1 7 9 2 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 0 5 , ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁an ▁enc amp ment ▁by ▁the ▁Lewis ▁and ▁Clark ▁Ex ped ition . ▁ ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁the ▁site ▁of ▁military ▁fort ifications ▁since ▁ 1 8 6 4 , ▁most ▁not ably ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 9 0 s , ▁when ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁presently ▁surv iving ▁Fort ▁Columbia ▁structures ▁were ▁built . ▁ ▁The ▁point , ▁which ▁constit utes ▁the ▁most ▁developed ▁portion ▁of ▁Fort ▁Columbia ▁State ▁Park , ▁was ▁designated ▁a ▁National ▁Historic ▁Land mark ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 1 . ▁ ▁Description ▁and ▁history ▁Ch ino ok ▁Point ▁is ▁a ▁h illy ▁prom ont ory ▁on ▁the ▁north ▁bank ▁of ▁the ▁Columbia ▁River , ▁roughly ▁east ▁of ▁its ▁actual ▁mouth , ▁which ▁is ▁marked ▁on ▁the ▁north ▁by ▁Cape ▁Dis app oint ment ▁and ▁the ▁south ▁by ▁Point ▁Adams . ▁ ▁The ▁point ▁is ▁fort ified ▁with ▁the ▁remains ▁of ▁Fort ▁Columbia , ▁which ▁include ▁th ir teen ▁buildings ▁ere cted ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 2 , ▁and ▁three ▁art illery ▁emp lac ements ▁installed ▁between ▁ 1 8 9 7 ▁and ▁ 1 9 0 0 . ▁ ▁The ▁mouth ▁of ▁the ▁Columbia ▁River , ▁the ▁major ▁river ▁of ▁the ▁north western ▁United ▁States , ▁was ▁almost ▁discovered ▁several ▁times ▁before ▁Captain ▁Robert ▁Gray ▁sp otted ▁it ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 2 . ▁ ▁Spanish ▁expl orer ▁Bruno ▁de ▁H ec eta ▁saw ▁both ▁Cape