Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Coast Guard Cutter Alert

United States Coast Guard Cutter Alert (WMEC 630) at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon in 1998
Coast Guard Cutter Alert at the Columbia River Maritime Museum.

The United States Coast Guard cutter Alert, WMEC 630, isn't really a part of the museum; it's still an active Coast Guard cutter, based in Astoria, Oregon, assigned to cover the North Pacific from Alaska to Central America and Hawaii enforcing fishing, immigration and contraband regulations. However, when not on duty at sea, the Alert is docked at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, where it sometimes is open for tours for museum visitors. The Alert is the last 210-foot Medium Endurance Cutter built by the Coast Guard.  It was built at the Coast Guard shipyard at Curtis Bay, Maryland and commissioned August 4, 1969. The Alert was modernized in 1993. The Alert has a crew of 75, is powered by two 2,500 horsepower engines, has a top speed of 18 knots, a range of 5000 miles at 15 knots and an endurance of 30 days. The Alert is also capable of carrying an HH65A Dolphin helicopter. The Alert's sister ship Steadfast is also based out of Astoria.

This concludes the original content of my Astoria PLACES page. To see any additional blog entries about Astoria, click on the Astoria label.

Lightship Columbia

Lightship Columbia at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon in 1998
Lightship Columbia at the Columbia River Maritime Museum.

Before the days of automated light buoys, actual ships had to stand guard to guide other ships past hazards and into ports that lighthouses couldn't mark. The Columbia River Lightship Station was the first active lightship station on the West Coast, beginning April 11, 1892. The lightship Columbia, registry WLV 604, was assigned here from 1951 to 1979. The Columbia was built by the Rice Brothers Corporation of Boothbay, Maine in 1951. The Columbia is 128 feet long and powered by a 550 horsepower diesel engine. Columbia is equipped with a 1200 Watt light, a 13-mile aircraft beacon and a 5-mile foghorn. The Columbia River Lightship Station was replaced with a buoy in 1979. The Columbia was the last serving West Coast lightship. Columbia was retired and came to the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon, where she is maintained in operating condition. In 1993, the original buoy that replaced the Columbia was itself retired, and joined the Columbia at the museum.

Continue to Coast Guard Cutter Alert

USS Gambier Bay

Model of the USS Gambier Bay at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon in 1998
Model of the USS Gambier Bay at the Columbia River Maritime Museum.

This is a model of the USS Gambier Bay, registry CVE 73, at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon. The Gambier Bay was the 19th member of the Casablanca-class of escort carriers. She was built in 1943 by the Kaiser Shipbuilding Company of Vancouver, Washington, and commissioned December 28, 1943 in Astoria. The Gambier Bay was 512.5 feet long, had a top speed of 19 knots and carried a crew of 860 and 28 fighter planes. The Gambier Bay was sunk on October 25, 1944 in the Battle of Samar against the Japanese Navy. She was one of four American ships from Escort Carrier Task Unit 19 lost in the battle. The Gambier Bay received four battle stars in World War II.

Continue to Lightship Columbia

Tourist No. 3

Model of the Tourist No. 3 at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon in 1998
Model of the Tourist No. 3 at the Columbia River Maritime Museum.

This is a model of Tourist No. 3, one of the ferries used in service between Astoria and Megler before the Astoria-Megler Bridge was built, at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon. Tourist No. 3 was built in 1931 for Captain Fritz Elfving's Astoria - North Beach Ferry Company (where it would join Elfving's other ferries, Tourist No. 1 and Tourist No. 2) by Joe Dyer's Astoria Marine Construction Company. Joe Dyer was 33 years old at the time, and at 120 feet in length, Tourist No. 3 was by far the largest boat Dyer had designed up to that point. The Tourist No. 3 was built in just 90 days.  It was powered by a 425 horsepower engine, and had a capacity of 28 cars and 280 passengers. 

Captain Elfving had started his ferry service in 1921. His ferry slip on the Oregon side was at the foot of 14th Street in Astoria. In 1927, Captain Elfving had competition from the Union Pacific ferry North Beach. After the Tourist No. 3 entered service, the rivalry really turned fierce. One night in 1932, Captain Elfving's competitors drove pilings in front of the 14th Street landing, to keep the Tourist No. 3 from being able to leave. The next morning, Captain Elfving responded, and undeniably proved Joe Dyer's shipbuilding prowess, by repeatedly ramming the pilings with the Tourist No. 3 until they broke apart, allowing the ferry to leave for the morning run. Ironically, the drifting pieces of timber would later disable the North Beach for several days. In 1934, Captain Elfving bought out his competition.

