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Astoria, Oregon
Peter L. Cherry house
Astor Hotel
Clockwise from top: View of Astoria and the Astoria–Megler Bridge; the John Jacob Astor Hotel; the replica of Fort Astoria; the Astoria Riverfront Trolley; the Peter L. Cherry House
Official seal of Astoria, Oregon
Seal
Location in Oregon
Location in Oregon
Astoria, Oregon is located in Oregon
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria, Oregon
Location in Oregon
Astoria, Oregon is located in the United States
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria, Oregon
Location in the United States
Astoria, Oregon is located in North America
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria, Oregon
Location in North America
Country United States
State Oregon
County Clatsop
Founded 1811
Incorporated 1876
Named for John Jacob Astor
Area
 • Total 9.95 sq mi (25.77 km2)
 • Land 6.14 sq mi (15.90 km2)
 • Water 3.81 sq mi (9.88 km2)
Elevation
23 ft (7 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 9,477
 • Estimate 
(2019)
10,015
 • Density 1,631.64/sq mi (630.01/km2)
Time zone UTC−08:00 (PST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−07:00 (PDT)
ZIP Code
97103
Area codes 503 and 971
FIPS code 41-03150
GNIS feature ID 1117076
Website www.astoria.or.us

Astoria is a port city and the seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1811, Astoria is the oldest city in the state of Oregon and was the first American settlement west of the Rocky Mountains. The county is the northwest corner of Oregon, and Astoria is located on the south shore of the Columbia River, where the river flows into the Pacific Ocean. The city is named for John Jacob Astor, an investor and entrepreneur from New York City, whose American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site and established a monopoly in the fur trade in the early nineteenth century. Astoria was incorporated by the Oregon Legislative Assembly on October 20, 1876.

The city is served by the deepwater Port of Astoria. Transportation includes the Astoria Regional Airport. U.S. Route 30 and U.S. Route 101 are the main highways, and the 4.1-mile (6.6 km) Astoria–Megler Bridge connects to neighboring Washington across the river. The population was 9,477 at the 2010 census.

History

19th century

The Lewis and Clark Expedition spent the winter of 1805–06 at Fort Clatsop, a small log structure south and west of modern-day Astoria. The expedition had hoped a ship would come by to take them back east, but instead they endured a torturous winter of rain and cold, later returning the way they came. Today the fort has been recreated and is now a historical park.

Franchere fort astoria 1813
Gabriel Franchère's 1813 sketch of Fort Astoria.

In 1811, British explorer David Thompson, the first person known to have navigated the entire length of the Columbia River, reached the partially constructed Fort Astoria near the mouth of the river. He arrived just two months after the Pacific Fur Company's ship, the Tonquin. The fort constructed by the Tonquin party established Astoria as a U.S., rather than a British, settlement. It became a vital post for American exploration of the continent and was later used as an American claim in the Oregon boundary dispute with European nations.

The Pacific Fur Company, a subsidiary of John Jacob Astor's American Fur Company, was created to begin fur trading in the Oregon Country. During the War of 1812, in 1813, the company's officers sold its assets to their Canadian rivals, the North West Company. The fur trade would remain under British control until U.S. pioneers following the Oregon Trail began filtering into the town in the mid-1840s. The Treaty of 1818 established joint U.S. – British occupancy of the Oregon Country. In 1846, the Oregon Treaty divided the mainland at the 49th parallel north, and the southern portion of Vancouver Island south of this line was awarded to the British.

A watercolor of Fort Astoria while under British ownership and called Fort George, 1813–1818.
An image of Astoria in 1841 looking towards the mouth of the Columbia River.
An image of Astoria in 1868 with various mast sailing ships.
A image of Astoria in 1888 looking east towards Tongue Point.
Images of the evolving town of Astoria though the 19th century

Washington Irving, a prominent American writer with a European reputation, was approached by John Jacob Astor to mythologize the three-year reign of his Pacific Fur Company. Astoria (1835), written while Irving was Astor's guest, cemented the importance of the region in the American psyche. In Irving's words, the fur traders were "Sinbads of the wilderness", and their venture was a staging point for the spread of American economic power into both the continental interior and into the Pacific.

An Astoria Salmon cannery.
An Astoria Salmon cannery.

As the Oregon Territory grew and became increasingly more colonized by Americans, Astoria likewise grew as a port city near the mouth of the great river that provided the easiest access to the interior. The first U.S. post office west of the Rocky Mountains was established in Astoria in 1847 and official state incorporation in 1876.

