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Anchored In Astoria

June 9, 2008

By Donna Quinn

   In an age where generic big box chain culture and soulless cookie-cutter developments are rapidly changing cities and transforming landscapes, special communities with a unique and powerful sense of place offer a deep connection with the authentic. Psychologists posit that when we are detached from the place we live in, we are detached from our deepest selves as well. Perhaps the old adage that “we can’t know who we are until we know where we are” is truer today than ever. 

   Astoria, Oregon defies easy labels and descriptions. While it may seem unconventional to use an Italian fish soup to describe a town steeped in Scandinavian heritage, Astoria is much like a hearty bowl of Cioppino. Begin with one small historic town with Victorian homes on tree covered hillside promontories, and surround on three sides with water, water and more water. Add world-class views of the mouth of the Mighty Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean. Throw in rugged, dramatic and changeable weather, an iconic bridge, salty people, zesty artists, and a real working waterfront. Mix in eccentric characters, salmon-salmon-salmon and old-old-old along with ghosts of the past, and you may get a taste of Astoria, a place still filled with mysteries, stories, and the scent of home.

   Lisa Tarabochia Clement comes from a fourth generation Croatian fishing family whose livelihoods have depended upon the gifts of the Columbia since Astoria was first established. Lisa is grounded here. “This is what I am, and no matter where I am, I am always this: a Columbia River Tarabochia. It’s what gives me the stability to live my life.”

   While Astoria’s infamous weather can be challenging, people who have chosen to live in this nationally and internationally significant place (thanks in large part to Lewis & Clark) can’t imagine living anywhere else. They can’t imagine leaving the Columbia River, a river which “has magic in it.” 

   Lisa believes “Astoria is the beginning of everything. No one has the history we have, the captains’ homes, the maritime culture, the fish, all this shifting energy here! In order to preserve the character and heritage of our area, we now have to embrace tourism. Tourism is what could save our old buildings, our rusting monuments to the past, and it could help us avoid large scale industrial development.”

  The (other) Flavel House Locals say that in Astoria you can feel what has happened over generations as you walk down the street. They say there are spirits in the old abandoned buildings.  They also say that it is possible to honor the past here and still live in the present.  

 

   Logging and fishing still provide livelihoods for some in this Clatsop County community, and trade ships still ply the waters of the Columbia. The arts, though, along with historical and cultural tourism, are on the rise. Perhaps visitors can sense the real community heart beating beneath the trolley, column, museum, gift shop, boutique hotel and restaurant experience. Even Astoria’s wabi-sabi (or “imperfectly perfect” element in Japanese) contributes to the genuine feeling which exists here: the rust and moss, run-down buildings, homes and piers. 

   Old buildings in a state of disrepair on Astoria’s main street may be considered “blight” by some, but others relish them as part of Astoria’s history and gritty past. Local artist Sally Lackaff was attracted by “the old decrepit feel of the town.” She says that old and funky can be a monument to history, and she’s concerned about Astoria’s past being erased by the shiny and the new as more people “discover” Astoria’s singular charms.

   Although Astoria’s “renaissance” in recent years has brought upscale restaurants and sophisticated stores to the downtown core, Sally says “Abandoned buildings add to the character of this place; they tell stories of where we’ve been. They connect us to our past. The old pilings in the river speak a language we need to listen to. The moss and the rust give Astoria a real feel.  Someone should put a plaque in front of the old turn-of-the-century Whitestar Cannery Boiler in the river.  It’s not garbage; it’s a piece of history-a rusted sculpture which is beautiful on its own.”  

   Historian John Goodenberger notes that Astoria was once known as the place where the debris meets the sea. “There have always been oddities and eccentrics here from ‘Day One’, and you can still feel their influence here. The founders, who imagined Astoria as the ‘

New York of the West’ ignored the geography and topography of this place. Astoria was laid out in urban fashion with houses close together and small commercial districts.” 

   Goodenberger, who is a founding member of the Lower Columbia Preservation Society and a historic building consultant with Ecola Architects, says “That early, if unusual, planning has actually worked in Astoria’s favor. Today Astoria is a prime example of the new urbanism. We are walkable, and we have a vibrant downtown with a lot of mixed uses going on. We are actually a city for the future because we are a green place.”