Captain Elfving sold his ferry operation to the State of Oregon in 1946, and the Tourist No. 3 remained in service, with Tourist No. 2, the state's new 1947 steel ferry M. R. Chessman, and later the Kitsap from Washington's Puget Sound until the Astoria-Megler Bridge opened in 1966, at which time the ferry was retired and sold to become a floating crab-processing facility called the Princess Roxane in Kodiak, Alaska. The remains of the ferry slip can still be seen at the end of 14th Street in Astoria.

See Columbia River One Design for more about Joe Dyer and the Astoria Marine Construction Co.

Historical Photos:
The Ferries of Oregon at Evergreenfleet.com
Tourist No. 2
(Lewis & Clark's Columbia River - Astoria-Megler Bridge)
M. R. Chessman (Volcanoes of Lewis & Clark)
M. R. Chessman (Oregon State Library)
M. R. Chessman leaving Astoria, 1951 (Salem Public Library)
M. R. Chessman near Astoria, Oct. 4, 1962 (Salem Library)
M. R. Chessman at Astoria, Oct. 4, 1962 (Salem Library)
Kitsap & Tourist No. 3 in Astoria, Oct. 4, 1962 (Salem Library)
Kitsap & Tourists No. 3 & 2, Oct. 4, 1962 (Salem Library)
Kitsap & Tourist No. 2, June 2, 1965 (Salem Library)
Tourist No. 3 at Astoria, June 2, 1965 (Salem Library)
Princess Roxane in Tacoma, May 31, 1967, Tacoma Library

Continue to USS Gambier Bay

5-Masted Schooner

Model of a 5-masted schooner at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon in 1998
Model of a 5-masted schooner at the Columbia River Maritime Museum.

I believe this model of a 5-masted schooner at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon, may be a model of the K. V. Kruse. The K. V. Kruse was a 242-foot 5-masted schooner built by Kruse & Banks Shipbuilding Co. of North Bend, Oregon for Coos Bay interests in 1920. The K. V. Kruse was idle in Astoria by 1930, and was moved to Lake Union, Washington by 1935. It was sold to the Gibson Bros. Logging Co. of Vancouver, British Columbia in 1939 to be converted to a log barge. It was lost off the coast of British Columbia in July 1941.

For more about schooners and clipper ships on the West Coast, see Steve Priske's sites:

Tall Ships of San Francisco
Article in March 2005 issue of Bay Crossings

Continue to Tourist No. 3

Battleship Oregon

Model of the battleship Oregon at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon in 1998
Model of the battleship Oregon at the Columbia River Maritime Museum.

This is a model of the American battleship Oregon, registry BB-03, at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon. The Oregon was built from 1891 to 1893 by the Union Iron Works of San Francisco. The Oregon was commissioned July 15, 1896. The Oregon was 348 feet long and had a crew of 473.  She had a range of 5,500 miles and a top speed of nearly 17 knots. Armaments included four 13" guns, eight 8" guns and four 6" guns. The Oregon was also clad with 18-inch thick armor. The Oregon was first decommissioned in April 1903. She was recommissioned in August 1911 and went in and out of the reserves several times before being put on display in Portland, Oregon in 1924. The ship was converted to an ammunition magazine in 1943 and was scrapped in Japan in 1956.  The mast of the Oregon is on display in Portland's Waterfront Park near the place where the ship itself was once tied up.

Continue to 5-Masted Schooner

Astoria #25: Columbia River Maritime Museum

1792 Marine Drive

Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon on September 24, 2005

The Columbia River Maritime Museum was established in 1962 by Astoria native Rolf Kelp to tell the history and maritime heritage of Astoria and the Columbia River. The next few posts will show some of the museum's exhibits.