Astoria attracted a host of immigrants beginning in the late 19th century: Nordic settlers, primarily Finns, and Chinese soon became larger parts of the population. The Finns mostly lived in Uniontown, near the present-day end of the Astoria–Megler Bridge, and took fishing jobs; the Chinese tended to do cannery work, and usually lived either downtown or in bunkhouses near the canneries. By the late 1800s, 22% of Astoria's population was Chinese.

20th and 21st centuries

In 1883, and again in 1922, downtown Astoria was devastated by fire, partly because it was mostly wood and entirely raised off the marshy ground on pilings. Even after the first fire, the same format was used, and the second time around the flames spread quickly again, as collapsing streets took out the water system. Frantic citizens resorted to dynamite, blowing up entire buildings to stop the fire from going further.

Panoramic views of Astoria in the early 20th century Astoria, Oregon, looking out the mouth of the Columbia River LCCN2007662739.tif
Photograph of Astoria c. 1912.
Photograph of Astoria c. 1914.
Photograph of Astoria c. 1915.
Port of Astoria Oregon Signs
The Port of Astoria in 2009.

Astoria has served as a port of entry for over a century and remains the trading center for the lower Columbia basin, although it has long since been eclipsed by Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington, as an economic hub on the coast of the Pacific Northwest. Astoria's economy centered on fishing, fish processing, and lumber. In 1945, about 30 canneries could be found along the Columbia; however, in 1974, the Bumblebee Seafood corporation moved its headquarters out of Astoria and gradually reduced its presence until closing its last Astoria cannery in 1980. The lumber industry likewise declined; Astoria Plywood Mill, the city's largest employer, closed in 1989, and the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway discontinued service to Astoria in 1996.

Astoria bridge
The Astoria–Megler Bridge.

From 1921 to 1966, a ferry route across the Columbia River connected Astoria with Pacific County, Washington. In 1966, the Astoria–Megler Bridge was opened. The bridge completed U.S. Route 101 and linked Astoria with Washington on the opposite shore of the Columbia, replacing the ferry service.

Today, tourism, Astoria's growing art scene, and light manufacturing are the main economic activities of the city. Logging and fishing persist, but at a fraction of their former levels. It is a port of call for cruise ships since 1982, after $10 million in pier improvements to accommodate these larger ships. To avoid Mexican ports of call during the Swine Flu outbreak of 2009, many cruises were re-routed to include Astoria. The residential community The World visited Astoria in June 2009. The town's seasonal sport fishing tourism has been active for several decades

and has now been supplanted with visitors coming for the historic elements of the city. The more recent microbrewery/brewpub scene and a weekly street market have helped popularized the area as a destination.

Astoria Column e
The Astoria Column.

In addition to the replicated Fort Clatsop, another point of interest is the Astoria Column, a tower 125 feet (38 m) high, built atop Coxcomb Hill above the town, with an inner circular staircase allowing visitors to climb to see a panoramic view of the town, the surrounding lands, and the Columbia flowing into the Pacific. The tower was built in 1926 with financing by the Great Northern Railway and Vincent Astor of the Astor family, the great-grandson of John Jacob Astor, in commemoration of the city's role in the family's business history and the region's early history.

Since 1998, artistically-inclined fishermen and women from Alaska and the Pacific Northwest have traveled to Astoria for the Fisher Poets Gathering, where poets and singers tell their tales to honor the fishing industry and lifestyle.

Astoria is also the western terminus of the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail, a 4,250 miles (6,840 km) coast-to-coast bicycle touring route created in 1976 by the Adventure Cycling Association.

Three United States Coast Guard cutters: the Steadfast, Alert, and Fir, call the port of Astoria home.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.11 square miles (26.18 km2), of which 6.16 square miles (15.95 km2) is land and 3.95 square miles (10.23 km2) is water.

Climate

Astoria lies within the Mediterranean climate zone (Köppen Csb), with very mild temperatures year-round, some of the most consistent in the contiguous United States; winters are mild for this latitude (it usually remains above freezing at night) and wet. Summers are cool, although short heat waves can occur. Rainfall is most abundant in late fall and winter and is lightest in July and August, averaging approximately 67 inches (1,700 mm) of rain each year. Snowfall is relatively rare, occurring in only three-fifths of years. Nevertheless, when conditions are ripe, significant snowfalls can occur.

