Astoria Column

Oregon Archives? (Source TBD)

Friends of the Astoria Column

Standing above the city–600 feet above sea level to be exact–the Astoria Column unleashes an unrivaled view of Young’s Bay, the Coast Range, the mighty Columbia River, and in the distance—the Pacific Ocean. Its light shines each night as a silent testament to the pride, fortitude, and resolve of the people who settled the Pacific Northwest, and to those who live here today.

Modeled after the Trajan Column in Rome, the Astoria Column features a hand-painted spiral frieze that would stretch more than 500 feet if unwound. The monument was dedicated in 1926, and has since undergone several restorations.

http://astoriacolumn.org

Friends of the Astoria Column

This tedious process of transcribing the artwork onto the Column’s surface allowed only three bands of images to be completed by dedication day—July 22, 1926. But by all accounts, this did nothing to diminish the three days of festivities planned to mark the dedication. A crowd of 8,000 was on hand to celebrate.

Afterward, Pusterla and his assistants again took up their tools, and artwork on the Column’s exterior was finally completed on October 29, 1926.

http://astoriacolumn.org/about/history-of-the-column