ASTORIA
Astoria is the oldest American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains.
It is a city of 10,000 people, located on the southern (Oregon) side
of the Columbia River, just a few miles from the Pacific Ocean.
Situated in Clatsop (a Native American Tribe) County, Astoria
is surrounded by the beauty of forests and mountains
and the power of three rivers and the sea.
Known for its steep hills and beautiful Victorian homes,
Astoria has been called the
"Little San Francisco of the Pacific Northwest."
Astoria has a marine climate, which means the summers are cool,
with highs around 70 degrees Fahrenheit (but can get into the 80s),
and the winters are mild, with few nights of freezing temperatures.
The area gets about 75 inches of rain per year, which accounts
for its vivid greenness and crystal clear air.
Winter storms can be dramatic with winds reaching 70 to 100 miles per hour
on the ocean bluffs. A highly tempestuous place, Native Americans
have lived in this area for over an estimated 10,000 years,
well before the first "white man" came along to enjoy its mystical bounty.
In May of 1792, American Captain Robert Gray sailed his 230-ton ship,
the Columbia Rediviva, between Point Adams (Oregon) and Cape Disappointment
(Washington) to first enter the mouth of the Columbia River,
known colloquially these days simply as "the bar."
Ten years later, President Thomas Jefferson asked his personal secretary,
Army Captain Meriwether Lewis, to lead an expedition to the Pacific Ocean
in order to find out whether the Columbia River could offer the most direct
and practical water communication across the continental United States
for the purposes of commerce.
The Lewis and Clark Expedition left Pittsburgh August 31, 1803.
Known as the "The Corps of Discovery," they entered the Lower Columbia River
in November of 1805 and stayed through March 1806.
The "Corps" wintered over at Fort Clatsop, where it rained all but 12 days.
They spent that time hunting, making moccasins and other pelted clothing,
working on their journals, and trading with the Clatsop, Tillamook,
and Chinook Indians (Native Americans).
In 1811, five years after the departure of Lewis & Clark,
John Jacob Astor, a New York financier, sent fur traders aboard the ship Tonquin
to establish a trading post in that very same area.
They built Fort Astor on a hillside facing the Columbia River,
a site now preserved as a monument in Astoria's tiny downtown.
In addtion to the fur trapping demographic at this time,
Astoria began to develop a strong Scandinavian color
due to its deep fishing resources.
In the late 19th century, it was Captain George Flavel that turned Astoria
into a modern day maritime gateway, almost single handedly turning it
from outpost to community. Flavel was in fact the Columbia River's
first commercial shipping pilot. Much of Astoria's humble beginnings
as a budding town owe a great deal to Flavel and his business acumen.
His maritime work afforded Astoria the capital to establish
its first bank, hotel, theater, and many other downtown projects.
Well over 200 major shipwrecks have occurred near the mouth of the Columbia River
over the last few centuries. earning it the distinctive title of
"The Graveyard of the Pacific."
One, the Peter Iredale of 1906, is still visible on the beach
at Fort Stevens State Park. Few other towns inside of the continental
United States can boast of such an immensely unique and daring maritime heritage.
Though still slightly depressed from the ravages of the last century's
fishing industries, Astoria is quickly reshaping itself within the midst
of the Northwest's progressive craft and artisan movements,
while still retaining both its nautical roots and its storybook charm.
Most of all, Astoria remains uniquely "real."
Everything people love about the Northwest is here.
Bryan and Angela hope to call it home one day soon.
Finally, please be aware of the fact that Oregon has no sales tax,
a ten percent hotel tax, and paid gas station attendants who will NOT
let you pump your own particular brand of petroleum product.
To find out more about Astoria and its surrounding areas,
please click on the link provided below.
We hope you love it as much as we do.