[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 113 (Monday, July 13, 2026)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E670]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     CELEBRATING THE CENTENNIAL REDEDICATION OF THE ASTORIA COLUMN

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                         HON. SUZANNE BONAMICI

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 13, 2026

  Ms. BONAMICI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a landmark 
occasion in Oregon's 1st Congressional District, the centennial 
rededication of the Astoria Column.
  This July, Oregonians from across the coast will gather to celebrate 
the 100th birthday of a monument that has been a beacon in Astoria 
since 1926. The centennial has spurred a remarkable effort to restore 
this observatory so the column will stand tall on Coxcomb Hill for 
another century and beyond.
  Wrapped around the towering sides of the magnificent Column is a 
sweeping pictorial history of our region. These scenes, brought to life 
by architect Electus Litchfield and the masterful sgraffito painting 
technique of Attilio Pusterla, form a historical tapestry that is truly 
one of a kind.
  Yet, the significance of this site extends beyond the Column itself. 
Just behind it rests a small granite marker that commemorates an 
invention born here on the Oregon coast: cable television. It is a 
quiet reminder that Astoria has always been a place where innovation 
meets history.
  I recall visiting this very spot, at a time with gusty winds and 
torrential sideways rain, with Senator Merkley just before a town hall 
meeting. A little Oregon rain didn't stop us from climbing the spiral 
steps and gazing out at the City of Astoria and the Pacific Ocean.
  This monument is a symbol of the Astorian spirit and the rededication 
a demonstration of the determination to protect the exceptional art and 
heritage for generations yet to come.
  This day is possible because several decades ago Friends of the 
Astoria Column was created to preserve the column. Through decades, 
Friends of the Astoria Column have cared for this important structure, 
raising funds to complete cleaning and restoration, and even projecting 
a light show onto the column. In 1989 they actually scrubbed the column 
with toothbrushes to clean the facade.
  It is truly an honor to represent Oregon's 1st Congressional 
District, and I am proud to stand with Astorians as they celebrate this 
beacon of our shared past.

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