were on our way to leave when we realized the museum had opened. The museum itself cannot compete with the remnants of the fort itself, but we were able to ask questions and see original photos of the fort in action. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A little about Fort Stevens\u2019 History<\/h2>\n\n\n\n In 1863, British and Confederate raiders were seen scouting Oregon\u2019s Columbia River. President Lincoln took this as a threat and ordered the creation of Fort Stevens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At Point Adams, a spit of land that defines the southern-most side of the Columbia River, a nine-sided earthwork fort was created and surrounded by a moat. The rudimentary establishment housed a total of 26 canons, with 17 of them being able to launch 100-plus pound cannon balls well over a mile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Around the turn of the century, Fort Stevens saw upgrades, such as 8 new concrete batteries, ten-inch rifled canons, six inch rifles, and 12-inch canons. The upgrades came as part of a national effort to better protect coastal defense systems. Fort Stevens was to work together with Fort Canby and Fort Columbia to defend the Columbia River.<\/p>\n\n\n\n