In One Ear: Astor's generosity
From the Astoria Column's 1974 National Register of Historic Places nomination form, another history nugget in honor of the musical "Musical Stairs" event (directed by Jeff Daly) on Sept. 28 at the column.
The funding for the Column was provided by the Great Northern Railway Co. and "through the generosity of Vincent Astor of New York," the form says.
Vincent Astor was the first son of John Jacob Astor IV (great-grandson of Astoria founder John Jacob Astor). A Harvard College undergraduate when his father died during the sinking of the Titanic in April 1912, he inherited $69 million in cash (about $2.2 billion now), wide expanses of valuable New York City real estate and the St. Regis Hotel. At 20 years old, he was one of the richest people in the world.
Great Northern Railway Co. president Ralph Budd wrote about how the Column funding came about. His first idea was a large flagpole with a large American flag.
Fortunately, he eventually waxed a bit more creative, and the concept evolved into a tribute "to outstanding events in the settling of the West," during which the first John Jacob Astor was instrumental.
"I knew of the reverence in which Mr. Vincent Astor held his great-great-grandfather, and of the interest he had in the latter's commercial activities in the West. It was, therefore, natural and easy for me to arouse sympathetic cooperation of Vincent Astor in the project I had in mind."
