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Astoria: The Major West Coast City That Never Was
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Mar 31, 2025
Seattle and Portland make up the two major U.S. cities in the Pacific Northwest. But what if I told you that neither was every really intended to be THE major city in the region? In a different timeline, Astoria, Oregon was destined to rise to a level of prominence and population that the other two cities enjoy today. Unfortunately, due to a combination of geography and historic choices, Astoria is a fraction of the size. Here's why!
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Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon make up the two major U.S. cities in the Pacific Northwest
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But what if I told you that neither was ever intended to become major cities
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In fact, the Pacific Northwest equivalent of New York City was supposed to be located at the mouth of the Columbia River
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But that city never materialized. Here's why. in the pacific northwest there exists a region that appears to be similar to the san francisco
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bay area on paper it has a large body of water that allows for ships to travel in and out of
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and escape the rough ocean waves it has plenty of peninsulas with relatively flat terrain allowing
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for settlements and towns and of course there are plenty of forests and timber nearby to harvest for
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all of those buildings. It also happens to be where the United States first envisioned the major
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city for the Pacific Northwest. But despite all of these similarities existing on paper
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the reality is they're very different. When it was first discovered, the area where the Columbia
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River meets the Pacific Ocean appeared promising for settlement. Despite harsh rainy weather
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for which the coastal areas of Oregon and Washington are infamous for, it would appear
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to have all of the necessary geographic ingredients for a major settlement to thrive
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just like San Francisco does. But this is where we get our first major difference. Unlike the
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Columbia River Bar, the Golden Gate provides a relatively straightforward passage from the
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Pacific Ocean to the San Francisco Bay. This opening is framed by rugged cliffs and tidal
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currents, but the waters are generally calmer compared to the Columbia's entrance. And thus
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the San Francisco Bay Area was able to accommodate a large port in ways the Columbia River Bar never
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could. So let's dive into the Columbia for a bit. The Columbia River is the prime artery of one of
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North America's longest river systems. From the Canadian Rockies through the arid plateaus of the
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Pacific Northwest into the Pacific Ocean, it drains a vast watershed and carries an enormous
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volume of water. Every single second, about 100 swimming pools worth of water are dumped into the
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Pacific Ocean. But with all this water, it also brings a vast amount of sediment, which creates a
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constantly shifting sandbar at its mouth. This interplay of river currents, ocean swells, and
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tidal forces creates an environment of turbulent waters and large, unpredictable waves. Mix that
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with a sandbar that is constantly shifting under the water, and you've got a recipe for disaster
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And this disaster has struck time and time again with nearly 2,000 ships meeting their fate in this region alone
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Hence the nickname it has since acquired, the Graveyard of the Pacific
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But that doesn't mean the United States didn't try. In fact, they tried before San Francisco was ever even considered to be a major city for the country
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Today, the Pacific Northwest is one of the country's most important economic centers
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But this wasn always the case In fact the story behind how the Pacific Northwest evolved into the region it is today begins with two significant outposts Astoria Oregon founded by American entrepreneur John
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Jacob Astor's Pacific Fur Company in 1811, and Fort Vancouver, established by the British
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Hudson's Bay Company in 1825. Astoria's origins are deeply rooted in the fur trade, which drove
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much of the early exploration in the Pacific Northwest. John Jacob Astor envisioned creating a trading empire
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that would dominate the North American fur trade, linking the Pacific Northwest with markets in China
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and the Eastern United States. The location of Astoria, at the mouth of the Columbia River
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was carefully chosen for its access to the interior fur trapping regions
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and its strategic position for maritime trade and the Columbia River served as a natural highway
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into the heart of the region, allowing traders and trappers to transport goods and furs efficiently
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Astor's plans for Astoria were ambitious, to say the very least. He aimed to establish a permanent American presence in the region
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creating a foothold that could solidify U.S. claims to the Pacific Northwest
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under the doctrine of Manifest Destiny. To accomplish this, Astor sent two expeditions to establish the settlement
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one by sea aboard the ship Tonkin, and another overland, retracing the path of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Despite hardships and
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challenges, including difficult negotiations with local indigenous peoples and a challenging voyage
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around the southern tip of South America, Astoria was established as the first American-owned
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settlement in the West Coast, beating out Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. But
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Astor wasn't alone in his desire to claim the Pacific Northwest. The British were also very
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interested in it. The British had long viewed the Pacific Northwest as a critical region for their
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own fur trading enterprises. The Hudson's Bay Company, a powerful and well-established organization
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had already built an extensive network of trading posts across Canada and sought to expand its
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influence into the Columbia River Basin. Fort Vancouver, located on the north bank of the
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Columbia River near present-day Portland, Oregon, became the centerpiece of British operations in
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the region. The motivations behind the establishment of Fort Vancouver were not
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solely economic. The British sought to solidify their own claims to the region
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countering American expansionist ambitions. In fact, the fort's location was chosen in order to
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dominate the Columbia River, which was seen as the key to controlling the Pacific Northwest
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By maintaining a strong presence in the area, the British hoped to leverage their position in any
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future territorial negotiations with the United States, which sought to build inland from the
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coast. The early years of these settlements were marked by tension and competition. Astoria's
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position as an American outpost was short-lived. During the War of 1812, the British took control
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of the settlement, renaming it Fort George. Although the Treaty of Ghent returned Astoria
