Fort Clatsop facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Fort Clatsop National Memorial
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The 2006 replica of Fort Clatsop
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 Location in Oregon
Location in the United States
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| Location | Clatsop County, Oregon, USA |
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| Nearest city | Astoria, Oregon |
| Area | 125.2 acres (50.7 ha) |
| Built | 1805 |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000640 |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
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The Fort Clatsop National Memorial located southwest of Astoria.
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Fort Clatsop was a special camp built by the Lewis and Clark Expedition. They stayed there during the winter of 1805–1806. This fort was located near the mouth of the Columbia River in what is now Oregon.
The expedition, also called the Corps of Discovery, built Fort Clatsop in just over three weeks. It served as their home from December 8, 1805, until March 23, 1806. This was their last camp before they started their long journey back east to St. Louis.
Today, the site is part of the Lewis and Clark National Historical Park. The original fort rotted away because of the wet weather. A new version was built in 1955 based on drawings from William Clark's journals. This replica burned down in 2005. A new, more rugged replica was built by volunteers in 2006. It is now managed by the National Park Service.
Contents
Why the Expedition Happened
In 1803, the United States bought a huge area of land from France. This was called the Louisiana Purchase. Much of this land had not been explored by Europeans. President Thomas Jefferson wanted to learn more about it.
He asked his secretary, Meriwether Lewis, and William Clark to lead an expedition. Jefferson had several important goals for them. He wanted them to find out what plants, animals, and natural resources were in the new territory. He also hoped they would make friends with the Native American tribes living there. Most importantly, Jefferson wanted them to find a water route to the Pacific Ocean. This would make travel much faster across the continent.
Finding a Place to Stay
In late November 1805, the Lewis and Clark Expedition was in what is now Washington. Local Clatsop Indians suggested they move to a spot south of the Columbia River. The group decided to vote on where to spend the winter. Everyone got to vote, including Sacagawea, a young Native American woman, and York, an African American member of the team.
They had three choices: stay in Washington, move further upriver, or follow the Clatsop Indians' advice. The group voted to explore the area south of the river. Lewis went ahead with five men to scout the area. He hoped to find many elk, as the Clatsop people had mentioned.
Meanwhile, Clark and the rest of the group waited. They fixed their worn-out clothes from the long journey. Lewis eventually returned with good news: he had found a suitable place for their winter camp.
On December 7, 1805, the expedition began moving to the chosen spot. Once there, the men split into teams. Clark led a group to the Pacific Ocean to find salt. Lewis divided the rest of the men into two groups. One group hunted, and the other cut down trees to build the fort.
Building the fort was tough. It rained constantly, and strong winds made working hard. By December 23, people started moving into the fort, even though it didn't have a roof yet. On Christmas Eve, everyone moved inside. The next day, Christmas Day, they named it "Fort Clatsop" after the local Clatsop tribe.
The fort was quite simple. It had two buildings surrounded by strong walls. All the men lived in one building. Lewis, Clark, Sacagawea, her husband Toussaint Charbonneau, and their son, Jean Baptiste, stayed in the other.
Life at the Fort
The winter of 1805–1806 was long and very rainy. This made the Corps of Discovery feel bored and restless. They spent their time hunting deer and elk, which were plentiful. The meat spoiled quickly, but they used the animal skins to make clothes and moccasins.
Lewis spent much of his time at Fort Clatsop writing. He documented their journey, taking notes on the wildlife, land, and other features. He also drew maps of the area. These maps would be very helpful for future settlers in the Pacific Northwest. Lewis and Clark sometimes traded with the Clatsop Indians.
The time at Fort Clatsop was mainly for resting and getting better. Many of the men were sick with various illnesses and breathing problems. They felt that leaving the fort would improve their health.
Leaving Fort Clatsop
As the winter ended, the men were eager to return east. Everyone was tired and restless, and eating elk meat all the time was becoming unbearable. It was also getting harder to find elk. Lewis had first planned to leave on April 1, but then changed the date to March 20. They finally left two days later, on March 22, because of bad weather.
To travel back up the Columbia River, they needed canoes. The Clatsops had several, but they didn't want to trade. Eventually, they agreed to trade one canoe. Lewis decided they had to take a second canoe, as they couldn't all travel with only one boat.
On March 22, the Corps of Discovery began their long journey back to St. Louis. Lewis decided not to send any of his notes back by sea. Instead, the group would travel two different routes. This way, they could explore as much of the territory as possible on their way home.
What Happened to the Fort Later
As a goodbye gift, Lewis gave Fort Clatsop to Coboway, the chief of the Clatsops. Lewis and Clark didn't need the fort anymore since they were heading east. Because of the heavy rain in the area, the original Fort Clatsop had completely rotted away by the mid-1800s.
The Clatsops used the fort for safety and other needs. The area soon became important for the fur trade. Its location near the Pacific Ocean and the Columbia River made it a perfect spot for trading furs. Many fur trading companies, like the American Fur Company and the Hudson's Bay Company, set up offices nearby.
Since then, the fort has been rebuilt twice. The first replica was built in 1955. It stood for 50 years until a fire destroyed it on October 3, 2005. Officials quickly promised to rebuild it. The fire started in one of the soldiers' rooms, where a fireplace had been burning earlier. It took 18 months to build the 1955 replica, much longer than the original fort.
A second replica was built and finished in 2006. This new replica used more information about the original fort that wasn't available for the 1955 version. It also has a fire detection system. The replica isn't in the exact spot of the original fort, as no remains of the first fort have been found. However, it is believed to be very close.
See also
