502 THE WEST SHORE.
settlement on the town site by American have to be made, five hundred thousand
immigrant was in 1815, and the first wooden cases are required annually, ma
store was opened in 1818, by A. Van- chinery has to be made and repaired,
Posen, whoso customers were the few and the refuse of the fish is manufac
settlers and the many Clataops who tured into a fine quality of machine oiL
lived in that region. With the settle- The great number of workmen have to
ment of California, by the gold seekers, be housed, clothed, fed and amused, and
in 1819 and 1850, sprang up a coasting this represents an enormous volume of
trado between San Francisco and the business. The retail trade of the city
Columbia river, all tending to build up eiceeds $1,000,000.00 annually. There
Astoria, where a number of new stores are thirty stores carrying stocks up
and a saw mill were built. The increase wards of $5,000.00 in value, some of
of population was slow for a number of them reaching $10,000.00, and numerous
years, there being not more than five smaller establishments. The wholesale
hundred in 1870, as nearly all ships as- trade of the larger stores is quite a
cended the river to Portland. A now feature, and this will increase largely
element of growth was then introduced, with the construction of a railroad up
which has had a marked effect upon the the river. Two wholesale establish
city. The canning of salmon was begun menta, dealing in general supplies, do a
on the Columbia farther up the stream, large business. The stocks of goods
in 1SC7, and in a few years this became carried by the merchants are large and
quite an extensive industry. It soon be- well selected, and ladies can find there
came apparent that Astoria was the most almost anything to bo had in a city store,
suitable place for the location of can- The commerce of the city consists of
neries, since it offered splendid shipping foreign shipments of salmon, lumber,
facilities, was better located for the wheat and flour, domestic shipments of
transaction of business and the receipt salmon, lumber, leather, oil and fish,
of supplies, and was contiguous to the and the importation of merchandise, ma
best fishing grounds, just above the bar. chinery, supplies and canning material.
Sinco that time, nearly all the new can. During the year 188G, there were im
neries have been erected at Astoria, and ported from foreign ports, tin plate to
several previously erected in other lo- the value of $153,975.00, and other arti
calities havo been removed to this place, cles to the value of $15,725.00, while the
until it now contains two-thirds of the domestic freight received aggregated
canneries on the river. In this busi- thirty-eight thousand four hundred and
neas are invested nearly $2,000,000.00, forty-five tons. Of this, twenty-seven
in the form of buildings, machinery and thousand two hundred and fifty tons
equipments, and nearly as much more is were wheat and flour sent down from
required annually for material and run- Portland, to bo loadHl on vessels at this
ning cxpensea. Five thousand hands point Wheat and flour to the value of
are given employment during the fish- $8,500,000.00 went to foreign ports via
ing season, and the annual product reach- Astoria, shipped from Portland, while
es $3,000,000.00 in value. This indus- the shipments of the same products
try is specially treated in an article on from this city direct reached $710,050.00.
pago 5 IS, to which tho reader ia referred Foreign shipments of salmon were $776,
for particulars. This industry is tho 325.00, of lumber $21,805.00, and sun
center of a great volume of business, to dries $11,020.00. Salmon to tho amount
a largo degree dependent upon it Boats of twelve thousand tons was shipped to