Battleship Oregon
5-Masted Schooner
Tourist No. 3
USS Gambier Bay
Lightship Columbia
Coast Guard Cutter Alert

Continue to Battleship Oregon

Astoria #24: Astoria-Megler Bridge

View of the Astoria-Megler Bridge in Astoria, Oregon from the Astoria Column in 1998
View of the Astoria-Megler Bridge from the Astoria Column in 1998

Until 1966, the only way to cross the Columbia River at Astoria was by boat. Ferry service provided the connection between Astoria and Megler, Washington for the last break in the Pacific Coast Highway between Canada and Mexico. The landing for the ferry in Astoria was at the foot of 14th Street. The remains of the landing can still be seen.

View of the Astoria-Megler Bridge in Astoria, Oregon from Coxcomb Hill on September 24, 2005
View of the Astoria-Megler Bridge from Coxcomb Hill on September 24, 2005.

The closest bridge across the Columbia was the Lewis and Clark Bridge 50 miles east between Rainier, Oregon and Longview, Washington. In 1962, construction began on the 4.1 mile Astoria-Megler Bridge across the mouth of the Columbia River. The bridge was completed in 1966. The main span, at 1232 feet in length, is the longest continuous truss in the world.

View of the Astoria-Megler Bridge in Astoria, Oregon from Coxcomb Hill on September 24, 2005
View of the Astoria-Megler Bridge from Coxcomb Hill on September 24, 2005.

The bridge was originally a toll bridge. The toll was to pay off the bridge, and once the bridge was paid off the toll would be removed. Though it was supposed to take 30 years, the bridge paid off December 24, 1993, over two years ahead of schedule, and the toll was removed.

View of the Astoria-Megler Bridge in Astoria, Oregon from the Astoria Waterfront on September 24, 2005
View of the Astoria-Megler Bridge from the waterfront on September 24, 2005.

Continue to 25: Columbia River Maritime Museum

Astoria #23: John Jacob Astor Elementary School

3550 Franklin Avenue

John Jacob Astor Elementary School in Astoria, Oregon on September 24, 2005

John Jacob Astor Elementary School was designed by Astoria architect John E. Wicks and was dedicated in 1925. The school is famous, as it was featured in the 1991 motion picture Kindergarten Cop with Arnold Schwarzenegger. When the movie was filmed, some actual students and staff from the school were used as extras in the film. The school also benefited from new playground equipment, installed for the movie.

Continue to 24: Astoria-Megler Bridge

Astoria #22: Bank of Astoria

1215 Duane Street

Bank of Astoria in Astoria, Oregon on September 24, 2005

This was originally the site of the Scandinavian-American Bank. After the Astoria Fire, some walls & vaults reused in the 1923 construction of the current building, designed by Astoria architect John E. Wicks for the Astoria National Bank and built by Niemi and Company at a cost of $100,000. The Astoria National Bank opened on February 25, 1924, but went into receivership four years later on February 25, 1928 and the bank closed. The building reopened in 1930 as the newly-chartered Bank of Astoria. (Notice that the stone that the words "Bank" and "Astoria" are carved into is a slightly different color than the surrounding trim, including that in which the word "of" is carved.) The bank was purchased by the U.S. Bank of Portland on July 13, 1937. U.S. Bank continued to occupy the building until 1973. It was then used by the Astor Street Opry Company to store costumes. In 2003 the first floor was leased by the Columbia River Day Spa, and a floor was installed to turn the mezzanine level into a full second floor. In 2005 Blue Mars purchased the building and Rickenback Construction renovated and restored the second floor and exterior to create the 4,500 square foot Banker’s Suite. The day spa moved out in 2009 and Blue Mars hired Paul Caruana of Caruana Inc. to renovate the first floor into a grand ballroom. On July 3, 2012 Marie Antoinette's Cupcake & Espresso Parlor opened on the first floor but closed about a year later.

There is an entity known as the Bank of Astoria today, and it has a branch only a block from this building, but this new Bank of Astoria was chartered in 1967, and opened its first branch in 1968.

Continue to 23: John Jacob Astor Elementary School

Astoria #21: City Hall

1095 Duane Street

City Hall in Astoria, Oregon on September 24, 2005

This building was designed by Portland architect John V. Bennes in 1923 as the Astoria Savings Bank and built on the foundation and around the vault of the original bank building. The bank closed in 1929. The building has been Astoria's City Hall since 1939, replacing the building that is now the Heritage Museum. The Astoria Public Library is in the building next door.

