What Is the Astoria Column?
The Astoria Column is a 125-foot concrete column that depicts the foundation of Astoria from 1792 to 1818!
What Makes It Historical?
In 1926, the grandson of Astoria’s founder, John Jacob Astor, collaborated with the Great Northern Railway Company to erect this huge column atop Coxcomb Hill! Its shape was inspired by Trajan’s Column in Rome and etched in sgraffito by Attilio Pusterla as a spiral frieze from bottom to top!
This frieze shows the various stages of Astoria’s history, from the Clatsop tribe, the first sighting of the Columbia River mouth by Captain Robert Gray in 1792, the arrival of Lewis & Clark in 1805, the drama of John Jacob Astor’s fur trading ship Tonquin, which blew up in 1811, and the settling of Fort Astoria! This was one of twelve monuments that the Great Northern Railway set up along their route between 1925 and 1926!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Pay the entrance fee to help maintain trails, signs, structures, and other visitor services!
- Donate to the Astoria Column!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
1 Coxcomb Dr
Astoria, OR 97103
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
The park opens from dusk to dawn every day!
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