Astoria Column
Constructed in 1926 atop Coxcomb Hill, the landmark Astoria Column stands 125-feet tall and was patterned after Trajan’s Column in Rome. On the exterior wall, a freshly restored mural depicts several major events in the history of the area, including Native American life before the arrival of white Europeans; the discovery of the Columbia River by Captain John Gray in 1792; the arrival of the American explorers Lewis and Clark in 1805; and the arrival of the ship Tonquin from New York in 1811sponsored by John Jacob Astor. There are 164 steps up to the top of the column, and on a clear day the view makes the climb well worth the effort: You can see the area’s topography better here than anywhere else. Adjacent to the column, the region’s rich Native American history, which dates back at least 12,000 years, is commemorated with a memorial to Chief Comcomly, leader of the Chinook Nation at the time of the Lewis and Clark expedition. The memorial is in the shape of a Chinook canoe. On the way to the Astoria Column, stop by Fort Astoria, on the corner of 15th and Exchange streets. A log blockhouse and historical marker commemorate the site of the first trading post established by John Jacob Astor’s fur traders in 1811.
Constructed in 1926 atop Coxcomb Hill, the landmark Astoria Column stands 125-feet tall and was patterned after Trajan’s Column in Rome. On the exterior wall, a freshly restored mural depicts several major events in the history of the area, including Native American life before the arrival of white Europeans; the discovery of the Columbia River by Captain John Gray in 1792; the arrival of the American explorers Lewis and Clark in 1805; and the arrival of the ship Tonquin from New York in 1811sponsored by John Jacob Astor. There are 164 steps up to the top of the column, and on a clear day the view makes the climb well worth the effort: You can see the area’s topography better here than anywhere else. Adjacent to the column, the region’s rich Native American history, which dates back at least 12,000 years, is commemorated with a memorial to Chief Comcomly, leader of the Chinook Nation at the time of the Lewis and Clark expedition. The memorial is in the shape of a Chinook canoe. On the way to the Astoria Column, stop by Fort Astoria, on the corner of 15th and Exchange streets. A log blockhouse and historical marker commemorate the site of the first trading post established by John Jacob Astor’s fur traders in 1811.
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