"Astoria" tells the story of survival and the difficulties faced by the people who undertook the tremendous Oregon Trail in 1810-1812 encountering harsh environment and hostile native Indians and still carrying on with their journeys. This is the founding story of Astoria and the people who made it possible… Excerpt: "Two leading objects of commercial gain have given birth to wide and daring enterprise in the early history of the Americas; the precious metals of the South, and the rich peltries of the North... " Washington Irving (1783–1859) was an American short story writer, essayist, biographer, historian, and diplomat of the early 19th century.