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NOT ON OUR HILL
People from all over the United States and the world visit the Astoria Column.
The great majority are delighted and awed at the expansive beauty of ocean, rivers,
valleys and mountains from the top of Coxcomb Hill. From wherever they visit they
acclaim the view as among the most beautiful anywhere. “You can see the whole
world from up here," a 5 year old girl once exclaimed.
The Astoria Column, 78 years old this year, was built to mark the end of
the Oregon Trail and establishment of Astoria as the first American city in the West.
Lewis & Clark ended their transcontinental trek here two centuries ago, and the
bicentennial of their journey is expected to draw large crowds these next few years.
The Friends of the Astoria Column, a bifurcated group that includes a few
eminent Astorians as well as Portland elite, restored the Column to its former grandeur,
and its incredible scroll of history that resembled a mudpole now gleams like a new
tattoo. But the Friends have a bigger agenda than restoration; their grand scheme is
to redesign everything around the Column.
Astorians realize tourism has replaced logging and fishing as the city’s major
industry, but they do not wish for their hometown to be refabricated into a vacationers’
elysium. Locals as well as visitors have voiced comments and opinions of the plans
to redesign the Column’s environment, but unless they are in favor they are snubbed.
Nearly a thousand Astorians signed petitions to have public input on the design,
but they have been ignored, and despite expenditures that will cost gross amounts of
taxpayers’ money for the project there has not been a citywide vote despite the Mayor’s
promise. (A city official said off-the-record that Portland millionaire Jordan Schnitzer,
who wishes the planned interpretative center named after his grandfather, is to have his
way with the Column because the city wants him as a patron for other civic works.)
One ploy absent from city/Friends' effulgent tributes to Column “renaissance”
is charging admission to John Jacob Astor Park to help cover costs.
The comments on these pages are excerpted from letters written to The Daily
Astorian, Astoria city officials or members of the Oregon legislature, and are public
record. No attempt has been made to present various sides of the Column debate.
This correspondence is decidedly against further development on Coxcomb Hill, and
represents the majority of opinion.
As John Goodenberger has said, expressing disappointment of a “utilitarian
response” to an esthetic site, “There is a lot less grace in experiencing Coxcomb Hill
and the Astoria Column these days.
-M IC H A E L M cC U SK ER
HAL ALLEN (COLUMBIA PRESS, 1986)
Karen Mellin
Coxcomb Hill is a sacred spot to many. Promontory
hills usually are. It is an awesome experience within to watch
the golden sun slip into the ocean through protective clouds that
gloriously change color all the while. And from that view swing
around to see a world of wilderness on three sides, with our
beautiful river below. Here we can be one with all those who
looked out from this spot before us and feel spiritual. Nature
has been overly generous to us.
Any more development on Coxcomb Hill would be
an insult to this gift of Nature. It is not in need of interpretation,
nor any more disruption of its landscape. It’s an outrage to
even suggest a parking lot pn the site of our lost wonderful
woods, that were ravaged so brutally. A painful shock to many
who loved them.
The Column is a railway monument, erected to
celebrate the coming of the railway, and thus commercial
enterprise, to this outpost. The artist arrived by rail at our own
train station on the waterfront. From there the Column is visible,
just as it was planned, standing majestically on the hill. The
station, and its important connection to the Column/monument,
seems to have been ignored in the proposals for an interpretive
center. Why is this historical site not considered?
Friends of the Astoria Column: thanks, but no thanks.
Not on our hill.
Marcia Fenske
I am opposed to the interpretive center at the Astoria
Column...This is a city park. While all of Oregon, and the
world, may enjoy the Column, the park and the scenic vistas
...It belongs to the city of Astoria. We, the citizens and taxpayers
of Astoria should decide if, when, and how changes should be
made I know we are grateful to the 'Friends' for their contribution
to the Column. I realize a lot of time and money has gone into
this proposal. I just don’t believe this new building is necessary
...I’ve heard so few comments in favor of this building, yet it
proceeds.
