Remembering Astor’s ship, the Tonquin, 215 years after it exploded
From OPB Audio by Oregon Public Broadcasting
June 6, 2026 · 5 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the historical significance of the Tonquin ship and its explosion in 1811.
The Tonquin helped settle Astoria and was the key to John Jacob Astor’s effort to build a worldwide fur-trading empire. But in 1811, the ship exploded, killing an untold number of tribal members and putting an end to Astor’s northward expansion.
Topics covered
- history
- maritime
- fur trade
- Astoria
- explosions
- colonial expansion
Keywords
- Tonquin
- Astoria
- John Jacob Astor
- fur trade
- explosion
- tribal members
- northward expansion
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Oregon Public Broadcasting
Places: Astoria
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