Lewis and Clark National Historical Park
Windshield Survey of Potentially Eligible National Register Properties
By
Douglas Deur, Ph.D.
PNW Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit
University of Washington
May 2009
PNW CESU
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
COLLEGE OF FOREST RESOURCES
BOX 352100
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON 980195-2100
Completed under Cooperative Agreement H8W07060001between the University of Washington
and the National Park Service.
Lewis and Clark National Historical Park
Windshield Survey of Potentially Eligible National Register Properties
The current study represents the outcome of a reconnaissance survey of properties
within the recently expanded Lewis and Clark National Historical Park (LEWI), as well
as LEWI’s partner parks that are managed by Oregon and Washington state parks. This
reconnaissance survey has been undertaken both to assist the National Park Service
resource managers in meeting their compliance mandates for the expanded park unit,
but also to aid in research being undertaken regarding the viability of the proposed
Columbia-Pacific National Heritage Area, consisting of Pacific and Wahkiakum
Counties in Washington state and Clatsop County, Oregon. National Register Bulletin
24 defines reconnaissance level surveys of historic properties in this way:
“Reconnaissance may be thought of as a "once over lightly" inspection of
an area, most useful for characterizing its resources in general and for
developing a basis for deciding how to organize and orient more detailed
survey efforts. In conjunction with a general review of pertinent literature
on the community's past, a reconnaissance may involve such activities
as…windshield survey” (NPS 1984: 12).
As outlined in the task agreement between the National Park Service (NPS) and the
University of Washington, this reconnaissance level survey was to specifically involve
“windshield surveys,” involve “literally driving around the community” and noting
properties that might warrant nomination to the National Register, as well as their
visible attributes that might help to clarify their National Register potential as well as to
ascertain future research needs to differentiate and ultimately nominate properties to
the Register. As the National Park Service is not authorized to prepare National
Register nominations for privately owned lands, the current survey focuses only on
those lands managed by the National Park Service, or managed by Oregon and
Washington’s State Park systems.
Attached is the summary of findings from repeat windshield surveys by Dr. Douglas
Deur (University of Washington) over the course of spring and fall 2008; in a November
2008 repeat survey, Deur was assisted by Steven Mark, a NPS Historian with National
Register expertise. In addition to providing general observations of possible National
Register eligible properties, this report contains preliminary recommendations for
National Register nominations for all 11 components of the Lewis and Clark National
1 Historical Park and its partner park units that are managed by Oregon and Washington
state parks. These include:
1) Ecola State Park (Oregon State Parks)
2) The Salt Works (National Park Service)
3) Sunset Beach State Recreation Area (Oregon State Parks)
4) Fort to Sea Trail (NPS managed, various owners, including NPS)
5) Sunset Beach State Recreation Area (Oregon State Parks)
6) Fort Clatsop, within the expanded boundary (NPS)
7) Fort Stevens State Park (Oregon State Parks)
8) Dismal Nitch (NPS)
9) Station Camp (NPS)
10) Fort Columbia State Park (Washington State Parks)
11) Cape Disappointment State Park (Washington State Parks, NPS and others)
Based on this preliminary analysis, revised National Register nominations are
tentatively recommended for a total of two properties, while a new nomination is
recommended for one additional property. Revised nominations would center on one
National Park Service property (Fort Clatsop National Historic District) and one
property owned by Washington State Parks and the National Park Service (Cape
Disappointment National Historic District), while a new nomination may be required
for one property that is owned solely by Washington State Parks (Chinook Point
National Historical Landmark at Fort Columbia State Park). Washington State Parks
has expressed interest in the possible review, revision, or replacement of the existing
nominations for their park units as part of this NPS sponsored initiative. Consultation
will be necessary before and during any further documentation of properties on these
Washington State Park lands, to insure that State Park staff continue to be involved
with, and support, the research and potential revision of nominations for their
properties. Oregon State Parks has opted to not participate in the development of new
or revised National Register nominations. Nonetheless, this document contains
summary recommendations for possible National Register listings or revisions in these
Oregon parks, for reference use only. Potential opportunities for multiple property
nominations and districts are noted in the text that follows, though it is likely that these
districts would be of considerable scale and possibly beyond the scope of the current
project; if such districts were developed, additional park properties might be
considered for nomination from the list of eleven park areas.
