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Baker County, OR
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 Established:
Sep. 22, 1862
Population: 16,500 (2003)
Elev. at Baker City: 3,471'
Area: 3,089 sq. mi.
Average Temp.: January 25.2°, July 66.6°
Assessed Value: $946,658,071
Real Market Value: $1,112,740,350
Annual Precipitation: 10.63"
Economy: Agriculture, forest products, manufacturing and
recreation.
Incorporated Cities: Baker City | Green Horn | Haines | Halfway
| Huntington | Richland | Sumpter | Unity
Points of Interest: The Oregon Trail Interpretive Center and Old
Oregon Trail, Sumpter Gold Dredge Park and ghost towns, Sumpter
Valley Railroad, Baker City Restored Historic District
(including Geiser Grand Hotel), Anthony Lakes Ski Resort and
summer picnic areas, camping and hiking trails, Eagle Cap
Wilderness area, Brownlee, Oxbow and Hells Canyon Reservoirs and
Hells Canyon.
General Information: Baker County was established from part of
Wasco County and named after Col. Edward D. Baker, a U.S.
Senator from Oregon. A Union officer and close friend of
President Lincoln, Colonel Baker was the only member of Congress
to die in the Civil War. He was killed at Balls Bluff. Auburn,
which no longer exists, was the first county seat. Baker City,
which was incorporated in 1874 and which is the 17th oldest city
in Oregon, became county seat in 1868.
Before 1861, the majority of immigrants only paused in Baker
County on their way west, unaware of its vast agricultural and
mineral resources. Then the great gold rush began and Baker
County became one of the Northwest’s largest gold producers.
Farming, ranching, logging, and recreation have become the chief
economic bases for an area that displays spectacular scenery,
including the world’s deepest gorge - Hells Canyon; an
outstanding museum with the famous Cavin-Walfel rock collection;
and numerous historic buildings with interesting architectural
features.
County Officials: Commissioners—Tim L. Kerns (R) 2008; Carl E.
Stiff (R) 2007; Fred Warner Jr. (D) 2007; Dist. Atty. Matthew
Shirtcliff (NP) 2005; Assess. Harry Alan Phillips (NP) 2008;
Clerk Tami Green (NP) 2006; Justices of the Peace Larry Cole
(NP) 2007, Yvonne Riggs (NP) 2007, Beverly Robertson (NP) 2008;
Sheriff Mitch Southwick (NP) 2008; Surv. Tom Hanley; Treas.
Alice Durflinger (NP) 2006. |
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County History |
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. |
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