Fort Stevens began in 1863 as a Civil War fortification guarding the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon. Shown below are two twentieth-century batteries.
Battery Pratt
Built in 1900 after the Spanish-American war, this battery remained active until 1943. Armed with two 6-inch rifles on disappearing carriages, Battery Pratt was designed to protect the submarine mines in the river, and to stop enemy ships from going up the Columbia River. The gun you see today is a replica of the 6-inch rifles that were once mounted here.
Battery 245
The last battery to be emplaced, Battery 245 featured the modern “200 series” of gun batteries that used radar to improve accuracy in foul weather and fog. These new guns could fire 9 to 15 miles away. Battery 245 came into service in December 1944, just as the outmoded Battery Russell fired its last round.