Photos and additional field notes were taken of key elements for those properties
proposed for revised nominations. Further research on each of these properties will
continue in the months ahead for use in possible revised nominations. Clearly, each of
the places identified here was visited by members of the Corps of Discovery and has
2 Park Area
Property Names
Ownership
NR Status
Ecola State Park
Indian Point Site
Ecola Point Site
Bald Point Site
Indian Creek Village
Site
Fort Clatsop National
Monument (Salt
Works)
Oregon Parks &
Recreation
Department
NR documentation
for archaeo sites
prepared 1984, 1997;
expanded nomination
possible
NR documentation
prepared 1988;
revision unnecessary
NA
The Salt Works
National Park Service
Fort to Sea Trail
Various (NPS
managed)
Oregon Parks &
Recreation
Department
National Park Service
Sunset Beach State
Recreation Area
Fort Clatsop
Fort Stevens State
Park
Fort Clatsop National
Historical District
Fort Stevens Military
Reservation
Dismal Nitch
Oregon Parks &
Recreation
Department
National Park Service
Station Camp
National Park Service
Fort Columbia State
Park
Cape Disappointment
State Park
Chinook Point
National Historical
Landmark
Cape Disappointment
Historic District
Washington State
Parks
Washington State
Parks, NPS and other
NA
NR nomination 1988;
revisions needed
NR nomination 1971;
revisions needed
NA; to be included in
revised LEWI
nomination
Draft NR nomination
still being developed
NHL documentation
prepared 1978;
revisions needed
NR nomination 1975;
revisions needed
some level of significance in the Lewis and Clark story that contributed to their
acquisition by the NPS or their inclusion as a LEWI partner park. As the role of these
properties in the Lewis and Clark story is well documented both in the Corps of
Discovery’s journals (Moulton 1990, 1996) and in a variety of NPS literatures, specific
references to Lewis and Clark’s visit are not included in this document, except to the
extent that this might, by their individual significance, affect the property’s potential
National Register status. It is conceivable that all of the parks indicated here could be
included in a multi-property district focusing on key sites from the Corps of Discovery’s
stay on the lower Columbia River in the winter of 1805-06. Other themes shared by
multiple LEWI park segments on both sides of the river, with extant properties or sites
that meet National Register criteria, include the militarization of the Columbia River
3 and Native American history and culture. Here too, multiple property nominations or
districts could be conceptualized that bring together these park properties on both sides
of the Columbia River. There is also the possibility of a new MPD or revisions to
existing nominations that would unify the discontinuous segments of LEWI, including
Fort Clatsop, Fort Columbia, and Cape Disappointment, and reference the other units in
order to tell the entire story.
4 Ecola State Park
Ecola State Park consists of a rugged series of headlands and rocky beaches fronting the
open Pacific Ocean. The park’s historical significance is multifaceted, including
archaeological Nehalem-Tillamook village sites, sites from the Lewis and Clark
Expedition story, CCC development of park infrastructure, and a military facility on the
top of Tillamook Head.
The strongest National Register link likely centers on two aspects of the park – first, the
significance of landmarks in the park as historic sites related to the Lewis and Clark
story, and second, the archaeological resources of the park. Places such as Clark’s Point
of View and Indian Beach receive prominent mention in the Lewis and Clark journals
and might be included as part of a larger district centered on the park, or a multiproperty district including other locations from outside of the park related to the Lewis
and Clark party. The suitability of these sites for independent National Register listing
is debatable, as they do not appear to meet the criteria for individual listing. In the
context of a historic district, or possibly a discontinuous historic district, these
properties may meet the criteria for listing.
The National Register listed archaeological sites within the park might be candidates for
relisting as part of an archaeological district, including the Indian Point Site (35-CLT34), Bald Point Site (35-CLT-23), Ecola Point Site (35-CLT-21), and Indian Creek Village
Site (35-CLT-12), and any other archaeological sites that might be identified in the park
but as yet remain unlisted. These sites are already listed, however, as part of an
existing multiple property district – the Native American Archaeological Sites of the
Oregon Coast MPS. The Indian Point and Indian Creek Village Sites are apparently
part of the village noted by Clark in January of 1806, and these villages are all part of a
Nehalem-Tillamook settlement complex centered on the resources and rugged shoreline
of the open coast (Minor 1991).
Little is left from the CCC efforts at Ecola. The picnic shelter at Ecola Point appears to
contain elements of original rockwork, but elsewhere, rockwork clearly dates from
recent decades; extensive remodeling and replacement of built elements have
eliminated much of the structure’s integrity. Little else of the original CCC construction
remains, following the cataclysmic landslide of 1961, which swept much of the park’s
developed picnic area into the sea (Schlicker, et al 1961). The park’s trails may meet
National Register criteria, being approximations of the original tribal trails followed by
William Clark’s party, reestablished in part by CCC crews; the trails have clearly been
rerouted in a number of places, but portions of the original trail apparently remain.
Existing documentation on CCC work in the park is apparently limited, and Deur has
on file all of the available State Parks/CCC archival materials relating to these activities.
