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{{Infobox NRHP
| name         = Fort Clatsop National Memorial
| nrhp_type    =
| image        = Fort clatsop.jpg
| caption      = Fort Clatsop replica nearing completion, ca. 1955
| location     = [[Clatsop County, Oregon]], [[United States|USA]]
| nearest_city = [[Astoria, Oregon]]
| coordinates  = {{coord|46|8|1|N|123|52|49|W|display=inline,title}}
| locmapin     = Oregon
| map_caption  = Near mouth of Columbia River, Oregon
| built        = 1805
| architecture =
| added        = October 15, 1966<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2009a}}</ref>
| area         = {{convert|125.2|acre}}
| refnum       = 66000640
}}
'''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&nbsp;mi (8&nbsp;km) southwest of [[Astoria, Oregon|Astoria]], the fort was the last encampment of the [[Corps of Discovery]] before embarking on their return trip east to [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]].

The Lewis and Clark Expedition wintered at Fort Clatsop before retuning east to St. Louis in the spring of 1806. It took just over 3 weeks for the Expedition to build the fort, and it served as their camp from December 8th, 1805 until their departure on March 23rd, 1806.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ambrose|first=Stephen E.|title=Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West|year=1997|publisher=Simon & Schuster|location=New York|isbn=0684826976|page=326|edition=1st Touchstone ed.}}</ref>

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 [[wikt:bicentennial|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.

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 (explorer)|William Clark]]. The site is currently operated by the [[National Park Service]].<br>

==Background==

In 1803, [[Thomas Jefferson]] completed the [[Lousiana Purchase]] from France. As much of the area had not been explored by whites, Jefferson commissioned an expedition to be led by his secretary, [[Meriwether Lewis]], along with [[William Clark]]. Jefferson set a number of goals for the expedition, most notably to determine what the land contained, including plants, animals, and natural resources. Jefferson also wanted to establish good relations with the Native Americans of the area. Additionally, Jefferson was very interested in finding a water route to the Pacific Ocean, which would have cut the travel time from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean considerably.

==Locating and Building Fort Clatsop==

In late November of 1805, after spending a number of days in the state of [[Washington]], Lewis and Clark proposed that the [[Corps of Discovery]] move to a location along the Columbia River, based on a recommendation of the local Clatsop Indians.<ref>{{cite book|last=Fritz|first=Harry William|title=The Lewis and Clark Expedition|year=2004|publisher=Greenwood|location=Westport, Conn.|isbn=0313316619|page=46}}</ref> The group decided to vote on the matter, with everyone, including [[Sacagawea]], participating. The group was given three choices: stay in Washington, and be subjected to boring diets of fish and rainy weather, move upriver, or take the advice of the Clatsop Indians and explore the area to the south of the Columbia River. The expedition decided to take the advice of the local Indians and overwhelmingly decided to explore the idea of spending the winter on the southern shore of the Columbia River.

Lewis decided to explore the area before moving the entire group. He and five men left to scout the area, leaving Clark and the rest of the group behind.<ref>{{cite book|last=Nicandri|first=David L.|title=River of Promise.; Lewis and Clark on the Columbia|year=2010|publisher=Lewis|isbn=0982559712|page=232}}</ref> Lewis became frustrated when he could not find the abundant elk that the Clatsop had talked about. In the meantime, Clark had not heard from his companion in a number of days and became increasingly worried. During Lewis' absence, the group performed a number of housekeeping tasks, including fixing their clothes from the wear they had suffered during the long and arduous journey.

Finally, Lewis returned with the news that he had found an adequate location in which to winter. On December 7th, 1805, the Corps of Discovery began the short journey to the location chosen by Lewis. Upon arrival, the men split into different groups: Clark led a party to the Pacific Ocean in search of salt, while Lewis split the remaining men into two groups. One group was in charge of hunting, while the other was in charge of cutting down trees to be used in the construction of the fort.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ambrose|first=Stephen E.|title=Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West|year=1997|publisher=Simon & Schuster|location=New York|isbn=0684826976|page=318|edition=1st Touchstone ed.}}</ref> 

