In Clatsop County

Old City Hall/Jail Roof Blown Seaside, Oregon

kpgraphicarts — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:21:34 +0000

“Weathering Wal-Mart” seminar planned in Astoria

kpgraphicarts — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:03:16 +0000

“Weathering Wal-Mart”

Are you a business owner concerned about competing with the “big-box” retailers?

Plan on joining Cynthia McBurney, retail consultant and Walmart specialist on Tuesday, November 10th from 6:30pm-9:30 at the Holiday Express Inn Astoria.

Topics include:

Overview of Walmart business practices
Strategies to help your business survive the big box retailers
How to conduct an evaluation of your business’s readiness to compete

Cost is $25 and seating it limited, call Clatsop Community College at (503) 738-3346 to pre-register (CRN#4094).

Wednesday, November 11th Ms. McBurney will be available for 30-45 minute one-on-one consultations at your business to address your specific concerns. Cost is $50.

http://clatsoped.com/

$50.

The Historic Gilbert District Yesterday

kpgraphicarts — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 03:13:46 +0000

Seaside’s unique Gilbert District along Broadway was created by just as unique of a man, Frenchman Alexandre Gilbert, Sr., who was Mayor of Seaside from 1912-16, and helped rebuild downtown after the devastating fire of 1912.

Gilbert was born in Lucon and became a naturalized citizen of the U.S. in August of 1877, relocating from San Francisco to Astoria in 1881 where he ran a wholesale and retail liquor business. In 1889, Gilbert served as commissioner for the State of Oregon at the Paris Exhibition and was in charge of the Oregon exhibits.

According to the Clatsop County Historical Society, Gilbert moved to Seaside in the early 1890s and built a large, Queen-Anne style house that sits at 341 Beach Dr. During the next few years he would continue buying property and developing the town.

“The work he did to develop property in Seaside was much admired, considered a benefit to all, a way of showing confidence in the future of the town,” wrote Lisa Penner (Cumtux, Vol. 22, No. 3).

According to records at the Seaside Museum and Historical Society, Gilbert bought up property downtown after the fire and loaned money to several businessmen to rebuild or repair as necessary. The Gilbert Insurance Company carried much of the coverage on the destroyed buildings, and as mayor and a businessman, Gilbert saw that the town recovered and people continued to prosper.

In the June 11, 1914, Seaside Signal reported “Building operations on the new $60,000 Gilbert building at the corner of 7th Street and Broadway, are being pushed to the highest capacity and this beautiful structure will be completed and ready for occupancy by the middle of July.”

Gilbert also donated to the city a strip of land along the beach that would later be used for Seaside’s Promenade, according the Gilbert’s great-granddaughter, Virginia McConkey-Hendrickson.

“He envisioned families strolling along the boardwalk with their children, and then sitting down on the grass to enjoy a picnic, much as he remembered them doing in France,” McConkey-Hendrickson said.

Some mystique does follow Gilbert, as great-granddaughter Kathleen McConkey-Kulland describes in Cumtux: “ A story that I cannot verify is that he owned a fancy bar and brothel in Astoria on Astor Street (the local Red Light district), which included a trapdoor in the floor through which drunken men were dropped into waiting boats, and when they sobered up, they were aboard a ship at sea and were part of the ship’s crew.”

Gilbert owned 600 lots called “Hermosa Park Development” which stretched from Avenue A to the Lewis and Clark Salt Cairn, and from the river to the waterfront. He also owned much of the land that is now Sunset Hills. When Gilbert died on April 26, 1935, Seaside businesses closed from 9 to 10 a.m. during funeral services to honor him. He is buried in the Gilbert tier at the Abbey View Mausoleum at the Ocean View Cemetery in Warrenton.

Photos from the Astoria Column

kpgraphicarts — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 01:49:06 +0000

Photos taken by Michelle E Peterson when she was 10 years old from the top of the Astoria Column. Michelle is now 19. She is at SSU and studying photography.

Maritime Memorial Park

kpgraphicarts — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:37:24 +0000

Maritime Memorial Park, the 6th Street Viewing Platform, 14th Street Pier and 17th Street Dock Astoria, Oregon.

FORT STEVENS STATE PARK

kpgraphicarts — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:17:11 +0000

Fort Stevens was the primary military defense installation in the three fort Harbor Defense System at the mouth of the Columbia River (Forts Canby and Columbia in Washington were the other two). The fort served for 84 years, beginning with the Civil War and closing at the end of World War II. Today, Fort Stevens has grown into a 3,700 acre park offering exploration of history, nature, and recreational opportunities. (Oregon.gov)

Fort Stevens State Park, in addition to excellent camping and RV facilities, has many interesting artifacts from its fort days that continue to intrigue visitors.

Examples are the reconstruction of the Civil War earthworks – still in progress: Battery Russell, the gun battery in the line of fire from a Japanese submarine during World War II, and the near-by Pacific Rim Peace Memorial: Battery Mishler, a one of a kind battery and the underground command post for the Columbia River forts. (Visit Fort Stevens)

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Hello Clatsop County!

kpgraphicarts — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 06:11:46 +0000

Welcome to “In Clatsop County”

What does the title “In Clastop County” mean? It can mean:

Adventures in Clatsop County
Great People in Clatsop County
Stories in Clatsop County
Development in Clatsop County
Beauty in Clatsop County

This a place to be positive about life in Clatsop County. Your stories and photos are needed. Please keep them uplifting about positive. If you would like to submit photo or picture or become a contributor please email me at kathy@kpgraphicarts.com.