The picture is of a floor plan of Fort Clatsop which was found in the journals of William Clark. The site and location of Fort Clatsop was chosen for a number of important reasons:

• High, flat ground with easy access to trees for constructing Fort Clatsop. It was also was near a fresh water spring
• There were plenty of elk which provided food for the Corps of Discovery, fat for making candles and hides for making clothes and bedding
• The men killed more than 130 elk, 20 deer, and many small animals during their stay
• It was near the Pacific Ocean which enabled the men to obtain salt, it was also near the mouth of the Columbia River and  it was also in close proximaty of the friendly Clatsop tribe

Lewis and Clark Expedition: Facts about Fort Clatsop

1. The above picture shows a floor plan of Fort Clatsop which was found in the journals of Captain William Clark.

2. The men of the Corps of Discovery had many skills including carpentry and blacksmithing and these abilities were invaluable when building Fort Clatsop and making furniture for the cabins. The construction was made of horizontal logs and picket fences. The roofs of the cabins would have been covered with anything that would prevent them from leaking.

3. The Dimensions: The dimensions are clearly marked as 50 x 50 feet. The complex consisted of 1 row of buildings with three rooms and another row of buildings that consisted of 4 rooms. Between the two rows of cabins was a small parade ground.

4. The construction took just over 3 weeks to build. It began on December 7, 1805 and they stayed until March 23, 1806.

5. The men of the Corps of Discovery were billeted in the rooms. Meriwether Lewis and William Clark shared a room. One room was used as a storage facility for stores and provisions.

6. Fort Clatsop was built facing south and there were two gates (a main gate and a water gate) which were shut and secured at sunset. A sentry box was built next to the main gate.