A Brief History of Astoria

It's been a few weeks since I last wrote. During that time, I've been super busy as the diet technician. As diet technician, it is my job to make sure everything is prepared for "diet day" - everything from sample bags, data sheets, ice and coolers, and batteries for the scales, to picking up the boat, fueling it and putting it in the harbor, and perhaps most importantly ammunition. On diet days, we meet our hunter in the harbor very early and it's imperative that nothing is forgotten. I've experienced two diet days thus far and all has gone well. Unfortunately, I cannot write in detail about diet days due to the sensitive nature of the subject. If you want to know nitty gritty details, see pictures or ask questions about exactly what I do, please leave a comment indicating your desires and I'll do my best to fulfill them. =)

I've had 3 days off which I spent hanging out in Astoria. This town has a lot of history behind it. I don't have time now to put down every last detail. So, for now, I'll give you some history as it relates to the murals around town that I photographed. Pictures will follow.

In 1792, Capt. Robert Gray sailed his ship, Columbia Rediviva, into the mouth of what is now the Columbia River. In November 1805, Lewis and Clark ended their Expedition at Fort Clatsop, where they over wintered until spring 1806. Then in 1811, a New York financier, John Jacob Astor, established a fur trading post thereby putting Astoria on the map as the first American settlement west of the Rockies. With the War of 1812 underway, Britain sent a warship up the Columbia to take control of the fur trade, but Astor had sold the post to the British Northwest Company. Britain owned Astoria from 1813 to 1818 - they renamed it, Fort George. A treaty with England in 1818 established joint occupation of the Oregon Country - the Fort George name was dropped and Fort Astor became known as Astoria. It wasn't until 1846 that the British completely abandoned Astoria - when American pioneers began arriving by the Oregon Trail. By 1850, the first steamer ship, Columbia, built on the River was launched. It was also around this time that the first bar pilots came about because of the dangerous waters of the Columbia River Bar.

The rise of Astoria came during the latter half of the 19th century thanks not to forestry or shipping, but to the massive salmon runs of Chinook (King), Silver (Coho), Sockeye, Chum and Steelhead. Sixteen million salmon made the run upstream every year to spawn at their natal grounds. In 1866, the first commercial canning operation was opened. Cans were made by hand out of tin and soldered shut. Soon, this process was mechanized. Horses, and soon after boats, were used to draw seine-nets. Stables, bunk and cook houses, and docks were built to house the men and horses. Horses were walked single file through town to an awaiting barge which floated them to the stable in the middle of the river where they would spend their summers. On Sand Island, over 100 men and 60 horses hauled in salmon. The fishermen used small boats to set the nets, then the horses pulled the nets ashore to awaiting men who gaffed the fish into horse-drawn rail cars which took the harvest across the bay to the cannery. The rusted frames and wheels of the rail cars as well as the pilings that held the railway and stables still exist on the island. Additionally, the pilings which held other stables are still visible off the Astoria-Megler bridge.

Mural (left half) depicting the history of Astoria, OR (click on the pictures to make them larger)

Mural (right half) depicting the history of Astoria, OR

Astoria Column, showing the history of Astoria

Astoria-Megler Bridge, to the left (west) of this bridge are the pilings that held horse stables

By 1883, there were 39 canneries which packed 630,000 cases (43 million pounds) of salmon. Year after year thereafter, the harvest continued to decline. In 1911, 50 million pounds of salmon were harvested, however, by 1960, just five millions pounds were harvested. Today, less than 2 million salmon run upriver to spawn, 15% of these are wild - the rest are hatchery raised. Last month, the salmon fishery was closed for the state of Oregon.

Astoria was the second largest city in Oregon in the early 1900s with a population around 8,900. Downtown was a bustling place built over the water on pilings. Trollies took people around town for shopping. Astoria burned twice, once in 1883 and again in 1922. Thanks again to the salmon runs, the economy was strong enough for Astoria to rebuild. Astoria has served as a major port for over a century and it remains the center of trade for the Lower Columbia River.

I hope I've managed to keep your attention through the history lesson. Below is an update of other places I've visited and things I've seen. Of course, pictures!

Yesterday, I visited Fort Stevens State Park for a few hours. Fort Stevens is on the south jetty of the river mouth and offers access to the Columbia River as well as the Pacific Ocean. An observation deck overlooks the infamous Bar - this is a great place to watch the bar pilots take command of vessels crossing the Bar. The early 1900s rusty, barnacle-covered wreckage of the Peter Iredale rests on the ocean beach.

The Peter Iredale wreckage

A macro shot of the rust on the Peter Iredale

I've also been to the East Mooring Basin where fishing boats are moored. Here, bull sea lions, haul out on docks and lay around all day barking and fighting over dock space.

Bull California sea lions hauled out on a dock

A beautiful schooner, the John Muir, docked in the harbor. She's for sale, too!

A bicycle on a boat.

If the boat ride alone doesn't make you seasick, laps around the deck on the bike surely will! I'm certain the bike is just being stored on the boat, but it's still fun to imagine the skipper doing laps around the boat deck on his bike.

In other exciting news: My little sister graduated from college today summa cum laude! Congratulations, Lindsey! I'm so very proud of you! I'm sorry I couldn't be there to celebrate, but know that I thought about you all day long today. =)

Tomorrow night (Sunday), I stay overnight on the island. The weather is supposed to be beautiful. I'm very excited. I'll stay in a tent on a platform with a tarp over the rainfly. I'll let you all know how this excursion goes down.

Until next time, Cheers!