Astoria is tied with Lake Charles, Louisiana, and Port Arthur, Texas, as the most humid city in the contiguous United States. The average relative humidity in Astoria is 89% in the morning and 73% in the afternoon.

Annually, there are an average of only 4.2 afternoons with temperatures reaching 80 °F (26.7 °C) or higher, and 90 °F or 32.2 °C readings are rare. Normally there are only one or two nights per year when the temperature remains at or above 60 °F (15.6 °C)*. There are an average of 31 mornings with minimum temperatures at or below the freezing mark. The record high temperature was 101 °F (38.3 °C) on July 1, 1942. The record low temperature was 6 °F (−14.4 °C) on December 8, 1972, and on December 21, 1990.

There are an average of 191 days with measurable precipitation. The wettest “rain year” was from July 1920 to June 1921 with 109.23 inches (2,774.4 mm) and the driest from July 2000 to June 2001 with 42.09 inches (1,069.1 mm). The most rainfall in one month was 36.07 inches (916.2 mm) in December 1933, and the most in 24 hours was 5.56 inches (141.2 mm) on November 25, 1998. The most snowfall in one month was 26.9 inches (0.68 m) in January 1950, and the most snow in 24 hours was 12.5 inches (0.32 m) on December 11, 1922.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1860 252
1870 639 153.6%
1880 2,803 338.7%
1890 6,184 120.6%
1900 8,351 35.0%
1910 9,599 14.9%
1920 14,027 46.1%
1930 10,349 −26.2%
1940 10,389 0.4%
1950 12,331 18.7%
1960 11,239 −8.9%
1970 10,244 −8.9%
1980 9,998 −2.4%
1990 10,069 0.7%
2000 9,813 −2.5%
2010 9,477 −3.4%
2019 (est.) 10,015 5.7%
Sources:

2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 9,477 people, 4,288 households, and 2,274 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,538.5 inhabitants per square mile (594.0/km2). There were 4,980 housing units at an average density of 808.4 per square mile (312.1/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 89.2% White, 0.6% African American, 1.1% Native American, 1.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 3.9% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.8% of the population.

There were 4,288 households, of which 24.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.9% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 47.0% were non-families. 38.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and the average family size was 2.86.

The median age in the city was 41.9 years. 20.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.3% were from 25 to 44; 29.9% were from 45 to 64; and 17.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.

In popular culture

Old Clatsop County jail - Astoria Oregon
The old Clatsop County Jail, used in the first scene of the film The Goonies. The site is now home to the Oregon Film Museum.

Shanghaied in Astoria is a musical about Astoria's history that has been performed in Astoria every year since 1984.

Astoria was the setting of the 1985 film The Goonies, which was filmed on location. Other movies filmed in Astoria include Short Circuit, The Black Stallion, Kindergarten Cop, Free Willy, Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, Benji the Hunted, The Ring Two, Into the Wild, The Guardian and Cthulhu.

The early 1960s television series Route 66 filmed the episode entitled "One Tiger to a Hill" in Astoria; it was broadcast on September 21, 1962.

Pop punk band The Ataris' fourth album was titled So Long, Astoria as an allusion to The Goonies. A song of the same title is the album's first track. The album's back cover features news clippings from Astoria, including a picture of the port's water tower from a 2002 article on its demolition.

Warships named Astoria

USS Astoria (CA-34) off Mare Island in July 1941
USS Astoria
(CA-34)

Two US Navy Cruisers were named USS Astoria: A New Orleans-class heavy cruiser (CA-34) and a Cleveland-class light cruiser (CL-90). The former was lost in combat in August 1942 at the World War II Pacific Ocean Battle of Savo Island, and the latter was scrapped in 1971 after being removed from active duty in 1949.

Museums and other points of interest

Fort Clatsop replica
The replica of Fort Clatsop.
Cruise ship
The Norwegian Pearl cruise ship docked at Astoria.
Museum
The Flavel House Museum.
Maritime Museum
The Columbia River Maritime Museum.

Sister cities

Astoria has one sister city, as designated by Sister Cities International:

  • Germany Walldorf, Germany, which is the birthplace of Astoria's namesake, John Jacob Astor, who was born in Walldorf near Heidelberg on July 17, 1763. The sistercityship was founded on Astor's 200th birthday in 1963 in Walldorf by Walldorf's mayor Wilhelm Willinger and Astoria's mayor Harry Steinbock.

