 |
| Astoria, Oregon and the Megler Bridge as seen from the Astoria Column |
“Ocian in view, o the joy”
Captain William Clark upon reaching
the Pacific
One of the more incredible places I have ever been has to be Astoria,
Oregon. There are so many interesting things to see and the setting couldn't be
more beautiful. The mighty Columbia river ends it’s 1,243 mile journey here as
it meets the Pacific Ocean. Downtown Astoria hugs the waterfront and its steep
streets and neighborhoods rise precipitously from the river and carpet Coxcomb
hill. Everywhere there is green and an incredible view of the mighty Columbia
or the Pacific Ocean. Astoria was named for John Jacob Astor. His American Fur
Company established an outpost here in 1811. The Lewis and Clark expedition
finally reached the Pacific Ocean here in 1805 and constructed Fort Clatsop not
far from present day downtown Astoria where they hunkered down for the winter.
The site is now a National Monument
http://www.nps.gov/lewi/planyourvisit/fortclatsop.htm
Astoria has seen it’s ups and downs as it was destroyed by fire several times
just like most western towns. Once upon a time there was a very large fishing
and processing industry presence in Astoria but that industry packed up bit by
bit and moved along. Timber was king for a time and even brought in the
railroad but eventually that industry died off too in the local area. The
economy of Astoria is now mostly dependent upon tourism and the arts community.
The area has such an incredibly rich History. First, the Clatsop Indians
inhabited the area for thousands of years. These Indians enjoyed abundant fish
and fur and had few enemies. If there was a paradise for Native Americans, the
Clatsop Indians were living in it. In 1792 Captain Robert Gray, an American
Merchant sea captain, came upon the entrance to the Columbia river and he named
it in honor of one of his ships……..the
Columbia Rediviva. Astoria is
the oldest American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains and it had the first
U.S. Post Office west of the Rockies established in 1847. Today there are so
many interesting things to do in Astoria that it is hard to capture them all in
one article. The waterfront downtown is a must visit as the Columbia River
Maritime Museum with it’s lightship “
Columbia” is located there along
with numerous shops and restaurants. There is a restored trolley from 1913
that runs 2.6 miles along the Columbia riverfront. For one dollar you can get a
round trip ticket. For two dollars you can ride all day. Much of the 80’s cult
film the “Goonies” was filmed in Astoria and many people make the pilgrimage
here to check out some of the sites that were used in the movie.
http://www.thegoonies.org/ From May to
October in downtown Astoria they close of a few blocks on 12
th
Street and have a “Farmers/Artisans” Market. There are fresh fruits and
vegetables, art works and creations and all kinds of other stuff on display and
for sale. Downtown Astoria and even Coxcomb hill is dominated by the incredible
feat of engineering that is the Astoria-Megler Bridge. For years and years the
only way to get from Oregon to Washington across the mouth of the Columbia was
by ferry, but then they constructed this magnificent bridge and now, you can
cross the mighty river in a matter of minuets. The bridge is 4.1 miles long and
it’s incredible main span is over 1,200 feet long which is longer than the
Empire State Building is tall! If you drive across this bridge to the many
fascinating destinations in Washington State, on your return trip you will
notice a strange column rising from the top of Coxcomb Hill above
Astoria……….this is the Astoria Column. The Astoria Column has to be my favorite
destination in Astoria. It was built by the Astor family to commemorate the
history and settlement of the area. It is based on the “Trajan” column in Rome,
Italy located just north of the Roman Forum in Trajan’s Forum. I remember
sitting on an ancient stone along the Via dei Fori Imperiali in Rome and
admiring the columns of Trajan’s Forum. I never thought I would come across
something like the Trajan Column in Oregon and yet there is was. The Astoria
Column stands 600 feet above sea level with the column itself rising 125 feet.
A detailed and thorough restoration of the column and plaza was completed in
2004 and they did a spectacular job. From the grounds of the column you have
amazing views of the mighty Columbia, the Astoria-Megler Bridge and the Pacific
Ocean. Over 500 feet of intricate artwork / murals wrap around the column from
bottom to top just like the images of the Romans epic battles with the Dacians
did on the ancient column. The column was completed in 1926 at a cost of
$27,133.96….so basically for the price of a large 4X4 truck, they built the
amazing monument you see today. The scenes on the column and their detail is
striking – Captain Gray’s discovery of the Columbia, Lewis and Clark meeting
with the Indians, the arrival of the Railroad and many other historical events
are depicted in exquisite detail upon the column. These sketches are the work
of the Italian immigrant artist Attilo Pusteria. To affix these images to the
column, Pusteria placed drawings of the scenes up against the wet plaster and
then poked holes through the paper of the drawing. He then blew colored powder
into the holes and when he peeled away the paper the depiction was affixed to
the column. Imagine doing that work in the Oregon rain, suspended dozens of
feet above the ground with a canopy draped over you. Amazing!!!!!. One last
site that is worth mentioning in the Astoria area is old Fort Stevens State
Park. This facility provides beach access, camping and swimming in the Pacific
Ocean. It was founded to protect the entrance of the Columbia River from
enemies and was most active during the Civil War and World War II. Quite
possibly the most interesting thing about this park though is the shipwreck of
the ship Peter Iredale. The skeleton of this large old ship is stuck in the
beach sands of Clatsop Spit and it’s rusting hulk is quite interesting to walk
up to and observe as the surf crashes on the beach. As you can see, Astoria, Oregon
has so much to offer that it can’t possibly be appreciated in a single day. The
climate is wet and rainy for a good portion of the year but there is a short
summer like season where it can actually get quite hot. Snow is a rare
occurrence but it can happen so be prepared. Astoria is a great starting point
for a trip down the Oregon Coast as the Haystacks of Cannon Beach and Tillamook
beyond are not too far away. I hope you will go to Astoria and partake in the
rich history and numerous enjoyable and memorable experiences that can be had
in this gem city of the Pacific Northwest.
 |
| Typical Scene near Astoria, Oregon |
 |
| Astoria, Oregon |
Comments
Post a Comment