Continue to 22: Bank of Astoria

Astoria #20: Soldier’s Monument

Intersection of West Marine Drive, West Bond Street and Columbia Avenue

Soldier's Monument in Astoria, Oregon on September 24, 2005

The Soldier's Monument was dedicated to Soldiers of World War of Clatsop County by the City of Astoria on July 21, 1926. It was built by the American Legion with funds donated by the citizens of West Astoria, also known as Uniontown. The Soldier's Monument is also known as the Victory Monument and the Doughboy Monument. The base was designed by Astoria architect Charles T. Diamond, and includes public restrooms (stairs lead to a door on either side), now closed of course. (Things were certainly different in 1926; just imagine the outrage there would be today if anyone even suggested combining a veteran's memorial and a public restroom.) The monument is topped with a bronze statue called Over the Top at Cantigny, designed by John Paulding and cast by the American Art Bronze Foundry of Chicago.

Soldier's Monument in Astoria, Oregon on September 24, 2005

Another Paulding Doughboy of a different design is in Salem, Oregon. For more information about the Paulding doughboy statues: John Paulding's Doughboys at Earl D. Goldsmith's Spirit of the American Doughboy Database.

Astoria's Soldier's Monument was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 15, 1984. It was rededicated on May 18, 1991, and the Roger Riutta Memorial Bench was placed next to the Soldier's Monument. Roger Riutta was dedicated to restoring landmarks in West Astoria, and inspired the development of many civic projects by the Uniontown Association.

Continue to 21: City Hall

Astoria #19: Astoria Column

Astoria Column from downtown Astoria, Oregon in 1998
Astoria Column from downtown Astoria in 1998.

Built atop Coxcomb Hill, Astoria's highest point, in 1926 at a cost of $32,550, the 125-foot Astoria Column is the world's only large piece of memorial architecture made of reinforced concrete with a pictorial sgraffito frieze.

Astoria Column in Astoria, Oregon in 1998
Astoria Column in 1998.

The Column is patterned after the Trajan Column in Rome. 164 steps spiral up the inside of the column to a viewing platform at the top.

Astoria Column in Astoria, Oregon on September 24, 2005
Astoria Column on September 24, 2005.

The frieze depicts the history of the area, including the discovery of the Columbia by Robert Gray in 1792, the American claims to the Northwest Territory and the arrival of the Great Northern railroad. (The Great Northern actually didn't come to Astoria, though it was part owner of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle. The president of the Great Northern donated some of the funds used to built the column, thus the railroad's inclusion.)

View from the Astoria Column in Astoria, Oregon in 1998
View from the Astoria Column in 1998.

There is quite a view of Astoria from Coxcomb Hill, as these pictures illustrate. John Friend Chitwood, born in 1839, was known as the "Father of Coxcomb Hill," and advocated for a monument on the site to honor the Lewis & Clark Expedition. In 1880 he blazed a trail to the top of Coxcomb Hill and in 1915 he completed a wagon road. He died in 1920, and never saw the column built.

View from Coxcomb Hill in Astoria, Oregon on September 24, 2005
View from Coxcomb Hill, September 24, 2005.

Coxcomb Hill is also the site of the first Community Antenna Television installation in the United States, completed in February 1949. This was an outgrowth of L. E. Ed Parsons' system, and there is a small plaque about his invention here.

View from Coxcomb Hill in Astoria, Oregon on September 24, 2005
View from Coxcomb Hill, September 24, 2005.

On April 12, 1961, Astoria's 150th Anniversary, an Indian Burial Canoe was placed on Coxcomb Hill as a symbolic memorial to Chinook Indian Chief Comcomly by his descendants. Comcomly, born around 1765, was known by Lewis & Clark and was honored and respected by the founding Astorians, the North Westers and the Hudson's Bay Fur Traders. Comcomly died in 1830. The honored guest at the ceremony was Lord Astor of England, descendent and namesake of the city's founder, John Jacob Astor, who, incidentally, never visited Astoria.

On May 2, 1974, the Astoria Column was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

On December 22, 1994, a Time Capsule was buried on Coxcomb Hill near the Column to commemorate the sesquicentennial (150 years) of Clatsop County. The Time Capsule will be opened on June 22, 2044. Mark your Calendars!

Astoria Column in Astoria, Oregon wrapped for painting in 1995
Astoria Column wrapped for painting in 1995.