5 Offshore from Ecola State Park – and not in federal ownership at this date – is the
Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, which is already listed on the National Register.
A final historical property, the World War II bunker on the top of Tillamook Head and
the military road accessing this bunker are of debatable National Register significance.
A case could be made that these military features would be eligible for National
Register listing as part of a multiple-property district focused on the military history of
the Columbia River mouth. Independent of such a district, it is unlikely that the
Tillamook Head bunker and military road would merit individual listing.
The view from the Ecola Point Site (35-CLT-21), one of four National Register listed archaeological sites
at Ecola State Park, 2002
6 Salt Works
The Salt Works consists of a single city lot within Seaside, Oregon – roughly 15 miles
south of Fort Clatsop – with facilities intended to commemorate the use of that site by
members of the Corps of Discovery for salt making during the winter of 1805-06. No
physical remains of the original salt making operation remains; the original salt works
was reported in the Lewis and Clark journals to be located near a village of Clatsops
and Nehalem-Tillamooks, and it was on the basis of tribal oral tradition, documented in
1899/1900, that the current monument was sited. The Oregon Historical Society
developed the original Salt Works commemorative site in the first decade of the 20th
century, acquiring the land through donation and placing a fenced enclosure around
rocks found on the site that were believed to be from the original salt cairn. In 1925, the
Great Northern Railway funded improvements of the site, including iron fences, brick
corner posts and a sidewalk, in an effort to enhance tourist attractions in the Seaside
area. During Lewis and Clark Sesquicentennial celebrations in 1955, the Seaside Lions
Club added other features, including commemorative plaques, and a stone and concrete
“reconstruction” of the original salt cairn placed atop rocks identified as part of the
original cairn (Cannon 1995). The property was owned by the Oregon Historical Society
and managed by the Seaside Lions Club (though the City of Seaside had limited
involved in its management) until the land was incorporated into Fort Clatsop National
Memorial and NPS management in 1978. Each organization has added to the
interpretive functions of the site in turn.
The commemorative cairn reconstruction and enclosure at the Salt Works, November 2008
7 The built landscape at the Salt Cairn reflects the gradual accretion of commemorative
structures outlined above. A stone and concrete replica of the salt cairn used by the
Corps of Discovery apparently dating from 1955 is enclosed in a concrete, stone and
brick enclosure with wrought metal fences and gates, most of which dates from 1925.
Some sources suggest that rocks originally found on the site in primary archaeological
context were incorporated into the cairn replica (Cannon 1995). Commemorative metal
plaques are found on a free-standing stone and two brick columns of the cairn
enclosure. A simple, low rock boundary encircles the front (north) end of the property.
The existing National Register nomination (1988 revision of original 1966 administrative
nomination) focuses primarily on the significance of the site in the story of the Lewis
and Clark Expedition. The nomination may require revision in light of the
commemorative structures at the site, which date from the 1920s and 1950s, in addition
to the relatively new signage added by the NPS. These commemorative structural
features were addressed briefly in the 1988 revised nomination for Fort Clatsop
National Monument (Northrop and Toothman 1988). Any revised nomination might
invite further documentation on the genesis and chronology of these built features.
Oregon Historical Society and Seaside History Museum records can be consulted for
documentation, along with the FOCL Administrative History and LEWI Archives. Oral
history may fill gaps in these other written sources, if needed.
8 Sunset Beach State Recreation Area
There are no properties at the Sunset Beach State Recreation Area that appear to
warrant National Register listing. The site is not clearly identified in the Lewis and
Clark journals, even if the journals do allude to accessing the beach somewhere in this
area. The site does provide opportunities for interpretation and HRS treatment related
to transportation themes, including the historic wagon road that accessed the beach
nearby, as well as the continued use of the beach as an official state highway – part of
former Governor Oswald West’s effort to preserve Oregon’s beaches in public
ownership. The village site reported by Lewis and Clark to the north of Sunset Beach,
on what are today Fort Rilea lands, may also warrant discussion. The Neacoxie River’s
flow reversed in the decades following the Corps of Discovery, causing the effective
disappearance of the estuary on which this village sat by the mid-19th century; recent
ground penetrating radar investigations by Dr. Curt Peterson (Portland State
University, Department of Geology) and others have revealed the contours of this
historic estuary. Additional documentation of this location is available in the LEWI
Archives. The pending addition of the Yeon family properties to the south of Sunset
Beach State Recreation Area will add considerably to the recreational and scenic values
of the site, but is unlikely to add any National Register properties to park management.