George Fulton
It is abundantly clear that the city of Astoria is situated
on unstable ground and by disturbing the unstable condition at
the Astoria Column, are we creating a problem? Why jeopardize
the area by disturbing the unstable condition? What if, after the
contemplated improvements are made, the area is subject to
massive movement? Who do we, the taxpayers, look for to repair
the structure? Would the parties proposing the additions to the
park be willing to guarantee all expenses of remedying the
problem?
...To me it appears that the council has assumed the
position that they know what’s best for the taxpayers, without
listening to the taxpayers. . . Why are the taxpayers of this city,
who pay the highest tax rate in the county, being denied the right
to vote on this issue?
LaRee Johnson
I am concerned about the push for the proposed
interpretive center for the Astoria Column and the $345,000
tax dollars requested .1 have copies of the more than 850
signatures gathered on petitions to halt the project a couple
of years ago. . . after attending countless council meetings,
letters to the editors and finally the Mayor’s appointment of a
citizen Master Plan Review Committee which spent six months
researching and devising a plan. . . all of which has been swept
under the carpet.
The “Friends’’ have completely disregarded the recom
mendations of the Astoria Master Plan Committee to keep an
interpretive center under 2500 square feet as well as locate the
building toward the back of the site (current caretaker house
location).
How will the digging out of the hill affect the stability of
the area? The recent earth movement on the east end of Astoria
(coinciding with the pounding of pilings and the digging out the
"toe of the hill’ by nearby businesses) is reason for more concern
for our Astor Park and jeopardizing the safety of homes, the
college and indeed the Column itself. Not to mention the cost to
the city/citizens to rectify a situation gone wrong, as in the case
of the east Astoria earth movement. Since Astoria has a history
of movement this should be a wake-up call from Mother Nature
Another concern is the cavalier attitude as regards
relocation of the canoe that gives tribute to local Indian tribes,
the wonderful topographical map donated by the Angora Club
that so many people use for orientation, and the Sesquicenten-
nial Time Capsule that is buried at the Column with a flat marker,
not due to be unearthed until 2044.
We live in an information age...telling people too much,
not letting them find and explore and experience. The mere
simplicity of the experience can leave an indelible impression of
a place that people remember and long to return to. One of the
most majestic experiences is overlooking the Columbia River,
whether it is storming or sunning. The Column does the interpret
ing for the history of the area in a most beautiful way.
On behalf of many silent citizens, I implore (the city and
“Friends") to reconsider something we do not want to financially
burden future generations with or alter what people come to
Astoria to see...an incredibly beautiful small historical town.
(excerpted from letters to the Daily Astorian and the City
Council and Mayor o f Astoria.)
Annie Oliver
Arno Michaels
Lawrence Seeborg
Coxcomb Hill is unique in all the world. It seems there is
no other major river delta that can be viewed from a natural high
place. And what a view we have! The Column is great, but
incidental to the view. The view is it. The view is spiritual, or
magical or just plain incredible as our individual orientation may
interpret. We catch our breath as we walk to the rim of the hill
and gaze. It never grows old. It never needs repair. It is different
every time. Our wondrous weather guarantees it. Yes, it’s the
experience of the view that draws us to the hill.
Jordan Schnitzer, president of the Friends of the Astoria
Column, has his own vision of the hill...
He sees thousands of children scurrying up the Column,
their fingertips touching exhibits. Seniors from throughout the
world viewing the Column; only briefly, as they scurry into the
interpretive center to view a fake column close up. He imagines
all these visitors tapping into computers to check out the history
of the Astors, watching films, buying gifts, stopping for a bite to
eat and just hanging around.
All of this occurs indoors — perhaps underground — in
the interpretive center surrounded by a vast parking lot needed
to support this ant hill.
I find it sadly irreverent the preservation of our view, our
hill, our cathedral in the sky, is not included in Jordan Schnitzer's
vision. Let us each ask this friend of the Column to become a
friend of our view, and do his interpreting at sea level where it
will be welcome.
Jane Audrey
The world is crowded with places to buy stuff, get
information, hear someone else's music, breathe exhaust fumes,
feel stressed — all courtesy of mankind. But where does one
go to get away from it all?