Over the years since the column was built, the wind, rain and salty ocean mist took its toll on the frieze. In 1995, the column was surrounded by scaffolding and wrapped in plastic to allow artists to painstakingly restore the frieze to its original glory, at a cost of $1.5 million. When the plastic and scaffolding were removed late in 1995, the column looked as good at it did in 1926.

Today, there are plans to build an interpretive center near the column, including a 20 foot tall scale model of the column, with a spiral staircase around the outside, to allow visitors to better view the details of the frieze.

Historical Photos:
Astoria Column being painted (HistoricPhotoArchive.net)
Astoria Column, May 4, 1935 (HistoricPhotoArchive.net)
Astoria Column, 1948 (Salem Public Library)
Astoria Column, September 1960 (Salem Public Library)
Astoria Column, April 1961 (HistoricPhotoArchive.net)

Continue to 20: Soldier’s Monument

Astoria #18: Astoria Depot

2042 Marine Drive

Railroad Depot in Astoria, Oregon on September 14, 2005

Railroad Depot in Astoria, Oregon on September 14, 2005

Railroad Depot in Astoria, Oregon on September 14, 2005

The Astoria & Columbia River Railroad was completed to Astoria on April 4, 1898, with the first train on May 16. The Spokane, Portland & Seattle took over February 24, 1911. This depot was built in 1924, which incidentally turned out to be the peak year for rail travel in Astoria. Passenger service to Astoria ended in 1952, but the depot was used by the railroad for other purposes for many years. Eventually even the freight rail traffic disappeared, and the SP&S's successor Burlington Northern donated the depot to the Columbia River Maritime Museum. Today, the museum uses the depot for storage.

Lewis & Clark Explorer at the Railroad Depot in Astoria, Oregon on September 14, 2005
Lewis & Clark Explorer at the Astoria Depot on September 24, 2005.

Lewis & Clark Explorer & Astoria Riverfront Trolley at the Railroad Depot in Astoria, Oregon on September 14, 2005
Lewis & Clark Explorer and Astoria Riverfront Trolley at the Astoria Depot.

Lewis & Clark Explorer & Astoria Riverfront Trolley at the Railroad Depot in Astoria, Oregon on September 14, 2005
Lewis & Clark Explorer and Astoria Riverfront Trolley at the Astoria Depot.

Lewis & Clark Explorer at the Railroad Depot in Astoria, Oregon on September 14, 2005
Lewis & Clark Explorer at the Astoria Depot on September 24, 2005.

Lewis & Clark Explorer at the Railroad Depot in Astoria, Oregon on September 14, 2005
Lewis & Clark Explorer at the Astoria Depot on September 24, 2005.

Lewis & Clark Explorer Herald
Lewis & Clark Explorer Herald.

The tracks to the depot are now owned by the Portland & Western Railroad, though there is no freight rail business in Astoria and except for the Lewis & Clark Explorer during the summers of 2003 to 2005, no trains have come this far in a long time. Though the Lewis & Clark Explorer stopped in front of the depot, the building itself has remained closed, and is in need of serious repair. The tracks through Astoria are now owned by the city, and are used for the Astoria Riverfront Trolley, which stops near the depot.

Lewis & Clark Explorer near the site of the old engine terminal in Astoria, Oregon on September 14, 2005
Lewis & Clark Explorer near the site of the old Astoria engine terminal.

Lewis & Clark Explorer near the site of the old engine terminal in Astoria, Oregon on September 14, 2005
Lewis & Clark Explorer near the site of the old Astoria engine terminal.

Lewis & Clark Explorer near the site of the old engine terminal in Astoria, Oregon on September 14, 2005
Lewis & Clark Explorer near the site of the old Astoria engine terminal.

Lewis & Clark Explorer near the site of the old engine terminal in Astoria, Oregon on September 14, 2005
Lewis & Clark Explorer near the site of the old Astoria engine terminal.

East of the depot, Astoria used to have a small railroad yard, complete with an roundhouse and turntable, which were removed years ago. These pictures of the Lewis and Clark Explorer were taken near where the turntable once was. After the roundhouse and turntable were removed, the land was used by Astoria Plywood. Today, a housing development called the Mill Pond Village is built on the site.

For more information on the old roundhouse and turntable, see The Astoria Roundhouse by Lloyd "Bud" Howell.