9 Fort to Sea Trail
The Fort to Sea trail traverses a wide range of landscapes, from upland forests within
the LEWI boundary to a series of dune ridges and cow pastures where the NPS holds
easements on private agricultural and residential properties. The trail very roughly
approximates the route sometimes taken by members of the Corps of Discovery from
Fort Clatsop to the ocean beach, but it is unlikely that the current trail overlaps with the
original trail. As noted in the park’s General Management Plan of Lewis and Clark’s
original trail to the sea,
“The actual route and location of this trail have never been
determined…In spite of landscape information provided in the journal
entries and accompanying maps, the precise nature of a water or overland
trail system used by the Expedition remains almost impossible to verify
because of dramatic changes that have taken place in the landscape in the
past 200 years” (NPS 1995: 75-76).
The current trail configuration represents an attempt by the NPS (and Congress, which
mandated this effort) to provide recreational opportunities to visitors and to replicate
the experience of walking between the Fort and the sea without necessarily following in
the footsteps of Lewis and Clark (NPS 1995). The precise original route of the trail is
unknown and probably not recoverable at this date. At the time that the NPS proposed
and acquired the easements, no specific cultural or historical resources were reported
along its route.
An initial review of properties along this trail reveals little that would merit National
Register listing along the federally-owned portion of the trail. A wagon road follows
the approximate route of the Fort-to-Sea Trail through the expanded Fort Clatsop lands.
This wagon road was constructed between Lewis and Clark and Skipanon Rivers by
William Smith with Chinese laborers; in the late 19th century this road served as a
principal route for Portland travelers who arrived by steamboat at Fort Clatsop and
then traveled by wagon en route to the resort community of Seaside. Ruts from this
wagon road have recently been found within the park (Deb Wood, pers. comm. 2009). A
mill site and ferry landing has been reported on the Skipanon River a short distance
downstream from the Fort to Sea Trail bridge over this river. These elements provide
an opportunity to interpret the transportation and lumbering history of the region, and
a pier visible downstream from the bridge may relate to these uses. Still, the integrity of
these features has been largely compromised and there is nothing along this trail in
federal ownership that appears to merit National Register listing. The 1986-88 revised
10 nomination for Fort Clatsop National Memorial provided a description of the Fort to
Sea Trail, as it was proposed at the time; this documentation is likely sufficient for any
National Register mandates pertaining to the trail (Northrop and Toothman 1988).
Some historical properties exist on private land along the trail that merit attention in the
HRS and interpretive materials, most notably the Pioneer Church – one of Oregon’s
oldest churches with a congregational history dating back to 1846; a number of the
Clatsop Plains’ earliest settlers are buried here, including Solomon and Celiast Smith
(on this church’s history, see http://pioneerpresbyterian.com/history.html). The trail
also traverses agricultural lands, including grazing areas for dairying and beef cattle,
and in the vicinity of lands that had been used for daffodil cultivation prior to World
War II.
11 Fort Clatsop
The expanded boundaries of the Fort Clatsop portion of LEWI contain a number of
properties of minor historical importance. Fort Clatsop was originally listed
administratively on the National Register in 1966, with no documentation prepared. In
1988, a revised nomination encompassing the entire Fort Clatsop National Monument
as it existed in the late 1980s, centering on Fort Clatsop proper, was completed by
Northrop and Toothman (1988). It is recommended that an amendment to the existing
National Register nomination be prepared to incorporate the expanded geographical
boundary as well as any themes not fully addressed in the 1988 document. The
amended nomination might review and incorporate information regarding Donation
Land Claims within the expanded boundary from the General Land Office records, and
expand on information on commemorative uses of the Fort Clatsop site in the late 19th
and early 20th centuries. Also, any new information collected in the process of
rebuilding the fort in 2006 should also be incorporated into the document. Individual
property listings are likely not warranted for the lands brought into the memorial
through the recent expansion, as they do not have the significance or integrity for listing
in the NRHP.
While the Fort Clatsop site has a long history of informal visitation and
commemoration, formal commemoration of Fort Clatsop began in 1901, when the
Oregon Historical Society acquired roughly three acres of land at the reputed Fort site.
The tract was expanded to roughly five acres and a plaque placed on the site in 1928. In
1955, various community organizations collaborated to construct a replica of the Fort
and other commemorative markers on the site (Cannon 1995; NPS 1995; Hussey 1957a).
Cultural resources on the fort site are relatively few and most have been adequately
summarized in the existing National Register nomination. The park has tended to
manage the landscape, including vegetation, with an eye toward its capacities as a
cultural landscape: “As a historic site, the primary cultural landscape resource is the
reconstructed physical setting which provides an overall interpretive environment for
the site” (NPS 1995: 75).
