Fort Steven's State Park, Near Astoria, Oregon

34. West Battery Command Station

Built in 1898, the West Battery consisted of six gun emplacements which were subsequently redesigned as Battery Lewis, Battery Walker and Battery Mishler. The six 10-inch disappearing rifles were the primary weapons for Fort Stevens. With strategic location on the Columbia River, the 10-inch, 617 lb. shells were designed to penetrate the exterior armor of enemy ships. The four guns of Batteries Lewis and Walker were removed during World War I and shipped to France to help bolster the Allied defenses. The guns of Battery Mishler were scrapped in 1941 and the Battery was converted to the Harbor Command Post.