For those who appreciate the history of this country, Astoria Column: Landmark of the Pacific Crossroads is a great short, 22 page, read to get more familiar with the Astoria Column overlooking where the Columbia River empties into the Pacific Ocean.  

The Astoria Column was built in 1926 with financing by the Great Northern Railway and Vincent Astor, the great grandson of John Jacob Astor, in commemoration of Astoria's role in the family's Pacific Fur Company business which operated from 1810 - 1813.  John Jacob Astor's Columbia River trading post at Fort Astoria, established in April 1811, was the first United States settlement west of the Rocky Mountains on the Pacific coast.

The 125 foot tall column has a 164-step spiral staircase ascending to an observation deck at the top.  The mural shows 14 significant events in the early history of Oregon as well as 18 scenes from the history of the region including Captain Gray's discovery of the Columbia River in 1792 and the Lewis & Clark Expedition.  The column was added to the National Register of Historic Places in May of 1974.