Fort Canby: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 20:40, 15 February 2008

Fort Canby (1852-1947) - Established in 1863 during the U.S. Civil War and first named Fort Cape Disappointment and renamed Fort Canby in 1875, after General Edward R.S. Canby, who was killed in the Modoc Indian War. Deactivated in 1947.

History of Fort Canby

In 1852 the War Department created a military reservation at Cape Disappointment to protect the mouth of the Columbia, but construction did not begin until August 1863. The post was completed and occupied by troops the following April. For their permanent shelter several frame garrison buildings were erected. The fortifications consisted of three earthwork batteries armed with smoothbore cannons to protect the mouth of the Columbia River.

The fort is also the site where, on 15 Nov 1805, members of the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery first stepped into the breaking surf of the Pacific Ocean.

The Endicott Period

**Fort Canby Endicott Period Battery** (edit list)
Battery Click on Battery links below	No.	Caliber	Type Mount	Service Years	Battery Cost
Battery Guenther	4	12"	Mortar	1918-1921-1922-1942	$ 178,155
Battery Harvey Allen	3	6"	Disappearing	1904-1905-1906-1945	$ 58,935
Battery O'Flyng	2	6"	Disappearing	1904-1905-1906-1918	$ 39,290
Source: CDSG

Between 1896 and 1908, after a long period of neglect during which the fort and its armament had become obsolete, the Army completely renovated them. New barracks and other buildings were constructed, and two batteries (Allen and O'Flyng) with a total of five rifled guns in concrete emplacements were installed. In 1921 a new mortar battery, Battery Guenther, with four 12" mortars was added.

World War II

**Fort Canby World War II Battery** (edit list)
Battery Click on Battery links below	No.	Caliber	Type Mount	Service Years	Battery Cost
Battery 247	2	6"	Shielded Barbette (SBC)	1943-1944-1944-1947	$ 243,397
Battery AMTB - Cape Disappointment	2	90 mm	AMTB Fixed Pedestal	1943-1943-1944-1946	$ 10,031
Source: CDSG

The fort remained in caretaker status from the end of World War I to 21 Feb 1941 manned only by a sergeant and two enlisted men. The fort was reactivated in 1941 and in 1944 Battery 247 was added on McKenzie Head. In 1947 the fort was deactivated. Present surviving structures date from the World War II period.

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Location: Cape Disappointment, Washington

Maps & Images

Lat: 46.278602 Long: -124.053326

Multi Maps from ACME
Maps from Bing
Maps from Google

Elevation:

Sources:

Hart, Herbert M., Tour Guide to Old Western Forts, Pruett Publishing Co., Boulder CO, 1980, ISBN 0-87108-568-2, page 181
Frazer, Robert W., Forts of the West, University of Oklahoma Press, Norman OK, 1965, ISBN 0-8061-1250-6, page 171
Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 829-830

Links:

Visited: Sep 2005

Picture Gallery

Click on the picture to see a larger version. Contribute additional pictures - the more the better!

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-'''Fort Canby (1852-1947)''' - In 1852 the War Department created a military reservation at Cape Disappointment to protect the mouth of the Columbia, but construction did not begin until August 1863. The post, first named [[Fort Cape Disappointment]], was completed and occupied by troops the following April. For their permanent shelter, that year and the next several frame garrison buildings were erected. The fortifications, at the southernmost tip of the cape, consisted of three earthwork batteries armed with smoothbore cannons to protect the mouth of the Columbia River. The installation was expanded to become Fort Canby in 1875, named after General [[Edward R.S. Canby]], who was killed in the [[Modoc Indian War]].
+'''Fort Canby (1852-1947)''' - Established in 1863 during the [[U.S. Civil War]] and first named  [[Fort Cape Disappointment]] and renamed Fort Canby in 1875, after General [[Edward R.S. Canby]], who was killed in the [[Modoc Indian War]]. Deactivated in 1947.
-The fort is also the site where, on November 15, 1805, members of the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery first stepped into the breaking surf of the Pacific Ocean.
+==History of {{PAGENAME}}==
+In 1852 the War Department created a military reservation at Cape Disappointment to protect the mouth of the Columbia, but construction did not begin until August 1863. The post was completed and occupied by troops the following April. For their permanent shelter several frame garrison buildings were erected. The fortifications consisted of three earthwork batteries armed with smoothbore cannons to protect the mouth of the Columbia River.
-Between 1896 and 1908, after a long period of neglect during which the fort and its armament had become obsolete, the Army completely renovated them. New barracks and other buildings were constructed, and two batteries with a total of five rifled guns in concrete emplacements were installed. In 1921 a new mortar battery of four guns was added. Further modernization occurred during World War II. In 1947 the fort was deactivated. Present surviving structures date from the World War II period.
+The fort is also the site where, on 15 Nov 1805, members of the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery first stepped into the breaking surf of the Pacific Ocean.
-----
+==The [[:category:Endicott Period Forts|Endicott Period]]==
 {|width="100%"
 |-valign="top"
-|width="50%"|
+|
 {{FtCanbyEndicott}}
-|width="50%"|
+|<br>Between 1896 and 1908, after a long period of neglect during which the fort and its armament had become obsolete, the Army completely renovated them. New barracks and other buildings were constructed, and two batteries (Allen and O'Flyng) with a total of five rifled guns in concrete emplacements were installed. In 1921 a new mortar battery, Battery Guenther, with four 12" mortars was added.
+|}
+==[[World War II]]==
+{|width="100%"
+|-valign="top"
+|
 {{FtCanbyWorldWarII}}
+|<br>The fort remained in caretaker status from the end of [[World War I]] to 21 Feb 1941 manned only by a sergeant and two enlisted men. The fort was reactivated in 1941 and in 1944 Battery 247 was added on McKenzie Head. In 1947 the fort was deactivated. Present surviving structures date from the World War II period.
 |}
 ----