The southern extension of Fort Clatsop, encompassing the Netul Landing properties,
front tidally-influenced sections of the Lewis and Clark River in which there are
numerous well-preserved pilings. These pilings have been used to secure rafts of cut
logs in preparation for their shipment to area mills, and a “wet sort yard,” where rafted
logs were sorted as to size, species, and quality prior to milling, operated at this site.
These pilings are in generally good condition, though it is clear that the pilings have
been periodically replaced, and a number of metal pilings stand where wooden pilings
were once found. If anything, these pilings may be of regional but more likely local
significance if that, but do not appear to have the integrity for listing in the NRHP due
12 to the deterioration of the structure and its missing components. New materials (metal)
may have further compromised the integrity of the setting and materials of the original
wooden pilings. To ascertain their regional significance, a statewide survey would be
required. Only a small portion of these pilings are on federal lands, but most are in
navigable waters owned by the State of Oregon’s Department of State Lands. The NPS
does not typically nominate properties that are not under federal management or
ownership. Cumulatively, these facts suggest that a separate nomination is not
warranted, but that the theme of historic log storage might be included within the
expanded Fort Clatsop nomination. Certainly, these remnant landscape features will
warrant attention in the HRS as well as offer an opportunity for NPS interpretation at
the site. The LEWI Archives contains additional information regarding these piers and
their history.
Pilings of diverse antiquity and materials in the tidewater adjacent to Netul Landing, November 2008
13 At Otter Point, a former county road lines the wetland-upland interface, though it is
much modified and partially decommissioned. Features along this road, including
occasional fence posts, appear to date from the time when this road was active and
relate to the agricultural history of the property. So too, the dike surrounding the Otter
Point wetland dates from the early 20th century and, while lacking National Register
significance, also relates to the expanded park’s agricultural history. (Importantly,
portions of this dike are now slated for demolition as part of an estuarine rehabilitation
project overseen by the LEWI Chief of Resources, an activity will require Section 106
compliance be completed prior to construction.) While not warranting a separate
nomination because they do not appear to have the significance and/or integrity for
listing in the NRHP, these features warrant mention in the amended park nomination
form. In addition, the value of the restored Otter Point site in helping to reconstruct the
“cultural landscape” of the larger Fort Clatsop site may warrant mention in the revised
nomination.
The western expansions of the park include lands that were largely second- and thirdgrowth industrial forest. Portions of these lands were formerly within Donation Land
Claims and some effort should be directed to sorting out the succession of these claims
within the HRS. As mentioned in the Fort to Sea Trail section of this report, a wagon
road is reported within the Fort Clatsop expansion, and documentation on this road
should be produced as part of the HRS.
14 Fort Stevens State Park
Owned by the Bureau of Land Management and leased/managed by Oregon State
Parks, Fort Stevens State Park contains a number of well-documented historical
properties. If National Register nominations were considered for this park, this would
involve the amendment of the existing National Register nomination.
The existing documentation of National Register eligible properties focuses especially
on the military history of this park, with military sites and structures dating from the
Civil War through World War II. Civil War era earthworks are being documented and
partially reconstructed in the park. Battery Mischler consists of a gun battery on the
Columbia River mouth, as well as the former underground command post for all of the
Columbia River forts. Battery Russell, a gun battery facing the ocean entrance to the
Columbia River, was fired upon by a Japanese submarine during World War II – the
only military battle of that war in the contiguous 48 states. The Pacific Rim Peace
Memorial sits adjacent to Battery Russell, while commemorative markers have been
placed at points where Japanese shells struck the ground. Officers’ quarters and other
residential structures are found in the northern portion of the park, and may be of
architectural as well as historical significance in some cases. These military features
might serve as the focus of a multi-park nomination centering on the militarization of
the Columbia River mouth and citing the original Fort Stevens National Register
nomination.
In addition to these military features, there are a number of other elements that would
require inclusion in any revised nomination. A significant Clatsop Indian village sat at
the location where Battery Mischler is now located. This village was visited by a
number of early explorers and is mentioned in various written accounts of the late-18th
and early 19th century coast. This village was the centerpiece of the proposed Clatsop
reservation that was reserved in the tribe’s Tansy Point treaty, but never realized when
that treaty was not ratified. The forced relocation of the Clatsop from this village at the
time of fort construction is itself a topic worthy of mention in a revised nomination, as
well as the HRS and subsequent interpretive efforts. Moreover, Fort Stevens contains
the sites of several shipwrecks, including the still-visible remains of the Peter Iredale, a
British barque that wrecked in 1906. The south jetty of the Columbia River was
constructed in what is now the park in 1885-95 (and augmented thereafter) to protect
oceangoing vessels that traversed this bar; pilings and other landmarks from an historic
rail line associated with the construction of the south jetty also traverse the park. No
matter whether Oregon State Parks might wish to amend the existing National Register
nomination for Fort Stevens, these themes will receive attention in the Historic Resource
Study.
