Fort Stevens began in 1863 as a Civil War fortification guarding the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon. In 1897, the U.S. Army began construction of the William Clark Battery (named for the Clark of Lewis and Clark). The battery, which was completed in 1898, was construction with concrete and included two pits with four mortars. In 1917, the mortars were removed from the William Clark Battery and today the cement structure stands empty, attracting tourists to explore the ruins. Shown below are some of the ruins associated with the battery.
Gymnasium
Bakery
Hospital
The hospital was built about 1910 on Hospital Hill, also known as Gobbler’s Knob.
Unidentified ruins
Artillery Engineers’ Building
Artillery engineers and staff calculated a rifle’s range, or field of fire. They had to consider atmospheric pressure, wind speed, tide levels, and temperature — all of which could affect the speed and range of artillery shells. This information was then posted on large maps in each battery’s plotting room.