Continue to 19: Astoria Column

Astoria #17: Stokes Building

1218 Commercial Street

Stokes Building in Astoria, Oregon on September 24, 2005

This building was originally built around 1925. The new Astoria Theatre opened in 1925 behind this building, at the corner of 12th Street & Marine Drive. A sign was installed on the corner of this building advertising the theatre to traffic on Commercial Street. Photographs of this sign have led many to mistakenly believe that the theatre was located here, myself included, until I was set straight by a reader. The actual theatre building has been demolished.

The Astoria Theatre replaced an earlier theatre by the same name at 12th & Exchange Streets that was destroyed in the 1922 fire. A young Clark Gable acted in the original theatre. The new Astoria Theatre opened in 1925. In 1933, the Astoria Theatre was purchased by the Fox Theater Company, which also owned the Liberty Theater. The Astoria Theatre was renamed the Viking Theatre and its Wurlitzer organ was moved to the Liberty Theatre, where it remained until 1954. After leaving the state for a couple of years, the Wurlitzer returned to Astoria in 1958 and was reinstalled in the Viking Theater (which later became the Viking Roller Rink) and combined with another Wurlitzer from Indiana, but in 1960 a larger Wurlitzer was acquired from New York, and the original Wurlitzer was sold in 1961. The Viking was sold after a final May 17, 1964 concert and was eventually demolished. The site is now the parking lot for the Wells Fargo Bank the occupies the Stokes Building.

Thanks to reader Mitch Mitchum for the information about the theater.

Related Link:
Astoria Theatre at Puget Sound Theatre Organ Society

Continue to 18: Astoria Depot

Astoria #16: Liberty Theatre

1203 Commercial Street

Liberty Theatre in Astoria, Oregon on September 24, 2005

The Liberty Theatre is located on the Southeast corner of 12th and Commercial. The entire building is actually known as the Astor Building, and was built in 1924. The Liberty opened in 1925. It is one of the few theaters in the United States with Italian Renaissance architecture. The building was designed by John Bennes and Herman Herzog. The Liberty Theatre originally had a Wurlitzer organ that was sold to a theater in Denver in 1930. When the nearby Astoria Theatre was purchased by the owners of the Liberty in 1933, the Wurlitzer from that theatre was moved to the Liberty, where it remained until 1954. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 7, 1984, and the Liberty Theatre is undergoing a complete renovation, while operating as a performing arts center.

Historical Photos:
Liberty Theatre, August 1975 (American Classic Images)
Liberty Theatre, August 1975 (American Classic Images)
Liberty Theatre, July 1983 (American Classic Images)

For more information on the Liberty Theatre, and to see pictures of the interior, visit:
Liberty Theatre
Liberty Theatre at CinemaTour
Liberty Theatre at Cinema Treasures
Liberty Theatre at Puget Sound Theatre Organ Society

Continue to 17: Stokes Building

Astoria #15: Associated Building

Northwest corner of 12th and Commercial Street

Associated Building in Astoria, Oregon on September 24, 2005

The corner of 12th and Commercial is about where the fire of 1922 broke out, but you'd never know it today. The Associated Building, designed by architect Charles T. Diamond and built in 1923, is actually three buildings: the Carruthers Building, the Hobson Building and the Copeland Building. It was probably among the first buildings constructed after the fire.

Continue to 16: Liberty Theatre

Astoria #14: John Jacob Astor Hotel

1401 Commercial Street

Astoria, like many towns, faced a major fire that destroyed much of the town. Just after midnight on the morning of December 7, 1922, a fire broke out in the business district. Within 6 hours, 32 city blocks over 40 acres were destroyed, including 33 buildings plus roads and utilities, though only 2 lives were lost. The downtown was rebuilt with wider streets and all utilities underground, making it the only city of its size at the time with underground wiring in the business district.

John Jacob Astor Hotel in Astoria, Oregon on September 24, 2005

The impressive eight-story John Jacob Astor Hotel, designed by the Tourtellotte & Hummel firm of Portland and built in 1922, was one of the first buildings rebuilt in the business district after the fire and is still the tallest building in Astoria. In 1948, L. E. Ed Parsons set up an antenna on the roof of the Astor Hotel to receive the television signal from KRSC Channel 5 in Seattle, and distributed the signal to others in Astoria through a cable, creating the first cable television system. The initial broadcast was on Thanksgiving Day, 1948. The Astor Hotel was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 16, 1979. Today, the upper floors are being renovated into apartments for the elderly.