15 Dismal Nitch
On the basis of existing landmarks, there is no apparent basis for National Register
listing at Dismal Nitch. The site may have significance as a location of importance
within the larger Lewis and Clark story, and may warrant inclusion in a multi-property
nomination centering on this theme. Individual listing on the basis of this criterion,
however, does not appear warranted. However, the site might be included within a
larger nomination of Lewis and Clark National Historical Park, or as an outlying site
within a revised nomination of Fort Clatsop.
A number of well-preserved pilings from historic salmon canneries line the shoreline
adjacent to Dismal Nitch. These pilings are apparently from a fish receiving station that
was constructed in the 1880s, and have been modified through roughly 1961 for
subsequent riverfront uses (Appelo 1966: 14). These pilings have been the focus of an
archaeological survey by Smits, et al. (2005). These pilings may be of local significance,
but probably not of statewide or national significance and not eligible individually, due
especially to their lack of integrity. The piers that are found along the Columbia River
tidewater might be considered as contributing elements to a larger multi-property
district associated with the history of salmon fishing on the river. However, here – as in
the Netul Landing case – these pilings are located in navigable waters and are therefore
beyond the geographical limits of NPS ownership and management authority.
Exceptions include those pilings that apparently are now buried below fill material that
was used to create the original Washington State Department of Transportation rest
area, which now occupies the southeastern portion of the Dismal Nitch property.
Certainly, these pilings warrant mention in the HRS and subsequent NPS
interpretation.
16 Piers mark the location of a former cannery adjacent to Dismal Nitch, November 2008
17 Station Camp
Station Camp was the site of a significant Chinook settlement that was visited by Lewis
and Clark and was reported to consist of no fewer than 36 longhouses at that time. The
village appears in a number of travelogues of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The
site has been excavated in recent years and its historical significance, both before and
after the arrival of Euro-American explorers, has been well documented by NPS staff.
St Mary’s Catholic Church is clearly visible from the Station Camp site. Built in 1901,
this church has been a cornerstone of the McGowan community. The church is
addressed in the Section 106 documentation associated with State of Washington road
realignments in this area. This church can be addressed in the HRS and subsequent
interpretation at Station Camp.
The existing National Register nomination for this site – largely addressing Station
Camp’s archaeological resources, but also the site’s significance in the Lewis and Clark
story – has been developed following the 2006 excavation of the site. This nomination is
not yet complete. It may require review and revision in order to incorporate historic
features other than archaeological resources. If Station Camp is to be included in a
multiple property district, this nomination can be referenced within the larger multiple
property nomination form.
18 Fort Columbia State Park
Fort Columbia State Park contains the well-preserved remnants of a military station that
aided in the defense of the Columbia River’s mouth from 1896 through the end of
World War II. The property contains three gun batteries – Battery Jules Ord, Battery
William Murphy and Battery Frank Crenshaw, as well as separate buildings that served
as enlisted men’s and officers’ quarters. The residential buildings have been partially
restored, but photographic comparisons suggest that restorations have been consistent
with historical styles and materials; the gun batteries have received only minor
maintenance and, though generally well-preserved, are in varying stages of
deterioration.
Sitting in close proximity to significant Chinook settlements, the point on which Fort
Columbia sits is called “Chinook Point,” and this location also has added significance in
tribal history. The point was the approximate anchoring site of Captain Robert Gray
during the first recorded non-Native discovery of the Columbia River, and the site
served as a prominent landmark to early navigators accessing the river by ship (Hussey
1957b).
Chinook Point was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1964, based on its
significance to the voyages of Robert Gray and other explorers, as well as its military
history. This nomination can be reviewed for thoroughness in terms of historical
context and geographical distribution of the property. The military history of the site
should be expanded upon considerably within this revised nomination. The highway
tunnel through Chinook Point is listed individually on the National Register as part of
the Bridges and Tunnels of Washington State MPS multiple property district, due to its
importance in the transportation and engineering history of the state.
19 Detail of Fort Columbia Officers’ Quarters, November 2008
National Landmark Plaque for Chinook Point, installed at Ft. Columbia State Park in 1964 (Nov. 2008 photo)
20 Fort Columbia in 1913 (UW Electronic Archives Photo)
Fort Columbia in 2008, including artillery battery and officers’ quarters, November 2008
21 Cape Disappointment State Park
Cape Disappointment possesses a range of historical properties that is numerous and
diverse. Cape Disappointment was of clear significance to the Chinook Indians for
navigational, subsistence, and other cultural purposes; no archaeological sites appear to
be listed on the National Register, but it is possible that sites recorded in the park might
serve as contributing resources to a larger nomination. The Cape served as a prominent
geographical feature mentioned in the accounts of most early explorers to the region,
and was frequently used for shelter or navigational purposes during this time.