   Goodenberger feels that Astoria is at a critical point now. “We have to think about how we can survive and thrive here. We have a magnificent location and a rich cultural heritage. A historic preservation program could become a vital and successful part of community development here.” Goodenberger and architect Jay Raskin are working toward this goal with an eye to Astoria becoming a major national center for historic preservation training, offering classes through Clatsop Community College, among other things. This compatible and sustainable economic development, arising out of what is already here, could be key to keeping Astoria “real” without altering its essence.  

   Growing gentrification has become a buzzword of concern for locals recently. Northwest artist Royal Nebeker says that if people move and try to transform a place into something generic, something perfect, then they lose what only that place could give them.

   A group of dedicated people with “Destination the Pacific,” a non-profit group formed during the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial, are currently working to have Astoria and the Columbia-Pacific region designated as a “National Heritage Area” by Congress; it would be the first on the West Coast. Executive Director Cyndi Mudge says that national designation would become a tool to continue economic development in line with community visions and goals, and “It would be a boon for sustainable tourism. This region has a unique sense of place, and a past which is visible even in the present.  People are still doing some of the same things they did two hundred years ago. This is worth preserving.”

   Fins, Finns & Astorians author Greg Jacob grew up in Astoria listening to the sound of fog horns, the southwesterly blowing through the Douglas Fir trees, the shrill cry of the seagulls, the squeak and groan of the pilings as the tide ebbed and flowed, and the gentle splash of waves on the shoreline. “You can still experience this in Astoria today. The town hasn’t been paved over yet and there are ongoing events which connect Astoria with its Scandinavian heritage. The ethnic character of this place provides a ‘

nice mix of craziness’ which is part of Astoria’s charm. This is not a fluff place; there are deep roots here which, along with the weather, grounds people. The fog and rain add a seafaring atmosphere and nurture the inner strength of the people who live in this North Coast town.”

   The authentic essence of Astoria has attracted artists and independent spirits for decades. Astoria is not about the façade, the superficial or the beautiful, in spite of its spectacular geographic location. This small city of 10,000 still speaks of its true identity, and gives it the character residents and visitors feel.   

   Daily Astorian newspaper publisher Steve Forrester observes that Astoria is not a theme park, that it is not contrived or faux. “It has a real economic base, which is more diverse than most people realize.” KMUN, a community radio station with more than 100 volunteers, has been spinning tunes and telling tales from downtown Astoria for over 25 years, and the natural foods Astoria Co-op has been serving the Columbia Pacific for over 30 years. Astoria’s mystique and vibrancy seem to attract characters who do interesting things, which adds to its vitality and peculiar sense of place.

   “Shanghaied in Astoria” is a summer melodrama performed in vaudeville style which preserves regional folklore along with regional performing arts. Live theatre performances celebrate local Astoria culture and provide opportunities for people to understand what it is to be Astorian. “Shanghaied is part of cultural tourism.  It tells the story of the fishing and cannery life here,” says Judy Niland, Managing Director of the Astor Street Opry Company. Judy figures that if newcomers can respect who and what is already here, and if they are willing to volunteer and participate in the community, then Astoria will make a place for them. “People are not judged on appearance, possessions or educational background here. The rough edges of this town allow people to be themselves without pretense.”

   There are different, contrasting and complementary powers at work in Astoria. These currents intermix and create a unified and unlikely whole-a North Coast community with a strong sense of self-with pride in its history, embracing even the sordid elements, and faith in its future. As high-end art galleries and new eateries nestle next to shabby buildings successfully, elements which may at first seem impossible to work together, do. Juxtaposition be thy name, Astoria!

   The old, the worn, the weathered and the respectfully restored contribute to the “real” in Astoria, and it appears that this kind of “real” can co-exist harmoniously with the new. Allowing imperfect elements to remain in a place, and even celebrating and honoring these elements, may also allow people, who are imperfect as well, to be more genuine - to be authentically themselves without artifice. 

   Astorians have “sisu” (the Finnish word for “guts”). Whether this inner fortitude and grounding comes from the place itself, or from the people in this place, the town has the feel of “sisu” too. Astoria was built on dreams, and today those dreams still affect old-timers and newcomers alike. Every part of Astoria is alive with complexity and interconnection, and like a superb Cioppino, it nurtures and sustains the spirits of those who live and visit there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by Northwest Coast · Filed Under Featured