The Chinook Indians used this location as the fishing season location for their chief.  It was rich with game, easily defendable, and had great access to the Columbia River.  Shortly after the arrival of settlers, the site was quickly identified as a good spot for a harbor defensive location, and in 1896, established a military site that provided protection for the Columbia River, a role it held until 1947.

When WW2 ended, it was determined to be surplus, and was demilitarized and turned over the Washington State Park System, and it was opened to the public in 1950.  Today, the park is a 600 acre day-use park with more than a mile of shoreline along the Columbia and 5 miles of hiking trails.

This naval emplacement gun provided protection from intrusion into the river, and ultimately the harbors back from the ocean.  Along with two other forts on the Oregon side of the river, they provided cross-fire coverage of the shipping lanes.
 

The turret was cast in three pieces, then welded together.  I don't know how much it weighs, but it's pretty substantial, I'm sure - its tall enough to stand inside, and looked to be more than a foot thick in some places. 
 

Another emplacement in the park is Battery Murphy, which was the fort's main armament in WW1.

You can walk among the battery's works, and touch history... the rails used by the trucks to haul ammunition from the magazine room to the firing decks were quite interesting, as was the design of the bunker itself...  
 

The top of the works had a commanding view of the estuary that makes up the mouth of the Columbia, and it exemplifies just how good a spot this was when it came to defending the river.

I didn't have enough time when I stopped to see it all... so I'll have to come back! 
 

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