Life

Last week there was a story about the 1883 wreck of the Cairnsmore on Clatsop Spit and the uncertainty about its current location. Building the South Jetty caused sand to build up, and land th…

The Daily Astorian, July 12, 1885, included the result of a lawsuit by William S. Pond against the Pacific Coast Steamship Co., owner of the Queen of the Pacific (pictured).

On June 15, Tom Kelly, of the Northwest Artifact Recovery Team, found a military dog tag in a vacant lot above Alameda Avenue with a metal detector. His brother, Don Kelly (pictured), posted t…

Today is the 95th anniversary of the dedication of the Astoria Column in 1926. The artist who designed the mural on the Column, Attilio Pusterla (1862-1941) of New York, was known for his skil…

From The Daily Astorian, July 22, 1888, through rain, snow, sleet and hail — and deep holes …

‘A large fish, rare to the Oregon Coast, was found on Sunset Beach July 14. The 3.5-foot, 100-pound opah was reported to the Seaside Aquarium at 8 a.m.,” Tiffany Boothe, of the aquarium, said.

An Astoria resident, who prefers to remain anonymous, found this currency (shown) while rummaging around in the Astoria underground in the vicinity of 14th Street and Marine Drive.

The New York Times Coronavirus Briefing of July 9, under the heading "What you're doing," included this uplifting letter from Redman Ferguson of Nappanee, Indiana:

Judy Atkinson wrote in with "an old perspective of Astoria Regatta."

"In an effort to give the respect the monument deserves, the Public Works crew got a fence put up around the memorial rock just before the start of our busy summer season," Warrenton posted on…

"Today (July 9) we spotted blue whales for the first time in 10 years off Depoe Bay," marine biologist Carrie Newell of Whale Research Eco Excursions out of Depoe Bay wrote on the company's Fa…

"Had a great time carving this with my husband, Wade Lapp," Brittany Lapp posted on the Long Beach Peninsula Friends of Facebook page about the incredible sand "Crab Castle" they created last …

From The Daily Astorian, July 15, 1887:

Dire rerun: The Oregon Archives posted a "shanghai" letter on its Facebook page dated July 29, 1891, from Darius Norris to Astorian Bill Joplin. Norris wound up in London after being shanghaie…

If you ever wonder where to go when you have to "go," you can thank the North Coast Tourism Management Network for publishing an interactive map of public restrooms, which are now open.

Christian Lint, owner of the beloved Astoria Ferry, aka Tourist No. 2, receives at least one phone call a day from someone walking on the Astoria Riverwalk. "So many love it," he said. "They h…

Last week, this column mentioned that popular local artist Bill W. Dodge would be exhibiting new or publicly unexhibited fine art signed collector prints at the Angi D Wildt Gallery, 106 10th …

On July 8, 1885, The Daily Astorian reported a midnight blaze. The mishaps that followed could easily have turned the fire into a repeat of conflagration that swept the city's waterfront in 1883.

In early July 1849, Capt. Francis Menes, at the helm of the French bark L'etoile de Matin (The Morning Star), arrived at the Columbia River Bar. He waited seven days days for a bar pilot, but …

Deb Syna and Dirk Morgan had a too-close encounter with "Ooxjaa," a 17-year-old Bigg's orca, in the Puget Sound on June 29, the Orca Network reported on Facebook.

Fun rerun: For maritime instruction, a dandy tome is "How to Avoid Huge Ships," by Capt. John W. Trimmer.

A Guadalupe fur seal, which is an endangered species, was spotted entangled in some netting, and first reported to the Seaside Aquarium on July 1. Someone who meant well tried to free it, but …

For "The Goonies" fans, that remaining ray of hope for a Goonies 2 sequel was crushed with the death of 91-year-old director Richard Donner on Monday. The movie would not be made without him. …

Michelin Research & Development and two Swiss inventors have collaborated to come up with the Wing Sail Mobility project, an "automated, telescopic, inflatable wing sail system" for mercha…

From The Daily Astorian, July 1, 1888, a snarky tidbit:

Many have been wondering where beloved local artist Bill W. Dodge — whose colorful folk art paintings and of Astoria scenes grace the walls of several local homes — has been these last few yea…

On the "Glorious Fourth of July," the July 3, 1890, edition of The Daily Morning Astorian declared that "Astoria will celebrate in grand style, and wants neighboring towns and cities to join in."

Jesy Rae Buhl, of casting agency Cargo & Buhl, posted on the Astoria Oregon Virtual Bulletin Board Facebook page that a feature film, called "Untitled Road Trip Project" (until someone com…

Fun rerun: The Ear trusts that something like this headline won't happen here on the North Coast: "Man rescued after getting head stuck between jetty rocks …"

From The Daily Astorian, July 1, 1890:

"Walking along the shoreline, you might come across some of these guys," Tiffany Boothe, of the Seaside Aquarium, wrote. "They are a species of salp called, salpa fusiformis." Her photo is shown.

• Carlin Rasky wrote in to mention that Bravo's "Top Chef" filmed an episode in Cannon Beach, and a few properties were "prominently featured." A photo (No. 1) of the chefs is from the show's …