Fort Raines was a United States Army

United States Army

The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...

 blockhouse

Blockhouse

In military science, a blockhouse is a small, isolated fort in the form of a single building. It serves as a defensive strong point against any enemy that does not possess siege equipment or, in modern times, artillery...

 built in October 1855 to protect the portage

Portage

Portage or portaging refers to the practice of carrying watercraft or cargo over land to avoid river obstacles, or between two bodies of water. A place where this carrying occurs is also called a portage; a person doing the carrying is called a porter.The English word portage is derived from the...

 road around the Cascades Rapids

Cascades Rapids

The Cascades Rapids were an area of rapids along North America's Columbia River, between the U.S. states of Washington and Oregon. Through a stretch approximately wide, the river dropped about in .-Boat portage:Boat travelers were forced to either portage boats and supplies or pull boats up with...

. It is located on the Washington side of the Columbia River

Columbia River

The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...

, west of the Bridge of the Gods

Bridge of the Gods (modern structure)

The Bridge of the Gods is a steel truss cantilever bridge that spans the Columbia River between Cascade Locks, Oregon and Washington state near North Bonneville. It is approximately 40 miles east of Portland, Oregon and 4 miles upriver from the Bonneville Dam...

, at the "middle cascades." It was abandoned by 1857. The interpretive sign at the former site states that the post was "damp and lonely." Fort Raines was named for Brigadier General

Brigadier General

Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...

 Gabriel J. Raines, who created anti-personnel mines

Land mine

A land mine is usually a weight-triggered explosive device which is intended to damage a target—either human or inanimate—by means of a blast and/or fragment impact....

 for the Confederacy

Confederate States Army

The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...

. Fort Raines had withstood the Cascades Massacre in 1856; but it was later destroyed in 1876. The only thing to remember Fort Raines was the Memorial Blockhouse that was erected near the original location in 1927. That too was destroyed and now there are only two informational signs near the site.

Fort Raines was one of several of forts built to protect this portage road. Others included Fort Cascades

Fort Cascades

Fort Cascades was a United States Army fort constructed in 1855 to protect the portage road around the final section of the Cascades Rapids, known as the "lower cascades." It was built on the Washington side of the Columbia River, between the present site of North Bonneville and the Bonneville...

, located near present-day North Bonneville, Washington

North Bonneville, Washington

North Bonneville is a city in Skamania County, Washington, United States. The population was 593 at the 2000 census and 956 at the 2010 census.-Geography:North Bonneville is located at ....

, and Fort Lugenbeel.

External links

• History, photos of interpretive signs at the site
• Fort Rains - Fort Wiki photos, history and visiting information
• Lewis and Clark's Columbia River - Fort Rains