Battery 245 is now open
Battery 245 is now open to the public with new displays constructed by our volunteers to illustrate what the battery would have looked like when it was active during WWII.
Visitors will see a plotting board that is approximately 11 feet long with a communication section in the background where soldiers were able to connect with both sides of the river. Another newly constructed display is the 5-cylinder diesel engine that was used to operate a generator for backup power. Originally Battery 245 had three of these engines. The interpretation of Battery 245 is an ongoing project, and the Friends look forward to providing more displays in the near future. Thank you to our volunteers for their impressive work on this project!
Oozlefinch, the mysterious mascot
The mysterious mascot of the Coast Artillery Corps has flown backwards into the Fort Stevens Store.
This 6” tall Oozlefinch is being sold exclusively online for a limited time for $25.00. Visit the FOOFS website at visitfortstevens.com to purchase this quality Oozlefinch via PayPal or call the museum store to place an order with your credit card at 503-861-2000.
Purchase HereProceeds support the mission of the Friends of Old Fort Stevens to preserve, improve, restore, interpret, and promote historic Fort Stevens and its environment in cooperation with Oregon State Parks. THE OOZLEFINCH will only be available On Line through December, 2019
Fort Stevens Review
Fort Stevens Review is published by the Friends of Old Fort Stevens, an Oregon 501(c)3 Organization, helping to preserve the history Of Oregon’s Fort Stevens State Park.
Excerpt from this newsletter:
The Long Road From Cast Iron Coast Defense Guns To Ones Of Forged Steel And The Impact On The Harbor Defenses of The Columbia
By D. Lindstrom
As the United States fought the Civil War, both the Union and the Confederacy, as did many other nations, defended their harbors and coastlines with cannons made of cast iron. Furthermore, early on the Civil War demonstrated that fortifications made of masonry were history, as enemy cannon balls quickly demolished them. The new technology was to construct earthen parapets behind which cannons were installed. The hope was that most of the enemy’s incoming cannon ball shots would simply bury themselves in the dirt. Regardless of more reliance on earthen parapets to protect cannons and cannoneers from the enemy, there was mortal danger lurking inside the surrounding parapet. Once in a while a cast Iron cannon had a defect causing it to burst on detonation, wounding and killing the cannoneers..
Fun at the Fort – Labor Day Weekend
Celebrate Labor Day weekend at Fort Stevens State Park!
Experience history on a free guided truck or battery tour. Play disc golf at the park’s brand-new course and win prizes, plus crafts and JR Beaver appearances for the kids. Special this year: check out the fort’s newly restored gun battery!
• Play disc golf + win prizes
• Guided tours of the historic fort
• Free event parking all weekend
• Hot Dog BBQ lunch $1.00
• Crafts for the kids
• Meet JR Beaver
Spring 2019 Newsletter
Fort Stevens Review is published by the Friends of Old Fort Stevens, an Oregon 501(c)3 Organization, helping to preserve the history Of Oregon’s Fort Stevens State Park.
Excerpt from this newsletter:
In Their Words, Recollections of Those Who Were Fired Upon
– Edited by D. Lindstrom
This is the season to remember the 1942 attack on Fort Stevens by the I-25, a Japanese Submarine. By this time most readers are probably asking, “What else is there to say?” Rather than interpreting it again, first hand experiences are presented here without interference! These individuals were at widely separated locations and as expected, the reader will find differing views of the incident. The following recollections were made fifty years later, so memory and the “fog of war” is at play….
Winter 2019 Newsletter
Fort Stevens Review is published by the Friends of Old Fort Stevens, an Oregon 501(c)3 Organization, helping to preserve the history Of Oregon’s Fort Stevens State Park.
Excerpt from this newsletter:
“The World Must Be Made Safe For Democracy” – Story by D. Lindstrom
The Winter and Spring newsletters for 2018 carried parts one and two of a three-part story outlining the experiences of John Ferguson and the 65th Artillery, Coast Artillery Corps during World War I. The series was interrupted by an article outlining the US Army’s Spruce Division which appeared in the Summer 2018 newsletter. (The afore mentioned newsletters are available on the FOOFS web site.). This story is part three and the conclusion of the series…..