Education

The Astoria School District has four primary and secondary schools, including Astoria High School. Clatsop Community College is the city's two-year college. The city also has a library and many parks with historical significance, plus the second oldest Job Corps facility (Tongue Point Job Corps) in the nation.

Notable people

  • Bobby Anet, college basketball guard who helped guide the University of Oregon to win the inaugural NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament championship in 1938–1939 attended Astoria High school.
  • Alexander G. Barry, American attorney Republican member of the Oregon House of Representatives.
  • Jona Bechtolt, Grammy Nominated electronic musician and multimedia artist raised in Astoria.
  • Del Bjork, a professional American football offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL). He played two seasons for the Chicago Bears (1937–1938).
  • Brian Bruney, Major League Baseball relief pitcher.
  • Marie Dorion, the only female member of an overland expedition sent by the Pacific Fur Company to Fort Astoria in 1810.
  • George Flavel, maritime pilot and businessman.
  • Charles William Fulton, lawyer and Oregon senator.
  • Jerry Gustafson, football player.
  • Darrell Hanson, American politician in the state of Iowa.
  • Michael Hurley, American singer/songwriter.
  • Duane Jarvis, American guitarist and singer/songwriter.
  • Wally Johansen, a college basketball guard who played for the University of Oregon when it won the inaugural NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament championship in 1938–1939.
  • Consuelo Kanaga, a photographer and writer who became well known for her photographs of African-Americans.
  • Augustus C. Kinney, a physician and scientist, was a leading expert on tuberculosis.
  • Kenneth Koe, chemist of Chinese descent, helped develop sertraline, which was branded and sold as Zoloft.
  • Carl W. Leick, a German born architect who moved to Astoria. His Astoria designs include the Captain George Flavel House, the Clatsop County Courthouse, and the Grace Episcopal Church.
  • Armand Lohikoski, American born – Finnish movie director and writer.
  • Robert Lundeen, American businessperson, most notable for his association with the College of Engineering at Oregon State University (OSU) and Tektronix Inc.
  • Ranald MacDonald, first man to teach the English language in Japan and one of the interpreters between the Tokugawa shogunate and Commodore Perry when the latter made his trips to Japan on behalf of the U.S. government in the early 1850s.
  • Donald Malarkey, World War II U.S. Army soldier of the 101st Airborne Division who was portrayed in the television series Band of Brothers.
  • Petra Mathers, a German-born American writer and illustrator of children's picture books.
  • George H. Merryman, a doctor who made house calls by horse and buggy then later built the first modern hospital in Klamath Falls. Served in both the Oregon House of Representatives & Oregon Senate.
  • Royal Nebeker, American painter and print maker. Lived and worked in Astoria for 30 years.
  • Gene Nelson, American dancer, actor, screenwriter, and director, starred as Will Parker in Oklahoma! (1955).
  • Albin W. Norblad, Attorney in the U.S. state of Oregon, and a judge of the Oregon Circuit Court for the 3rd judicial district.
  • Kerttu Nuorteva, A Soviet intelligence agent during World War II. Daughter of Santeri Nuorteva.
  • Santeri Nuorteva, Finnish socialist politician and journalist, who edited Toveri ("The Comrade") in Astoria in 1912–1913. Father of Kerttu Nuorteva.
  • Maila Nurmi, a.k.a. 1950s TV horror hostess Vampira and co-star of Ed Wood's Plan 9 from Outer Space attended Astoria High School in the late 1930s.
  • Mike Pecarovich, American college football coach, lawyer, and actor.
  • Allan Pomeroy, mayor of Seattle from 1952 to 1956.
  • Jordan Poyer, NFL football player, raised in Astoria and played for Astoria teams.
  • Ken Raymond, an expert in bioinorganic and coordination chemistry.
  • Sacagawea, a Lemhi Shoshone. The only female member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition to the Pacific in 1804–1806.
  • Arnie Sundberg, American weightlifter who competed in the 1932 Summer Olympics.
  • Willis Van Dusen, businessman and mayor of Astoria from 1991 through 2014.
  • Gary Wilhelms, American politician who was a member of the Oregon House of Representatives.
  • Stanley Paul Young, American biologist.
  • Eric Zener, American photorealist artist best known for figure paintings of lone subjects, often in or about swimming pools.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Astoria (Oregón) para niños

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