The Daily Astorian

The Lewis and Clark Expedition is a symbol of our nation’s heritage, of the spirit of discovery and exploration that identifies our past. Seeking to honor the Corps of Discovery’s incredible journey to the Pacific Ocean, the community of Astoria, Oregon built a memorial in the form of the Fort Clatsop replica. But on October 3, 2005, flames blazed high in the sky. Local officials and townspeople looked on in horror as Fort Clatsop burned to the ground.

In the aftermath, a new spirit was born—one of community, hope, and fortitude. A tale that spans two centuries, Fort Clatsop: Rebuilding an Icon tells of the explorers’ journey to the unknown territory of the Oregon coast; of a community coming together to honor the past, only to see their memorial burned to the ground; and of the incredible spirit that drove them to start anew. In Fort Clatsop: Rebuilding an Icon, read of a community that came together to rebuild an incredible memorial to the past only to create a new symbol of America’s enduring spirit.

A collaboration between The Daily Astorian and Ooligan Press, Fort Clatsop: Rebuilding an Icon reveals the three lives of the fort. Written in a lively journalistic style, Fort Clatsop brings Oregon history to life by drawing the reader into an incredible story of triumph and hardship, of destruction and rebirth, and of the distant past leading to a hopeful future.

For more information: ooligan.fortclatsop@pdx.edu

ISBN: 1-932010-018-3
7″ x 8″, paperback
128 pages
44 color photos
$14.95

About the Author

The Daily Astorian

The Daily Astorian is in its 135th year of publication. The newspaper is recognized for its excellence by the Society of Professional Journalists, The Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association, most recently, the Grantham Award for Excellence in Environmental reporting.

Reporter Tom Bennett and photographer Lori Assa contributed extensive coverage of the Fort Clatsop story. Deputy Managing Editor Sue Cody also oversaw coverage and was the link to Ooligan Press.

To learn more: The Daily Astorian

Praise

It’s not often that we have a chance to read the riveting story of a dream, a tragedy, and a stunning comeback, such as we have in Fort Clatsop– Rebuilding an Icon. I highly recommend this compelling account, which might as well be named Phoenix on the Columbia, for the inspiration it brings as much as for the history.
— Robert Michael Pyle, author of Wintergreen and Sky Time in Gray’s River

Fort Clatsop: Rebuilding an Icon is a fun and interesting tale of the three lives of Fort Clatsop. This fills in an important void in telling the 200-year history of the three Fort Clatsops.
— Chip Jenkins, Superintendent, North Cascades National Park