Also, Cape Disappointment was the site of Fort Canby, one of the triad of military
installations that defended the mouth of the Columbia River and also included Fort
Columbia and Fort Stevens. Fort Canby was in active service from 1863 to 1947, and
consisted of a number of gun batteries, as well as barracks and officers’ housing, which
occupied much of the eastern and southern edges of what is today the State Park. Many
of the original structures were razed in a renovation of the Fort beginning at the start of
the 20th century, but three new batteries were constructed soon thereafter, including
Batteries Guenther, Harvey Allen, and O’Flyng. Two other batteries were constructed
solely for use during World War II. The fort was originally named Fort Cape
Disappointment, but was renamed in honor of General Edward Canby who died in
conflicts with Modoc Indians in what is today Lava Beds National Monument.
Battery Harvey Allen, one of the three artillery batteries at Cape Disappointment, November 2008
22 Detail of WWII-era wall painting, on interior wall of Battery Harvey Allen, November 2008
In addition, two lighthouses are located on Cape Disappointment. The Cape
Disappointment Lighthouse was built on the headland’s southern tip and completed by
1856, while the North Head Lighthouse was built on the headland’s northwestern side
in 1896 to improve visibility to ships approaching from the north. A lifesaving station
formerly operated at the base of the Cape, and this station has continued to function
into the present day as a Coast Guard facility. Of these navigational facilities, only
North Head Lighthouse appears to be situated within the Park. The Cape
Disappointment Lighthouse sits on lands managed by the U.S. Coast Guard, while
Washington State Parks has been given the task of interpreting this landmark. Clearly,
the facilities outside of the park warrant attention in the HRS and subsequent
interpretive efforts, and may warrant consideration as part of a revised nomination for
Cape Disappointment. In addition to these facilities, the Columbia River’s north jetty
was constructed in 1908-1916 to protect oceangoing vessels traveling across the
treacherous river bar. The jetty and rail facilities associated with its construction
warrant mention as contributing resources to any revised nominations for the site. A
number of shipwrecks have also been recorded around the base of Cape
Disappointment.
23 The park and its constituent properties are already listed on the National Register as the
Cape Disappointment Historic District, and separate documentation is on file at the
Washington SHPO office for Fort Canby. This nomination might be revisited to insure
that it is complete for all of these properties and themes. A historic preservation field
school, conducted in the summer of 2008 at Cape Disappointment and overseen by the
University of Oregon Historic Preservation Program, may have produced
documentation that would inform this effort, in particular the identification of
significant landscape features or remnants not previously identified in existing National
Register forms.
24 Lighthouse Keepers’ Quarters at North Head Lighthouse, November 2008
North Head Lighthouse at Cape Disappointment, November 2008
25 Summary of Recommendations
On the basis of project findings, we tentatively recommend the following steps:
1) Revise and expand the existing Fort Clatsop National Historic District
nomination form to accommodate the expanded park boundary, including
expanded documentation of Netul landing and wagon road as potential
contributing properties; outlying NPS properties, specifically the Salt Works, are
included in the existing nomination, and it is expected that Dismal Nitch will be
added to the revised nomination; this Fort Clatsop historic district will
accommodate the lands added to Fort Clatsop, proper, as well as geographical
discontiguous sites that contribute to the fort story;
2) Revise and expand the existing Cape Disappointment Historic District
nomination, addressing the resources and themes outlined in this report;
3) Develop a new or revised nomination for Chinook Point National Historical
Landmark that addresses the resources and themes outlined in this report,
including but not limited to Fort Columbia military history, Chinook tribal
history, Columbia River navigational history, and the history of Northwest
exploration;
4) Review Station Camp draft nomination and amend as needed to account for all
contributing properties in addition to the archaeological resources already
documented at this site;
5) Selectively gather documentation that could be used to revise and expand
existing nominations for Fort Stevens Military Reservation and Ecola State Park,
to be included in HRS; if determined necessary by park and regional office staff,
in consultation with the project’s Principal Investigator and state representatives,
prepare a simple annotated outline of elements needed for a revised district
nomination for Fort Stevens and Ecola State Parks.
6) Compile information on all other park sections, including the Fort to Sea Trail
and Sunset Beach State Recreation Area, to be included within the HRS.
