Astoria, WA

We enjoyed a trolley ride along the waterfront. Our guides were very informative. The waterfront area of Astoria was originally built on pilings. Now much of the town is built on fill, with some buildings still perched over the water on old pilings. It's interesting to see pilings in the water without decks on top. The law says that an individual/company can "own" the area over the river if the pilings are present. If the pilings are removed, the area is then part of the river, owned by no one. 

The town had a contest to name this old cannery building. The winner..."Red Building"! We had an excellent dinner in a restaurant at the far end of the old cannery. They have a plexiglass piece in the floor that allows you to see the pilings and water underneath the building. 

These are whale harpoon points. A fence has been constructed along the trolley line with the harpoon points on the top of each stake. 

Here you can see pilings from a former building or boardwalk. The red covered structure is a navigation aid for the treacherous waters of the Columbia River. 

This concrete structure was once part of a canning operation. Originally tin cans were sealed by soldering them. In order not to burn down the canneries constructed of wood, an area of concrete was constructed where cans were sealed. 

The Astoria Column perches on a hilltop overlooking Astoria. It records the triumphs, conflicts and turning points in the history of this last frontier town. The historic record begins in 1792 when the first white people, Captain Robert Gray and company, met the Chinook and Clatsop Indians. The column records the arrival of the Lewis & Clark expedition in 1805, and ends with the arrival of the railroad in the 1880's.  

The column rises 125' above the hilltop, which is 600' above the river. There are 164 spiral steps to the top. 

Yeah, I had to go up.

I paid for it over the next few days!