History of Astoria

Astoria has so many old houses, and they are perched on so many steep hills, that people call the place "Little San Francisco." The men who made their fortunes guiding ships across the Columbia River bar, or in the timber or fishing industries, built their homes where they could get views of the Columbia River.

Another way that Astoria got a reputation as being like San Francisco was its waterfront. In 1888, it is said that on Astor Street you could find one shoemaker, two boatbuilders, three laundries, and 21 saloons. According to the local newspaper, Astor Street was regarded along with the Barbary Coast as one of the worst seaport hell-holes in the world.