Continue to 15: Associated Building

Astoria #13: Clatsop County Courthouse & Jail

749 Commercial Street & 732 Duane Street

Clatsop County Courthouse in Astoria, Oregon on September 24, 2005

The Clatsop County Courthouse is built on land donated by Col. John McClure, who had the second donation land claim in what is now Astoria. This land claim was made up of the land between today's 1st and 13th streets. The original 2-story frame courthouse was built on this spot in 1855. This current courthouse was designed by Portland architect Edgar M. Lazarus and was built from 1904 to 1908. The cannon and bench in front of the Courthouse was placed by the Oregon Department of the Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War for their 16th Convention in 1934. The Courthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 5, 1984.

Clatsop County Courthouse in Astoria, Oregon on September 24, 2005

Historical Photo:
Clatsop County Courthouse, Sept. 17, 1960 (Salem Library)

Clatsop County Jail in Astoria, Oregon on September 24, 2005

The Clatsop County Jail was built in 1913 and was in use from 1914 to 1976. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 19, 1983. The building was used in the filming of the 1985 film The Goonies and in 2010 became home to the Oregon Film Museum.

Continue to 14: John Jacob Astor Hotel

Astoria #12: Heritage Museum

1618 Exchange Street

Heritage Museum in Astoria, Oregon on September 24, 2005

This Neo-Classical building was designed by Emil Schacht and was built in 1904 as Astoria's City Hall, which it served as until 1939. It has also been used as a Public Library, a USO Club during WWII, and the first home of the Columbia River Maritime Museum. It was restored by the Clatsop County Historical Society as the Clatsop County Heritage Museum and placed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 7, 1984.

Heritage Museum in Astoria, Oregon on September 24, 2005

Continue to 13: Clatsop County Courthouse & Jail

Astoria #11: Union Fisherman's Cooperative Net Loft

Union Fisherman's Cooperative Net Loft in Astoria, Oregon on September 24, 2005

Built in 1897, the net loft was used to dry the fiber nets used by fisherman and store them for the off-season. It was put on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. It is currently being used as an art gallery.

Continue to 12: Heritage Museum

Astoria #10: Uppertown Fire Station #2

2968 Marine Drive

Uppertown Fire Station #2 in Astoria, Oregon on September 24, 2005

This building was originally built in 1896 as part of the North Pacific Brewery. It was designed by Portland architect Emil Schacht. The brewery shut down in 1915 due to prohibition. In 1928, the City of Astoria rebuilt it as Uppertown Fire Station #2. (This part of Astoria is known as Uppertown) The building served as a fire station until 1960. The building was put on the National Register of Historic Places on September 7, 1984. In 1989, it was donated to the Clatsop County Historical Society to become the Uppertown Firefighters Museum. The second floor also houses the Astoria Children's Museum.

Continue to 11: Union Fisherman's Cooperative Net Loft

Astoria #9: Rosebriar Hotel

636 14th Street

Rosebriar Hotel in Astoria, Oregon on September 24, 2005

The Rosebriar Hotel was built in 1902 as a convent to serve as a home for nuns who taught in a local Catholic school. Also on the grounds is a former Carriage House, originally built in 1885. The hotel has since closed.

Continue to 10: Uppertown Fire Station #2..

Astoria #8: Franklin Street Station

1140 Franklin Avenue

Franklin Street Station in Astoria, Oregon on September 24, 2005

This house was originally built in 1900. Franklin Street Station was one of the first Bed and Breakfast Inns in Astoria when it opened in June 1986.

Continue to 9: Rosebriar Hotel

Astoria #7: Astoria Inn

3391 Irving Avenue

Astoria Inn in Astoria, Oregon on September 24, 2005

The Astoria Inn was originally built in 1890 as a private resident by Olie Haren, a Norwegian immigrant.

Continue to 8: Franklin Street Station

Astoria #6: Benjamin Young Inn

3652 Duane Street

Benjamin Young Inn in Astoria, Oregon on September 24, 2005

The Benjamin Young Inn was built in 1888 as the home of Benjamin Young. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 7, 1979.

Historical Photos:
Benjamin Young House, June 2, 1965 (Salem Public Library)
Benjamin Young House, June 2, 1965 (Salem Public Library)

Continue to 7: Astoria Inn