History
Astoria's History in Brief
The Native peoples of the Clatsop and Chinook Indians lived here for thousands of years before the European explorers ventured to cross the mouth of the Columbia River. In 1792, Capt. Robert Gray found the mouth of the River and sailed in with his ship, the Columbia Rediviva. In 1805, Lewis and Clark led their Expedition here and spent the winter at Fort Clatsop, just south of Astoria.
It is important to remember the Lewis & Clark expedition was not claiming this territory for the United States, they were exploring. There was a great international "race" for this region involving multiple British Companies, the Russians, Spanish, and others. John Jacob Astor staked the first U.S. claim to the west coast of the continent by establishing his fur-trading outpost at the mouth of the Columbia.
Astoria was established in 1811 by the John Jacob Astor fur trading party, and became the first permanent U.S. settlement west of the Rocky Mountains. The City was recognized as the nation's first real claim to the West by no less than Thomas Jefferson.
The British were not far behind. Without the settlement of Astoria, the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and portions of Montana & Wyoming would today be part Canada. In fact, one can argue that the U.S. would have stopped at the Rocky Mountains. Thomas Jefferson wrote about this, Washington Irving did as well.
The United States and England went to war in 1812. In 1813 a British warship sailed into the Columbia River to capture the post and take control of the fur trade. Astor’s fur traders beat them to the punch by selling the post to the British Northwest Company. From 1813 to 1818, the British owned Astoria and it was known as Fort George. In 1818, a treaty with England established joint occupation of the Oregon Country, as it was called then. The boundary was set at the 49th Parallel. The British did not completely abandon Astoria until 1846.
The City grew from a few fur trappers to a center of salmon fishing in the late nineteenth century, to a living museum that is today recognized as one of the most historic communities in the Nation. The story of Astoria includes rich Asian, Scandinavian, and Native American heritage.
From: Adapted from Astoria's history along the tracks - C. Earl - www.old300.org
ABC 2011 Storefront has several books on the history of Astoria and John Jacob Astor. Located on the 12th Street Docks in Astoria on the riverwalk. Open 7 days a week: phone: 503-325-5889 or email Paulette McCoy abc2011@cumtux.org