A meeting is recommended between the park representative, project GTR, Principal
Investigator, and possibly other proposed research team members prior to August 2009;
in this meeting, all participants will review and agree upon project parameters, and
establish a timeline and procedures for the steps recommended here.
26 Selected Sources
Appelo, Carlton E.
1966. Brookfield: The Joe Megler Story. Deep River, WA: Carlton Appelo Pub.
Bartholomew, Mary Ellen
1990. Legislative History for Fort Clatsop National Memorial, Volume II, 97th Congress
through 101st Congress. Seattle: NPS Pacific Northwest Regional Office.
Cannon, Kelly
1995. Administrative History: Fort Clatsop National Memorial. Seattle: NPS Pacific
Northwest Regional Office.
Cogswell, Marilee, Cathleen Frank, and Linda Rhines
1985. Legislative History for Fort Clatsop National Memorial, 84th Congress through 96th
Congress. Seattle: National Park Service Pacific Northwest Regional Library.
Hussey, John
1957a. Fort Clatsop National Memorial, Suggested Historical Area Report. San Francisco:
National Park Service.
Hussey, John
1957b. Chinook Point and the Story of Fort Columbia. Olympia, WA: Washington State
Parks and Recreation Commission.
Minor, Rick
1991. Archaeological Investigations at the Ecola Point Site, Northern Oregon Coast.
Coastal Prehistory Program reports. Salem, OR: Oregon State Parks and Recreation, and
Eugene, OR: Oregon State Museum of Anthropology.
Moulton, Gary E.
1990. The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Volume 6: November 2, 1805March 22, 1806. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.
Moulton, Gary E.
1996. The Journals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Volume 10: The Journal of Patrick
Gass, May 14, 1804-September 23, 1806. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.
National Park Service
1984. Guidelines for Local Surveys: A Basis for Preservation Planning. National Register
Bulletin 24. Patricia Parker, ed.; A. Derry, H.W. Jandle, C.D. Shull, and J Thorman,
contributors. Washington D.C.: National Park Service Interagency Resources Division.
National Park Service
1986. Resource Management Plan for Fort Clatsop National Memorial. Seattle: National
Park Service, Pacific Northwest Region.
27 National Park Service
1987. Fort Clatsop National Memorial Landscape Redevelopment Plan. Seattle: National
Park Service Pacific Northwest Region, Cultural Resources Division.
National Park Service
1995. Fort Clatsop National Memorial: General Management Plan, Development
Concept Plan, Final Environmental Impact Statement. Astoria: Fort Clatsop National
Memorial.
National Park Service
2003. Lower Columbia River Lewis and Clark Sites Boundary Study: A Study of Sites for
Potential Addition to Lewis and Clark National Memorial. Astoria: Lewis and Clark
National Memorial.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places Program
1971. National Registers of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Fort Stevens
Military Reservation, OR. Unpublished National Register nomination form.
Washington, D.C.: NPS National Register of Historic Places Program.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places Program
1975. National Registers of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Cape
Disappointment Historic District, WA. Unpublished National Register nomination
form. Washington, D.C.: NPS National Register of Historic Places Program.
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places Program
1978. National Registers of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form: Chinook
Point, WA. Unpublished National Register nomination form. Washington, D.C.: NPS
National Register of Historic Places Program.
Northrop, Paul and Stephanie Toothman
1988. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form and Documents, Fort
Clatsop, Oregon. (unpublished report, in file at Lewis and Clark National Historic Park,
and Oregon State Historic Preservation Office, Warrenton and Salem, OR).
Schlicker, H. G., R.E. Corcoran, and R. G. Bowen
1961. Geology of the Ecola State Park Landslide Area, Oregon. Ore Bin. 23(9): 85-90.
Smits, Nicholas J., Judith A. Chapman and Jo Reese
2005. Cultural Resource Survey for the Clark’s Dismal Nitch Safety Rest Area Mater
Plan, Pacific County, Washington. Archaeological Investigations Northwest, Inc. Report
No. 1580. Prepared for Washington State Department of Transportation Southwest
Region, Vancouver, Washington.
Spaulding, Kenneth A. (ed.)
1953. On the Oregon Trail: Robert Stuart's Journey of Discovery. Norman: University of
Oklahoma Press.
28 Tolon, Marsha R.
1993. Lewis and Clark National Memorial Cultural Landscape Report: Landscape
Recommendations 1976-1993. Seattle: National Park Service Pacific Northwest Region,
Cultural Resource Division.
U.S. Coast Survey
1876. Columbia River at Young’s River and Lewis and Clark River. Survey Map No. 793.
Cleveland Rockwell, cartographer. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Coast Survey.
29