Astoria (Oregon)
Clatsop County
41-03150
Astoria is a small, circular and port city in Clatsop County in the U.S. state of Oregon with 9970 inhabitants ( 2006 estimate ).
It is located on the Columbia River, which flows into the Pacific Ocean. Astoria was Jacob Astor (1763-1848) was named after the merchant John, who in the 19th century operated a thriving fur trade here among others.
Geography
According to official figures, the city has an area of 27.5 km ². 15.9 km ² of it is land mass and 11.6 km ² is covered by water. The water area is 42.18 %.
History
The participants of the Lewis and Clark expedition spent the winter here 1805/ 06 in Fort Clatsop. The expedition participants expected a ship would pick them up there to get to the east coast. Built in 1955, on 3 October 2005 and spent again newly built replica ( replica ) of the fort is now a National Monument.
In 1811, John Jacob Astor's Pacific Fur Company founded Fort Astoria as the their commercial establishment for the Pacific Northwest. This was the first permanent U.S. settlement on the Pacific coast represents the branch was significant for the further colonization of the West Coast. The fort lost the U.S. in 1813 in the war with Great Britain. The collection takes place on 23 October 1813. Most as the American Flag 22-23. December 1813 was replaced by the British colors, called Captain William Black, commander of the British corvette Rancoon to the fort at Fort George. The U.S. efforts to get it back failed after the peace settlement. In 1818 the fort was returned to the U.S., but was still known until 1836 as Fort George. Mid-1840s, a large influx took place as part of the Oregon Trail. 1847 The first U.S. Post Office west of the Rocky Mountains was established in Astoria. 1849 followed by the first U.S. Customs Office. With the settlement of the Oregon territory to Astoria has developed into a thriving river and sea port. In 1856 the town a city charter was granted; 1870 Astoria 639 and 1,255 county residents. 1873 was chosen wf tilting Astoria's first mayor. 1900 Astoria was the second-largest city with 8,371 inhabitants of Oregon. He put on especially Scandinavian settlers, of whom many descendants are still living here. But above all, came Chinese "guest workers" for the canning industry in the city, which in 1880 presented a third of the population. However, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 prohibited the further immigration for ten years. The Chinese Exclusion Act was extended in 1892 for another ten years as well as 1902 for an indefinite period and only lifted in 1943.
1883 and 1922 the city was destroyed by the Great Fire. However, the economy was strong enough to build them over again. That had to do with the fact that a network of bridges has been created since the 1920s that the bridge builder Conde McCullough ( 1887-1946 ) declining. These bridges were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. Cullough headed the bridge construction work from 1919 to 1935 as well as 1937 until 1946. During these years was from the Roosevelt Military Highway U.S. Highway 101 in 1962 began construction in 1966 privy Astoria- Megler Bridge over the Columbia, the paid up to 1993 through tolls had. Reached in 1898, the first passenger train from Portland Astoria; 1952, the passenger rail service to the Clatsop County was abandoned. Astoria is still a major seaport for the Pacific Northwest and has a meaning as a single port for the Columbia River.
The economy is mainly based on fishing, fish processing and timber industry. 1945 there were 30 canneries in the area, an industry that in 1980 but came to a standstill. The timber industry was until 1996 a strong presence. One of these companies, the Astoria Plywood Mill, was long the most important employer in the city. Today, tourism, technical light production and the maritime and port industries predominate; especially cruise ships dock frequently here.
In Astoria Kindergarten Cop, Free Willy, Free Willy 2, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III and The Ring 2 were, inter alia, the movies The Goonies, number 5 is alive! Rotated.
City council
Mayor Willis Van Dusen was re-elected on November 2, 2010, a sixth four-year term by the people.
Demographics
There are 4,235 households in which 28.8 % live to children under 18 years. The population is married to 43.5 %, and lives together. The average household consists of 2.26 persons. The average family size is 2.93. The city population is as follows: 24.0% are under the age of 18, 9.1% are 18 to 24 years old, 26.4 % are 25-44 years old, 24.5% are 45 to 64 years old and 15.9 % are 65 years old or older. The average age is 38 years. The per capita income is $ 18,759. 91.08 % of the population have a white skin color.
Astoria is home to the College Clatsop Community College.
Attractions
The main attraction in addition to the historic buildings in the downtown area is the Astoria Column (English Astoria Column), built in 1926 in memory of the accomplished here westward expansion of the United States of Vincent Astor and the Great Northern Railroad. The 38 meter high column on the 180 meter high Coxcomp Hill offers a 360 degree panoramic view of the mouth of the Columbia River. From the outside it was painted on the model of Trajan's Column with a spiral frieze of Attilio Pusterla with 14 scenes on the history of Astoria. The column was restored in 1995. On May 18, 1987, the space around the Astoria column in honor of Dr. Jürgen Criegee, Mayor of Astoria's only sister city Walldorf near Heidelberg, and Astoria's Honorary Mayor was baptized on Criegee Circle.
Sons and daughters of the town
- Alexander G. Barry, politicians
- Brian Bruney, Baseball Player
- Holly Madison, model
- Donald Malarkey, army soldier