Construction of the fort was slow, due to the incessant precipitation and unyielding wind that made working conditions less than ideal. On December 23rd, people started to move into the dwelling, even though it didn't yet have a roof. The next day, Christmas Eve, everyone moved in, and it was christened as Fort Clatsop on Christmas Day, appropriately named after the local Indian tribe.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ambrose|first=Stephen E.|title=Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West|year=1997|publisher=Simon & Schuster|location=New York|isbn=0684826976|page=319|edition=1st Touchstone ed.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Fritz|first=Harry William|title=The Lewis and Clark Expedition|year=2004|publisher=Greenwood|location=Westport, Conn.|isbn=0313316619|page=47}}</ref> 

The structures of Fort Clatsop were relatively simple, consisting of two buildings surrounded by large walls. All of the men lived in one structure, while Lewis, Clark, Sacagawea, her husband [[Toussaint Charbonneau]], and their son, Jean Baptiste, stayed in the other.

==Winter Activites==

The winter of 1805-1806 was very long and rainy, and it soon became very boring for the Corps of Discovery. As they had ample downtime, the men spent the winter doing a number of activities, including hunting the abundant deer and elk in the region.<ref>{{cite book|last=Nicandri|first=David L.|title=River of Promise; Lewis and Clark on the Columbia|year=2010|publisher=Lewis|location=Washburn, N.D.|isbn=0982559712|page=235}}</ref> The deer and elk meat spoiled quickly, but the skins were used to make clothing and moccasins. Realizing the importance of their trip, Lewis spent most of his time at Fort Clatsop documenting the trip, taking notes on the wildlife, terrain, and other observations of the area. Also, Lewis made maps of the area, which would be especially helpful to future settlers of the Pacific Northwest. Finally, Lewis and Clark occasionally traded with the Clatsop Indians, a tribe they did not like at all. They found the Clatsops to be untrustworthy and unattractive and always worried about their belongings getting stolen by the Native Americans.

Ultimately, the group's time along the Columbia River merely served as a place to spend the winter, as it lacked direction and purpose. The men were suffering from a number of different illnesses and conditions, including venereal diseases and respiratory problems, and felt that departing would make them all feel better.

==Departure==
Toward the end of the monotonous winter they spent at Fort Clatsop, the men were desperate to return east. Everyone was sick and quite restless, and the steady diet of elk was becoming unbearable. Moreover, even the elk were becoming more difficult to find.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ambrose|first=Stephen E.|title=Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West|year=1997|publisher=Simon & Schuster|location=New York|isbn=0684826976|page=333|edition=1st Touchstone ed.}}</ref> Originally, Meriwether Lewis determined the departure date would be April 1st, but it was later moved up to March 20th. Ultimately, they didn't leave until two days after that due to poor weather.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ambrose|first=Stephen E.|title=Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West|year=1997|publisher=Simon & Schuster|location=New York|isbn=0684826976|page=334|edition=1st Touchstone ed.}}</ref> 

In order to travel back up the Columbia and reach the mountains, the group was desperately in need of canoes. The Clatsops had a number of them, but refused to trade with Lewis and Clark. Eventually, an agreement was reached for one canoe, but Lewis decided they had no choice but to steal a second one, since they couldn't all travel without at least two boats.

On March 22nd, the Corps of Discovery began the long journey back to St. Louis. Lewis decided not to send any of the men back with a copy of his notes by sea, as was usually customary, because of the small number of people in the group. Instead, Lewis decided that the group would travel two different routes, in order to see as much of the territory as possible on the way back to St. Louis.

==Later Use==

As a parting gift, Lewis gave Fort Clatsop to Coboway, the chief of the Clatsops.<ref>{{cite book|last=Nicandri|first=David L.|title=River of Promise; Lewis and Clark on the Columbia|year=2010|publisher=Lewis|location=Washburn, N.D.|isbn=0982559712|page=244}}</ref> Lewis and Clark had no use for the fort, as they were returning east with no plans to revisit the fort in the near future.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ambrose|first=Stephen E.|title=Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West|year=1997|publisher=Simon & Schuster|location=New York|isbn=0684826976|page=336|edition=1st Touchstone ed.}}</ref> Because of the heavy rainfall of the region, the original Fort Clatsop rotted away by the middle of the 19th century.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/lecl/historyculture/fort-clatsop.htm}}</ref>

