Roaming Astoria's Waterfront

Article by Vicki Andersen

I have gasped my way up 164 stairs (but who’s counting) and it was definitely worth it. At the top of the Astoria Column on Coxcomb Hill, I am at the highest point in Astoria, Oregon, and the view is simply astounding: forests, mountains and water—lots of water because this is where the Columbia River empties into the Pacific Ocean.

Before reaching Astoria Column, I had wandered up and down the streets that are etched into Coxcomb Hill. These streets are lined with hundreds of Victorian homes, many with dazzling colors and fanciful adornments. These beautifully preserved structures help justify the town’s nickname, “The Little San Francisco of the Pacific Northwest.”

About 75 of these buildings and other sites around town are listed on the Register of Historic Places. Of special note is the Captain George Flavel House Museum. It was built in 1885 by one of the first licensed pilots on the Columbia River Bar and the first local millionaire. Restored to its original opulence, this Queen Anne-style house sits in the midst of manicured grounds that cover an entire city block, and is filled with period furnishings and artwork.

Crowning Coxcomb Hill is the Astoria Column, which was dedicated in 1926 and restored in 1995. Patterned after Trajan’s Column in Rome, the structure contains 14 murals that spiral 125 feet upward in a glorious depiction of Oregon’s early history.

Trading Post
The recorded history of this region dates to 1792, when American Captain Robert Gray sailed his ship, The Columbia, across the bar and into the muddy waters of the mighty river that he named for his ship. His brief encounter with the Columbia River provided the United States with a strong claim to the Oregon Territory.

A few years later the Astoria area became the western terminus of the Lewis and Clark Trail, when the Corps of Discovery spent the winter of 1805-06 at Fort Clatsop. The Corps of Discovery explorers were glad for a chance to restock provisions, sew some new clothing and moccasins, and bring their journals up to date, but didn’t seem impressed with the weather. It rained all but 12 days of their nearly four-month sojourn.

Their report of this area must not have been damped by the climate because it piqued the interest of a financier from New York. In 1811, John Jacob Astor sent a group of fur traders to establish a trading post, which became Fort Astoria. This put Astoria into the record books as the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies. Part of this fort has been replicated in a small park.

An abundance of opportunities in the logging, fishing and shipping industries drew so many settlers that soon the town could boast having the first post office west of the Rockies (established 1847) and, two years later, the first U.S. Customs House. By the end of the 19th century, Astoria had turned into the most spirited boom town between San Francisco and Seattle.

Lively Waterfront
After a quiet morning of viewing and ogling on Coxcomb Hill, I headed to the waterfront, where the Columbia River shipping lane draws near to shore and the Riverwalk has great places for close-up views of the water traffic. River history is told through interpretive displays at the 14th Street Pier, while radio speakers transmit live conversations between ship pilots and the Coast Guard.

The Columbia River Bar is infamous as the most treacherous in the world, having caused more than 200 major shipwrecks and having claimed more than 2,000 vessels of all types. The Columbia River Maritime Museum chronicles the river’s activity, from dugout canoes navigating these waters, through sailing ships, to modern times. You can stroll across the bridge of a World War II warship or tour the Lighthouse Columbia, a National Historic Landmark that once lighted the way across the mouth of the river. The maritime museum recently underwent a $6 million expansion and renovation. With 44,200 square feet of exhibit space, it houses one of the largest collections of nautical artifacts on the West Coast, as well as interactive displays and hands-on exhibits.

While contemplating the passage of a large tanker and the antics of a pair of kayakers, I detected the clickety-clack of the Riverfront Trolley. Cloaked in red, green and cream, Old Number 300 is a 1913 trolley on long-term loan from the San Antonio Museum of Art, provided in exchange for being restored to her glory days. As the trolley rolls along its three-mile-long waterfront track, many of its volunteer conductors provide narration of local history and attractions. Round-trip takes about 40 minutes, but the best word to describe its schedule is “relaxed.” What the heck—pay your $1 fare and hop aboard for as long as you like. For $2 you have unlimited on-off privileges for the day, using the trolley as your personal shuttle between waterfront attractions.

Longest Bridge
The Astoria-Megler Bridge is a picturesque photo-op that connects Astoria and Point Ellice, Washington. This 4.1-mile bridge is the longest three-span truss bridge in the world. Because Pacific storms can produce extremely high winds, it was built to withstand gusts of up to 150 mph. The piers are designed to be strong enough to hold up if massive floodwaters conveying entire trees slam into them. Dedicated in 1966, this was the final piece of the Canada-to-Mexico highway system.

The flat land you see in the downtown area didn’t exist 150 years ago. The hills marched right down to the shoreline, so the original businesses were constructed on pilings over the water. In less than three hours in 1922, a fire reduced over 200 business establishments to ashes, burned 30 blocks, and narrowly avoided igniting dockside oil tanks. This time the land was filled, and buildings were set on concrete.

This devastation is highlighted at the Uppertown Firefighters Museum, along with a variety of firefighting equipment, pictures and memorabilia. I particularly liked the huge collection of firefighting vehicles, from the hand-pulled and horse-drawn conveyances of the late 1870s to motorized vehicles from the early 1960s. The second floor of this 1896 building is home to the Astoria Children’s Museum.

From museums to landmarks, rivers to hillsides, Astoria offers an unfolding palette of diversions to her visitors. I think Captain Gray would be dazed to see the river traffic in his old haunt, and John Jacob Astor would be very pleased at the development and commerce triggered by his trading post.

Vicki Andersen is a travel writer who lives in Portland, Oregon.