Baker City, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Baker City is a city in and the county seat
of Baker County
, Oregon
, United States
. It was named after Edward D. Baker
. The population was 9,828 at the 2010 census.
Plat
ted in 1865, Baker City grew slowly in the beginning. A post office was established on March 27, 1866, but Baker City was not incorporated until 1874. The city and county were named in honor of U.S. Senator
Edward D. Baker
, the only sitting senator to be killed in a military engagement.
The Oregon Short Line Railroad
came to Baker City in 1884, prompting growth; by 1900 it was the largest city between Salt Lake City and Portland and a trading center for a broad region. In 1911 the city dropped "City" from its name, but restored it in the late 1980s in recognition of its history and to further encourage tourism.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Baker City was established on June 19, 1903, after which the Cathedral of Saint Francis de Sales
was built in Baker City. In 1918, Baker was the subject of national interest when the 1918 Solar eclipse
took place and the U.S. Naval Observatory decided to base their observations here.
, the city has a total area of 6.9 square miles (17.9 km²), all land.
The city is situated in a valley between the Wallowa Mountains
to the east and the Elkhorn Mountains, part of the Blue Mountains
to the west, with the Powder River
running through the center of downtown on its way to the Snake River
.
of 2010, there were 9,828 people, 4,212 households, and 2,529 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,424.3 people per square mile (549.1/km²). There were 4,653 housing units at an average density of 674.3 per square mile (259.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.57% White, 1.12% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.44% African American, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.97% from other races
, and 2.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.52% of the population.
There were 4,212 households out of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1.2% were married couples
living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.85. In the city the population was 23.7% under the age of 19, 5.0% from 20 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.6 males. In 2005, the median income for a household in the city was $29,020, and the median income for a family was $34,790. Males had a median income of $26,638 versus $20,313 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $14,179. About 10.7% of families and 16.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.1% of those under age 18 and 14.9% of those age 65 or over.
and Clint Eastwood
film, Paint Your Wagon
in the city.
The Miners' Jubilee was originally launched in 1934 as the Baker Mining Jubilee, but lapsed after 1941 because of World War II
and a declining interest in mining. The event was revived by Richard and Marge Haynes in 1975. The couple organized the celebration for two years before handing it over to the Baker County Chamber of Commerce.
Class 1A girls and boys basketball tournaments every year at Baker High School
in March.
Baker City hosts the East-West Shrine High School football game at the end of July. The Hell's Canyon Motorcycle Rally is also held in Baker City, in June.
Sections of the Wallowa–Whitman National Forest are to the west and to the northeast of Baker City, which serves as the forest headquarters.
runs along the eastern edge of Baker City, while U.S. Route 30 passes through its downtown area. Oregon Route 7 leaves Baker City to the south to the city of Sumpter
and beyond. Oregon Route 86
heads north and east past the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center
and on to the cities of Richland
and Halfway
.
Baker City is served by the Baker City Municipal Airport
.
Baker City is also served by the Huntington Subdivision of the Union Pacific Railroad
, originally the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company. Between 1977 and 1997 the city was a regular stop along the former route of Amtrak
's Pioneer
between Chicago
, Salt Lake City, Boise, Portland
, and Seattle.
and Baker Middle School.
Baker Middle School was designed by Ellis F. Lawrence
and completed in 1917. It is constructed from local tuff
and is a stripped classical style. As of 2011 the building is unoccupied and was on the Historic Preservation League of Oregon
Most Endangered Places in Oregon 2011 list.
published on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and The Record Courier
published on Thursday.
Zeya
, Amur Oblast
, Russia
44.776721°N 117.832617°W
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Baker County
Baker County, Oregon
Baker County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is included in the 8 county definition of Eastern Oregon. It is named for Edward Dickinson Baker, a senator from Oregon who was killed at Ball's Bluff, a battle of the Civil War in Virginia in 1861. It was split from the eastern part...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was named after Edward D. Baker
Edward Dickinson Baker
Edward Dickinson Baker was an English-born American politician, lawyer, military leader. In his political career, Baker served in the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois and later as a U.S. Senator from Oregon. A long-time close friend of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, Baker served as U.S...
. The population was 9,828 at the 2010 census.
