Warrenton, Oregon

101 years ago, a group of men ducked out of February’s chill, stepped into a newspaper office and decided to form a city.

Lexington, as it was known then, was the Clatsop County seat and emerging as a bustling fishing and logging hub brushing against the Pacific Ocean and Youngs Bay.

Currently in Warrenton 55° CLOUDY Humidity: 83 Visibility: 10 Wind: SW 10-day forecast

View Attractions North Coast in a larger map

Area Attractions The Flavel House - This restored Victorian mansion is a must see in Astoria. Take a self-guided tour and step back into the 19th century. You will learn its fascinating history and marvel at its elegance.   The Astoria Column is the final monument in a series of 12 historical markers erected in the early 1900s between St. Paul, Minnesota and Astoria, Oregon.   Columbia River Maritime Museum offers six galleries, a great hall where movies are shown, and a light ship which is a floating lighthouse.

Nearby Lodging Red Lion Inn Astoria Red Lion Inn Astoria offers 124 deluxe guest rooms with private balconies overlooking the Columbia River and West Mooring Basin Marina on the historic Astoria waterfront. The Best Western Lincoln Inn is located on the banks of the Columbia River just 50 miles west of Portland and 18 miles north of Seaside.

But Daniel Knight Warren, an enterprising New York native who made his money on North Coast logging and other business ventures, “may have had a desire to make Warren a household word,” according to local historian Lyle Anderson.

In 1885, after spending seven years on a small farm near present-day Knappa and another 14 years running a mercantile in Astoria with his wife Sarah, Warren purchased and reclaimed 900 acres across Youngs Bay.

He offered free lots to anyone who agreed to build a $1,000 home and a $1,000 bonus for building a $3,000 home. He found plenty of takers.

In 1899, ambitious town leaders agreed to form a city out of the growing coastal community. Warrenton was born.