Fort Raines (spelled "Rains" on interpretive signs) was a

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

blockhouse A blockhouse is a small fortification, usually consisting of one or more rooms with loopholes, allowing its defenders to fire in various directions. It is usually an isolated fort in the form of a single building, serving as a defensive stro ...

built in October 1855 to protect the

portage Portage or portaging (Canada: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a ...

road around the

Cascades Rapids The Cascades Rapids (sometimes called Cascade Falls or Cascades of the Columbia) 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 ...

. It is located on the

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...

side of the

Columbia River The Columbia River (Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, C ...

, west of the Bridge of the Gods, 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 or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

Gabriel J. Raines, who created

anti-personnel mines Anti-personnel mines are a form of mine designed for use against humans, as opposed to anti-tank mines, which are designed for use against vehicles. Anti-personnel mines may be classified into blast mines or fragmentation mines; the latter may ...

for the Confederacy. 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 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 ...

, located near present-day

North Bonneville, Washington North Bonneville is a city in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area along the Columbia River in Skamania County, Washington, Skamania County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. The population was 593 at the 2000 United States ...

, and

Fort Lugenbeel A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

External links

History, photos of interpretive signs at the site

Fort Rains
- Fort Wiki photos, history and visiting information

Columbia River Gorge Protected areas of Skamania County, Washington Blockhouses 1855 in Washington Territory Buildings and structures completed in 1855 Forts in Washington (state) {{US-hist-stub