History
Plat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
ted in 1865, Baker City grew slowly in the beginning. A post office was established on March 27, 1866, but Baker City was not incorporated until 1874. The city and county were named in honor of U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Edward D. Baker
Edward Dickinson Baker
Edward Dickinson Baker was an English-born American politician, lawyer, military leader. In his political career, Baker served in the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois and later as a U.S. Senator from Oregon. A long-time close friend of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, Baker served as U.S...
, the only sitting senator to be killed in a military engagement.
The Oregon Short Line Railroad
Oregon Short Line Railroad
The Oregon Short Line Railroad was a railroad in the U.S. states of Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Montana and Oregon. The line was as organized the Oregon Short Line Railway in 1881 as a subsidiary of Union Pacific Railway. Union Pacific intended the line to be the shortest route from Wyoming to Oregon...
came to Baker City in 1884, prompting growth; by 1900 it was the largest city between Salt Lake City and Portland and a trading center for a broad region. In 1911 the city dropped "City" from its name, but restored it in the late 1980s in recognition of its history and to further encourage tourism.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Baker City was established on June 19, 1903, after which the Cathedral of Saint Francis de Sales
Cathedral of Saint Francis de Sales
The Cathedral of Saint Francis de Sales is the Cathedral Parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baker, located in Baker City, Oregon, United States. Constructed in 1906–08 of local volcanic tuff, the cathedral was renovated on several occasions, most recently in mid-2007...
was built in Baker City. In 1918, Baker was the subject of national interest when the 1918 Solar eclipse
Solar eclipse of June 8, 1918
A total solar eclipse occurred on June 8, 1918. The eclipse was observed by a U.S. Naval Observatory team at Baker City in Oregon. The painting below shows totality when the moon prevented the sun's rays from hitting that part of Oregon...
took place and the U.S. Naval Observatory decided to base their observations here.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 6.9 square miles (17.9 km²), all land.
The city is situated in a valley between the Wallowa Mountains
Wallowa Mountains
The Wallowa Mountains are a mountain range located in the Columbia Plateau of northeastern Oregon in the United States. The range runs approximately 40 mi northwest to southeast in southwestern Wallowa County between the Blue Mountains to the west and the Snake River to the east. The range is...
to the east and the Elkhorn Mountains, part of the Blue Mountains
Blue Mountains (Oregon)
The Blue Mountains are a mountain range in the western United States, located largely in northeastern Oregon and stretching into southeastern Washington...
to the west, with the Powder River
Powder River (Oregon)
The Powder River is a tributary of the Snake River, approximately long, in northeast Oregon in the United States. It drains an area of the Columbia Plateau on the eastern side of the Blue Mountains...
running through the center of downtown on its way to the Snake River
Snake River
The Snake is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2010, there were 9,828 people, 4,212 households, and 2,529 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,424.3 people per square mile (549.1/km²). There were 4,653 housing units at an average density of 674.3 per square mile (259.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.57% White, 1.12% Native American, 0.53% Asian, 0.44% African American, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.97% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.52% of the population.
There were 4,212 households out of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.1.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.0% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.85. In the city the population was 23.7% under the age of 19, 5.0% from 20 to 24, 23.0% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 20.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.6 males. In 2005, the median income for a household in the city was $29,020, and the median income for a family was $34,790. Males had a median income of $26,638 versus $20,313 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $14,179. About 10.7% of families and 16.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.1% of those under age 18 and 14.9% of those age 65 or over.
Annual cultural events
Baker City hosts many annual festivals, including the Miners' Jubilee on the third weekend of July, which celebrates the mining history of the area and the filming of the Lee MarvinLee Marvin
Lee Marvin was an American film actor. Known for his gravelly voice, white hair and 6' 2" stature, Marvin at first did supporting roles, mostly villains, soldiers and other hardboiled characters, but after winning an Academy Award for Best Actor for his dual roles in Cat Ballou , he landed more...
and Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
film, Paint Your Wagon
Paint Your Wagon (film)
Paint Your Wagon is a 1969 American musical film starring Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood. The movie was adapted by Paddy Chayefsky from the 1951 stage musical by Lerner and Loewe, set in a mining camp in Gold Rush-era California.-Plot:...
in the city.
The Miners' Jubilee was originally launched in 1934 as the Baker Mining Jubilee, but lapsed after 1941 because of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and a declining interest in mining. The event was revived by Richard and Marge Haynes in 1975. The couple organized the celebration for two years before handing it over to the Baker County Chamber of Commerce.
