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The changing winds of municipal image making have blown through Baker City since it was originally named in 1866. In a nod to modernity,
the city changed its name to Baker in 1911. But renewed interest in
pioneer history led to the restoration of the Baker City name in 1989. This action supported a strategy to harken back to the glory days of the city when it was
known as the "Denver of Oregon."
Ironically, the strategy to capitalize
on pioneer history actually benefited from the benign neglect shown to
many of the city's buildings over the years. Baker City's economy sputtered for much of the period after World War II.
During these years, other cities were spurred on by a modernization
movement to replace many of their historic buildings. But Baker City's best architecture survived, often in a state of slow decay. A
number of these structures, such as the Geiser Grand Hotel, have now been restored and take center stage in the city's
celebration of its rich past. (Sources: Atlas of Oregon Oregon: End of the Trail)
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Baker County
was created from part of Wasco County
in 1862. It was named in honor of Edward Baker, one of Oregon's
first senators and a colonel in the Union Army. Baker had been killed at
the Battle of Balls Bluff in 1861. In 1864 Union
County was created from the
northern portion of the county. In 1887 Malheur
County was created from the
southern portion of the county. The boundaries were adjusted for the last
time in 1901 when the area between the Powder River
and the Wallowa Mountains, known as the Panhandle,
was returned to Baker County.
The county consists of 3,089 square miles and is bounded to the north by
Union and Wallowa
Counties, to the west by Grant
County, to the south by Malheur
County, and to the east by the
State of Idaho. The original
county seat was established at Auburn.
Originally a booming mining town with 5,000 inhabitants, the population
dwindled and there was agitation to move the county seat. In 1868 an
election confirmed Baker City
as the new county seat.
The county has had three courthouses, all occupying the same site. The
first courthouse was a two-story wooden structure built in 1869. It was
replaced by a brick building in 1885. The current courthouse is a
three-story building completed in 1909. It is constructed of a gray
volcanic stone quarried a few miles south of town. Original county officers
included a county judge, two commissioners, sheriff, clerk, treasurer, assessor,
and school superintendent.
Gold mining was the original impetus for settlement in the area. At one
time the county was the largest gold producer in the Northwest.
Agriculture, stock raising, logging and tourism have become the primary
economic pursuits. The Oregon Trail
Interpretative Center
has drawn large numbers of visitors since it opened in 1993 on Flagstaff
Hill just northeast of Baker City.
The Eagle Cap Wilderness Area, Hells Canyon Recreation Area, Sumpter Gold
Dredge Park,
Baker City Restored Historic District, and Anthony Lakes Ski Resort, along
with fishing and hunting, also draw visitors to the area.
The county's population has fluctuated over time due in part to the boom
and bust nature of mining. The population in 2000 of 16,741 represented a
9.3% increase from 1990 but was down from a high of 17,295 in 1960.
Baker
County inventory
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