Fred Pynes is the park host at the Astoria Column.

As park host at the Astoria Column, Fred Pynes has heard many stories from visitors over the years.

People have told him about proposals, past visits, graduation ceremonies and memorable sunsets at the column, and even about former park hosts who once lived in the small house he now occupies on Coxcomb Hill.

A few years ago, Pynes began compiling stories about the column with the help of his granddaughter, Sarah Brown, in anticipation of its centennial anniversary. The 125-foot monument was dedicated to the city in July of 1926.

An email address was set up, but Pynes said few stories have come in.

He recounted one, from when schools let out early before the Columbus Day Storm of 1962. “Three of the boys went up to the top of the column to watch the storm,” Pynes said, “the wind was blowing so hard, they could barely get the door open to get out.”

Pynes hopes to collect more memories over the coming year and invites people to share their column stories by writing to astoriacolumnmemories@gmail.com.

“I know there’s a lot of great stories out there,” he said.