Museums and other points of interest
- Baker Historic DistrictBaker Historic DistrictThe Baker Historic District, located in Baker City, Oregon, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places....
- Baker City TowerBaker City TowerBaker City Tower or Baker Tower is the tallest building east of the Cascade Range in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in Baker City. The building was constructed in 1929 in the Art Deco style. It is part of the Baker Historic District listed in the National Register of Historic...
- tallest building in Eastern OregonEastern OregonEastern Oregon is the eastern part of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is not an officially recognized geographic entity, thus the boundaries of the region vary according to context. It is sometimes understood to include only the eight easternmost counties in the state; in other contexts, it includes... - Crossroads Art Center, in Baker City's former Carnegie library
- Downtown U.S. Bank, featuring a gold display that includes the Armstrong NuggetArmstrong NuggetThe Armstrong Nugget is a gold nugget that was found June 19, 1913, by George Armstrong, at a placer mine near Susanville in Grant County, Oregon, United States. The nugget weighs 80.4 ounces....
, weighing 80.4 ounces (2.3 kg) - Eltrym Historic Theater, a theater that opened on June 27, 1940
- Geiser Grand HotelGeiser Grand HotelThe Geiser Grand Hotel is a historic hotel in Baker City, Oregon, that opened in 1889. It received a restoration and reopened in 1993 after closing in 1968. Decorations include mahogany columns up to a high ceiling, Victorian-style chandeliers, and a stained glass ceiling...
- first opened in 1889, now on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation... - National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive CenterNational Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive CenterThe National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center is a interpretive center about the Oregon Trail located northeast of Baker City, Oregon on Oregon Route 86 atop Flagstaff Hill...
, established in 1992 as a focal point for the area's tourism - Oregon Trail Regional Museum
Sports and recreation
The Elkhorn Classic bicycle race is based out of Baker City. The city hosts the Oregon School Activities AssociationOregon School Activities Association
The Oregon School Activities Association is a non-profit, board-governed organization that regulates high school athletics and competitive activities via athletic conferences in the U.S. state of Oregon, providing equitable competition among its members, both public and private...
Class 1A girls and boys basketball tournaments every year at Baker High School
Baker High School (Baker City, Oregon)
Baker High School is a public high school in Baker City, Oregon, United States. It is part of the Baker School District 5J.-History:*1989 - The school caught on fire and was mostly destroyed...
in March.
Baker City hosts the East-West Shrine High School football game at the end of July. The Hell's Canyon Motorcycle Rally is also held in Baker City, in June.
Sections of the Wallowa–Whitman National Forest are to the west and to the northeast of Baker City, which serves as the forest headquarters.
Transportation
Interstate 84Interstate 84 in Oregon
In the U.S. state of Oregon, Interstate 84 travels east–west, following the Columbia River and the rough path of the old Oregon Trail from Portland east to Idaho. For this reason, it is also known as most of the Columbia River Highway No. 2 and all of the Old Oregon Trail Highway No. 6 . It...
runs along the eastern edge of Baker City, while U.S. Route 30 passes through its downtown area. Oregon Route 7 leaves Baker City to the south to the city of Sumpter
Sumpter, Oregon
Sumpter is a city in Baker County, Oregon, United States. The population was 171 at the 2000 census. Sumpter is named after Fort Sumter by its founders.- History :...
and beyond. Oregon Route 86
Oregon Route 86
Oregon Route 86 is an Oregon state highway running from Interstate 84 at Baker City to the Idaho state line at Oxbow . OR 86 comprises most of the Baker-Copperfield Highway No. 12 . It is long and runs east–west. OR 86 has an unsigned spur near Halfway, which runs for...
heads north and east past the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center
National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center
The National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center is a interpretive center about the Oregon Trail located northeast of Baker City, Oregon on Oregon Route 86 atop Flagstaff Hill...
and on to the cities of Richland
Richland, Oregon
Richland is a city in Baker County, Oregon, United States. The population was 147 at the 2000 census.-History:Richland was platted in 1897 due to needs from nearby mining and railroad interests...
and Halfway
Halfway, Oregon
Halfway is a city in Baker County, Oregon, United States. This town took its name from the location of its post office, on the Alexander Stalker ranch, half way between Pine and Cornucopia...
.
Baker City is served by the Baker City Municipal Airport
Baker City Municipal Airport
Baker City Municipal Airport , is a public airport located three miles north of the city of Baker in Baker County, Oregon, USA....
