Fun Facts
Astoria, Oregon carries the name of John Jacob Astor from the earliest days of American settlement on the Pacific Coast. In 1811, Astor’s Pacific Fur Company established Fort Astoria near the mouth of the Columbia River as part of his fur trade empire. During the War of 1812, the post changed hands and was renamed Fort George, though Astor’s name endured.
After the devastating 1922 fire, Astoria rebuilt with renewed ambition. The John Astor Building rose in the 1920s as a symbol of confidence and growth, echoing the legacy of the man whose name had long been tied to opportunity at the edge of the continent.
That legacy reached far beyond Oregon. In New York, the neighborhood now called Astoria was renamed to attract Astor’s investment.
The family story closes with tragedy when John Jacob Astor IV died aboard the RMS Titanic in 1912.
Together, the John Astor Building and the city itself stand as quiet monuments to ambition, risk, and legacy.
For all the days along the way