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to American hands, the Hudson's Bay Company's dominance in the region overshadowed American
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efforts for decades. Fort Vancouver became the de facto center of trade and governance in the
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Pacific Northwest with John McLaughlin playing a key role in managing relations with indigenous peoples American settlers and Russian traders With Astoria effectively abandoned and Fort Vancouver taking prominence in the Pacific Northwest the likelihood of a major city at the mouth of the Columbia River would have
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appeared to be gone for good. But Astoria would, in fact, rise again, and it could have still regained its crown had
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a few important decisions been made instead. Astoria, Oregon once seemed destined to be the Pacific Northwest's main city
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thanks to its prime spot at the Columbia River's mouth. But despite its historic importance, it never became a major urban center
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Instead, cities like Portland and Seattle rose to regional prominence, and it's because of a combination of geographic, economic, and infrastructural decisions that shaped this outcome
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At the heart of it, Astoria's location has always been more of a limitation than an advantage
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While its position at the Columbia River's mouth offered unparalleled access to the Pacific Ocean
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the region's rugged terrain and narrow coastal strip left little room for expansion
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More critically, the Columbia River Bar posed a significant challenge for maritime trade
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At this point in time, Astoria would have been competing with San Francisco as the major port on the west coast
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But these natural obstacles made it difficult to establish a reliable and safe shipping hub
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something San Francisco could provide. But this wasn't necessarily the only reason why Astoria didn't succeed
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After all, Seattle did succeed. Instead, it would be the arrival of railroads in the 1800s to the region
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that would ultimately crater Astoria's chances at becoming a major city. You see, railroad companies at the time were desperate to connect major settlements in the West
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with the eastern United States, mostly because, while the West was growing, the economic center of the country still sat in New
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York City and, to a lesser degree, Chicago. As such, by the late 1800s, railroads had connected
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Seattle, Tacoma, and Portland with Chicago and the rest of the country, and it was expected to
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terminate in Astoria. Unfortunately for Astoria and its residents who banked on a rail connection
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the train never arrived. Faced with the high cost of constructing a line through the rugged
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coastal mountain range, the Northern Pacific Railway instead stopped at Goble, Oregon
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about 50 miles east of Astoria. This effectively made Portland the last stop of the line
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This decision left Astoria cut off from the key transportation technology that was shaping
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cities across the country. Instead, the burgeoning rail network propelled Portland and Seattle into
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vital trade and transportation hubs. And without direct rail access, Astoria struggled to attract
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the same level of investment and economic activity, remaining reliant on river and ocean
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transport, which was inherently more limited. In contrast, Portland's inland location, about 100
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miles upriver, provided a more favorable setting for connecting river traffic with railroads
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cementing its role as the region's central hub. But railroads weren't the only advantage Portland
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and Seattle had. More than anything else, Portland's growth was fueled by its proximity
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to the fertile lands of the Willamette Valley, one of the most agriculturally productive regions in the United States The valley rich volcanic soils and moderate climate made it ideal for farming drawing settlers during the mid via the famous Oregon Trail And with its position
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at the confluence of the Columbia and Willamette Rivers, this enabled the city to become the
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primary gateway for exporting the valley's agricultural bounty, including wheat, fruits, and other crops. This agricultural wealth attracted businesses, workers, and infrastructure
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development, further entrenching Portland's dominance. Astoria, lacking access to this fertile hinterland and the transportation infrastructure to link to larger markets
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couldn't compete. Meanwhile, Seattle's rise in the late 1800s was driven by factors distinct
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from those shaping Astoria and Portland. Seattle's location on the Puget Sound provided a sheltered
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deepwater harbor ideal for large-scale maritime trade that was also safe to traverse. While
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While Astoria struggled with the hazardous Columbia River Bar, Seattle's port became a reliable hub for shipping timber, coal
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and other resources to domestic and international markets. The Klondike Gold Rush of the late 1890s further spurred Seattle's growth
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as it became a staging ground for prospectors heading to Alaska, injecting wealth and population into the city
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The 1900s would see Seattle capitalize on its previous industrial growth in ways that Astoria simply couldn't
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The development of shipbuilding during World War I and World War II established Seattle as a center for maritime industries
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which would eventually lead to the rise of aerospace manufacturing, led by Boeing
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These industries transformed Seattle into a metropolitan powerhouse, attracting skilled labor and creating a diversified economy
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The city's proximity to natural resources, such as timber, and its ability to adapt to emerging industries set it apart from smaller, resource-dependent towns like Astoria
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While Astoria remained focused on fishing, canning, and logging, industries that faced
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decline due to overfishing, environmental regulations, and automation, Seattle thrived by diversing into technology and global trade
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And finally, when Astoria had already lost so much of its momentum, it faced one more
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fatal blow, the great Astoria Fire of 1922. This fire devastated much of the city's downtown and further hindered its ability to recover
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and grow. Even as tourism and cultural heritage efforts revived Astoria's local economy in later
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decades, it simply couldn't compete with the economic power that Portland or Seattle had
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solidified in the Pacific Northwest. Today, Seattle and Portland lead the Pacific Northwest
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with populations of 4 million and 2.5 million, while Astoria has just 10,000 people. It's hard
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to imagine now, but with a few twists in history, Astoria could have been a major city in the region
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This was a really fun dive into the Pacific Northwest history and geography
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and I couldn't think of a better way to end 2024. Especially because in 2025, I'll be traveling the world
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and documenting my journey over on a new travel channel. And you can check out the trailer right now
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The first video launches Saturday, January 4th, and I hope I'll see you in the comments
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And don't worry, nothing is changing with Geography by Jeff
#education