.
Baker City is also served by the Huntington Subdivision of the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
, originally the Oregon Railway and Navigation Company. Between 1977 and 1997 the city was a regular stop along the former route of Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's Pioneer
Pioneer (Amtrak)
The Pioneer was a passenger train run by Amtrak from Seattle, Washington to Chicago, Illinois via Portland, Oregon, Boise, Idaho, Salt Lake City, Utah, Denver, Colorado and other intermediate points.- History :...
between Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Salt Lake City, Boise, Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, and Seattle.
Education
Baker City is served by Baker School District 5J. It includes Baker High SchoolBaker High School (Baker City, Oregon)
Baker High School is a public high school in Baker City, Oregon, United States. It is part of the Baker School District 5J.-History:*1989 - The school caught on fire and was mostly destroyed...
and Baker Middle School.
Baker Middle School was designed by Ellis F. Lawrence
Ellis F. Lawrence
Ellis Fuller Lawrence was an American architect who worked primarily in the U.S. state of Oregon. In 1914, he helped found and was the first dean of the University of Oregon's School of Architecture and Allied Arts, a position he held until his death.Lawrence concurrently served as campus...
and completed in 1917. It is constructed from local tuff
Tuff
Tuff is a type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption. Tuff is sometimes called tufa, particularly when used as construction material, although tufa also refers to a quite different rock. Rock that contains greater than 50% tuff is considered...
and is a stripped classical style. As of 2011 the building is unoccupied and was on the Historic Preservation League of Oregon
Historic Preservation League of Oregon
The Historic Preservation League of Oregon is a 501 nonprofit corporation with a mission to “Preserve, Reuse, and Pass Forward Oregon’s Historic Resources to Ensure Livable, Sustainable Communities." Formed in Eugene, Oregon, in 1976, the HPLO was officially incorporated in 1977 and relocated to...
Most Endangered Places in Oregon 2011 list.
Newspapers
Baker City has two newspapers: the Baker City HeraldBaker City Herald
The Baker City Herald is a tri-weekly paper published in Baker City, Oregon, United States, since 1870. It is published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays by Western Communications and has a circulation of 2,715. The Herald was formerly the newspaper of record for Baker County...
published on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and The Record Courier
The Record-Courier (Baker City)
The Record-Courier is an independent weekly paper published in Baker City, Oregon, United States, since 1901. It is published on Thursdays by the Brinton Estate and has a circulation of 2,470. It is the newspaper of record for Baker County. The Record-Courier competes with the tri-weekly Baker City...
published on Thursday.
Radio
- KBKRKBKRKBKR is a radio station licensed to serve Baker City, Oregon, USA. The station is owned by the Pacific Empire Radio Corporation....
AM 1490 - KKBC FM 95.3
- KWRLKWRLKWRL is a radio station licensed to serve La Grande, Oregon, USA. The station is owned by Capps Broadcast Group and the broadcast license is held by KSRV, Inc.KWRL broadcasts an adult contemporary music format.-History:...
FM 99.9 - KCMBKCMBKCMB is a radio station licensed to serve Baker City, Oregon, USA. The station is owned by the Capps Broadcast Group and the broadcast license is held by Oregon Trail Radio, Inc.-Programming:...
FM 104.7 - KNALKNALKNAL is a radio station licensed to Victoria, Texas, USA, the station serves the Victoria TX area. The station is currently owned by Victoria Radioworks, LLC....
FM 90.7
Sister cities
Baker City has one sister cityZeya
Zeya (town)
Zeya is a town in Amur Oblast, Russia, located on the Zeya River some 230 km southeast of Tynda and 532 km north of Blagoveshchensk...
, Amur Oblast
Amur Oblast
Amur Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , situated about east of Moscow on the banks of the Amur and Zeya Rivers. It shares its border with the Sakha Republic in the north, Khabarovsk Krai and the Jewish Autonomous Oblast in the east, People's Republic of China in the south, and Zabaykalsky...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
External links
- Entry for Baker City in the Oregon Blue BookOregon Blue BookThe Oregon Blue Book is the official directory and fact book for the U.S. state of Oregon copyrighted by the Oregon Secretary of State and published by the Office of the Secretary's Archives Division. As Governor Ted Kulongoski notes in his introduction for the 2005–2006 edition, it "provides...
44.776721°N 117.832617°W