Up to now, my favorite place has been Coxcomb Hill,
and what made it so was not the souvenirs, not the canoe, not
the telescope, not the amplified music and signs and gift shop;
not even the Column! What the hill has to offer me is the view
and the awe and peace I feel at the opportunity to get away from
the “real world” for a look at something beyond.
‘T h e best Italian restaurant b e tw e e n San Francisco * Seattle.''
-JO NA THA N NICHOLS. THE OREGONIAN
“The best Italian restaurant In Astoria, everl"
-RICHARD FENCSAK. THE DAILY ASTORIAN
1149 COMMERCIAL ASTORIA
(503) 325-9001
As a member of the Mayor-appointed Astor Park Master
Plan Committee, I find it very discouraging to see the plans for
a bunker-type interpretive center at the Astoria Column. Our
committee spent most of one summer getting public input and
working on a plan that the majority of local people approved.
A bunker in the hillside was not one of the plans.
But now, as a homeowner in the area of the current landslide
disaster, I find myself very concerned over what could potentially
happen to the Column. I am sure no one foresaw what might
occur in our area when construction of Safeway and excavation
of the Hauke property began.
The city is spending a lot of money for a geotechnical
firm to find out why the earth is moving. And they are spending
a lot of money to repair sewer lines, gas lines and water lines.
We, as taxpayers, will share this cost. Do we really want to take
a chance on a similar disaster occurring at the Column?
It is unfortunate and ironic that Jordan Schnitzer and his
associated Friends of the Column seem determined to seriously
damage views from the Astoria Column in order to accommodate
visitors who are coming to enjoy these views! This seems a bit
self-defeating to me, or, as the old saying goes, “With ‘Friends’
like these, the Column doesn’t need any enemies.”
(He lives in Sandy, Utah. His Finnish grandparents
settled in Astoria in the early 1900s. His family contributed to
the restoration o f the Astoria Column.)
Frankye Thompson
(The Astoria) City Council...has decided that we have
to have an interpretive center at the Astoria Column. The City
Council has no business deciding what should be put next to the
Column without allowing all the people of Astoria to take part in
that very important decision.
I have been to several meetings where it is very obvious
that the majority of the people were against building an interpre
tive center. Most of them were interested in building a new gift
shop and handicap-accessible restrooms, but the feeling was
very strong against the center. The Friends of the Column and
the City Council paid as much attention to those people as they
did a call-in vote Tom Freel of KAST staged one morning...the
vote was 100 to one against building the center.
To quote a (Daily Astorian) article. . . "Mayor Willis Van
Dusen has suggested that an interpretive center should be put
to a citywide vote." How soon do we get to do that, Mr. Mayor?
If I didn’t feel so much like crying, this whole miserable mess
would be laughable.
I trusted the Mayor when he told us... that we would be
allowed to vote on the interpretive center. Please do not put my
grandchildren’s names on granite pavers to replace the bricks. I
do not want future generations to think I had anything to do with
building the interpretive center at the Column.
(Excerpted from two letters to The Daily Astorian.)
Diane Beeston
The major attraction of Coxcomb Hill is the breathtaking
view and the Astoria Column is the frosting on the cake. The only
improvements necessary are updated and wheelchair accessible
restrooms and a good looking souvenir store, all of which could
be placed where the caretaker's house is now since the present
souvenir store is an unattractive view blocker and should be
enlarged anyway.
Nothing should block that view! To build a multi-million
dollar building to house a model of a column to explain a column
that is already there makes no fiscal sense whatsoever. Why not
a simple, plexiglass-covered table (placed low enough as to not
obstruct any view) with a photograph of the Column along with
an explanation of each of the cartoons and if you like, a brochure
station down by the Columbia River Maritime Museum as an
interpretive center with bus service to the Column if visitors don’t
have their own transportation?
To the Friends of the Astoria Column: you did a tremen
dous job in restoring the Column, and I, for one, am eternally
grateful for that Now the time has come to leave it alone. Don't
mess with success. Redirect those funds into areas that can
sorely use them.