Fort Clatsop was a campsite of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, located in Oregon County near the mouth of the Columbia River. During the winter of 1805–06, the expedition camped here at the northern end of the Clatsop Plains, about 5 miles (8 km) southwest of Astoria. The fort was their last camp before they began their return journey east to St. L
USS Columbia Lightship (WLV-604)
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The United States Lightship Columbia (WLV-604) is a historic vessel located in Astoria, Oregon. Columbia was commissioned in 1951 and was the fourth and final lightship stationed at the mouth of the Columbia River. Built at the Rice Brothers shipyard in Boothbay, Maine, Columbia was launched along with her sister ship Relief (WLV-605). The new lightship replaced the aging LV-93, which had been in service on the Columbia River since 1939. From 1892 to 1979, lightships along the Columbia River guided ships through dangerous shoals and an area known as the Graveyard of the Pacific. ### Operation and Life on Board
The U.S. Coast Guard had a permanent crew of 18 on board, consisting of 17 enlisted men and one warrant officer who served as the ship's captain. Everything the crew needed had to be on board, as weeks of winter weather often prevented supplies from being brought in. Life on board a lightship was characterized by long periods of monotony and boredom, interspersed with severe storms. The crew worked in two- to four-week shifts, with ten men on duty at any one time.
Historical Significance and Museum Use
In 1978, Columbia was added to the National Register of Historic Places, but was removed from the register in 1983 due to relocation from the historic site. She was returned to the registry in 1989, when she was designated a National Historic Landmark as Lightship WAL-604, Columbia.
WLV-604 now resides at the Columbia River Maritime Museum, next to the navigation buoy that replaced her in 1979. Columbia remains an important piece of maritime history, symbolizing the importance of navigation technology and the Coast Guard in ensuring safe navigation in one of the most dangerous parts of the Pacific Ocean.
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