The Clatsops used the fort as a useful base for security and other purposes, though they did strip away part of the wood for other uses. <ref>{{cite web|title=Fort Clatsop Site, 1900|url=http://lewis-clark.org/content/content-article.asp?ArticleID=649#Note5}}</ref>The area soon became a very important site for the fur trade in the Pacific Northwest. The location of the fort near the Pacific Ocean near the Columbia River made it a natural site for the fur trade, which expanded rapidly in the years after Lewis and Clark left. Numerous fur trading companies, including the American Fur Company and the Hudson Bay Company, constructed headquarters in the region.<ref>{{cite web|title=Euro-American Adaptation and Importation: 1800-1850: Early Exploration and Fur-Trading Outposts|url=http://www.ohs.org/education/oregonhistory/narratives/subtopic.cfm?subtopic_ID=479}}</ref>The region quickly became a very important part of the fur trade.

Since then, there have been two reconstruction efforts. The first, in 1955, lasted for 50 years until a fire destroyed the entire structure in the late evening of October 3, 2005. Federal, state, and community officials immediately pledged to rebuild it. A [[9-1-1]] 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.<ref>{{cite news
|last=Bennett
|first=Tom
|title=Dispatcher to 9-1-1 caller: It’s just fog
|url=http://www.dailyastorian.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=398&ArticleID=28278
|date=2005-10-12
|accessdate=2007-02-09
}}</ref> It took 18 months to build the 1955 reconstruction, much longer than the 3.5 weeks it took to build the original.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2002547529_clatsop08m.html}}</ref> Shortly after the fire, a second replica was built and finished in 2006. In spite of the loss, the fire renewed [[archaeology|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.<ref>{{cite news
|last=Bennett
|first=Tom
|title=Fort Clatsop rises from the ashes
|url=http://www.dailyastorian.com/main.asp?SectionID=93&SubSectionID=932&ArticleID=38683&TM=18904.65
|date=2006-12-11
|accessdate=2007-03-02
}}</ref> 

The replica of the fort isn't in the exact location of the original, as no remains of the original fort have been found. However, it is thought to be quite close to the exact location.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fort Clatsop|url=http://www.nps.gov/lewi/historyculture/histcult-places-focl.htm}}</ref> 

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==

*{{cite journal
 | author = Frederick L. Brown
 | year = 2006
 | month = Winter 
 | title = Imagining Fort Clatsop
 | journal = [[Oregon Historical Quarterly]]
 | volume = 107 
 | issue = 4
 | pages = 
 | id = 
 | url = http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/ohq/107.4/brown.html
 }}

==External links==
* [http://www.nps.gov/lewi/ Lewis and Clark National Historical Park] - National Park Service
* [http://www.nps.gov/lewi/historyculture/histcult-places-focl.htm History of Fort Clatsop] - National Park Service
* [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/outdoors/2003651022_nwworegon05.html Fort Clatsop & N. Oregon coast] - [[The Seattle Times]] - Travel - 05-April-2007
* [http://www.nps.gov/history/NR/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/108lewisclark/108lewisclark.htm ''The Lewis & Clark Expedition: Documenting the Uncharted Northwest Name,'' a National Park Service Teaching with Historic Places (TwHP) lesson plan]
* {{cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Fort Clatsop National Memorial | work = [[Geographic Names Information System]] | publisher = [[United States Geological Survey]] | date = 28 November 1980 | url = http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:1120890 | format = | doi = | accessdate = 2008-11-29}}
* {{Oregon Encyclopedia|fort_clatsop_|author=Cannon-Miller, Kelly}}

{{Protected Areas of Oregon}}
{{Oregon Native History}}
{{Oregon Early History}}

[[:Category:Forts in Oregon|Clatsop]]
[[:Category:Oregon Country]]
[[:Category:Lewis and Clark Expedition]]
[[:Category:Museums in Astoria, Oregon]]
[[:Category:Military and war museums in Oregon]]
[[:Category:History museums in Oregon]]
[[:Category:National Register of Historic Places in Oregon]]
[[:Category:Parks in Clatsop County, Oregon]]

{{navboxes|title=Timeline of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
|list=See [[Timeline of the Lewis and Clark Expedition]]
}}

==References==
<references />