Baker County Oregon Genealogy Collections

St. Stephens Episcopal Church, Baker County, Oregon

The first service of the Episcopal Church held in Baker City was by the Rt. Rev. R. W. Morris, D.D., June 5, 1870. The bishop found two communicants, in the city, Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Henderson. Finding that there was a sentiment favorable to the enterprise of building a church a subscription paper was circulated and the sum of $900 was pledged for a building fund. That amount not being sufficient for the purpose, the matter rested for a time. In June 1873, at the request of Bishop Morris, Rev. R. D. Nevius took charge of the mission in Grande … Read more

Rye Valley Oregon

Joseph Benoit and Charles Van Clay discovered gold in Rye Valley in the spring of 1863 and laid a claim on the waters of Dixie creek and begun digging a ditch. They went over to Mormon Basin and offered Mr. Ingraham an interest in their discovery which he declined, thinking he had a better prospect in the Basin. In 1864, Russell and Archambeau owned the ditch which conveyed water to the lower portion of the diggings. In that year Walter Fernald, J. C. Powers, and Joseph Yowell went over to the camp from Mormon Basin and Fernald, Powers and Odell … Read more

Quartz Mining, Baker County Oregon

About two thousand claims on quartz lodes have been recorded in Baker County since 1862. More or less development work has been done on most of them, perhaps one half of them having been worked to the extent which the law requires in order to make the claim secure. Nineteen quartz mills have been built, ranging in capacity from two to sixty tons per day. The first one built was the Ruckles mill at Baker City, which was put in operation in 1864. The mill was run by waterpower, and was built to work the ore from what was then … Read more

Pursuit of Indians in Baker County Oregon

In the month of June 1866, a number of horses and mules were driven off by the Indians, being taken from the vicinity of Washington ranch. Twelve men started in pursuit, following the trail of the stolen animals over the mountain to the head of Elk creek, and on towards the head of Powder River, then across the divide to Burnt River and over the west ridge to Willow creek. Here six of the party turned back, and John Hibbard, Hardin Estes, Frank Johnson, Hiram Kinnison, Jo Hodgeons and Curtis kept on the pursuit. The Indians had chosen their route … Read more

Public Schools of Baker County Oregon

It is much to be regretted that all records of matters pertaining to public schools during the first years of the settlement of the county, have been lost. All that can be done now is to record such matters as may be remembered by those who were engaged in school affairs in those days, as teachers or otherwise. As stated elsewhere, Mrs. Packwood taught the first school in the county, at Auburn, in the fall of 1862. Soon after her arrival she engaged in the work of raising money for the purpose of building a schoolhouse, and in a short … Read more

Pioneers of Baker County Oregon

One of Baker County’s early pioneers and daring Indian scouts was C. C. Davis, better known, perhaps, as Lum Davis. Mr. Davis was born in Greencastle, Putman County, Ind., February 20, 1836. When quite young he moved with his parents to Iowa and in 1862 came to Baker County, Oregon. Went to Portland in the winter and returned in ’63 and spent part of the summer on Burnt river; and back to Snake river in the fall. For some years Mr. Davis spent most of his time at Rye Valley and Mormon Basin, mining part of the time and part … Read more

Incidents in Pioneer Days in Baker County, Oregon

People who come to the Pacific States in palace cars, making the trip in four or five days, can have but a faint conception of the toils and hardships endured by those who crossed the plains with teams before the advent of railroads. Experience would also be necessary, perhaps, to enable one to fully appreciate the humorous phases of the journey; but doubtless scores of old pioneers have smiled at sight of a certain paper which was posted on a tree by the side of the trail between Elk creek and Auburn in the fall of ’62, for it could … Read more

Humboldt Basin

The first discovery of gold in Mormon Basin was made by some men from Humboldt River Nevada. They had been to the Auburn mines, and like many others, became discouraged at first sight of the country and were on their way home again when they made their discovery. Charles Stubley dug the first ditch from Glengary gulch to Sunburnt flat. Mr. Ingraham came to the camp January 2, 1863, and got an interest in some claims where he and two others did the first sluicing in the spring of ’63, taking out $65 per day per man. Mr. Getchell made … Read more

History of the First Baptist Church, Baker City Oregon

The first Baptist church in Baker City was organized December 7, 1874, Rev. L. H. Boothe was chairman of the meeting and Prof. S. P. Barrett clerk. The members present were Hardin Estes, Perlina Estes, Arthur Smith, Mary Kilbourn, Samuel Gaines, Mary Gaines, Prof. Barrett, Mary Barrett and Delazon Smith. Prof. Barrett served as clerk until July 1875, then Arthur Smith about two years, followed by F. Baird for four years. Mrs. F. E. Small was chosen clerk March 15, 1884, and was succeeded by Wilbur Finch April 20, 1888. Frank Baird was clerk from February 1889 to March 1890, … Read more

History of First Presbyterian Church of Baker City Oregon

A meeting was called by the Presbytery of Idaho to be held in Baker City, January 5 and 6, 1884, at which all members and those in sympathy with the Presbyterian church of the United States, were invited to be present. Rev. C. H. Shields, of Union, having been invited, presided at the meeting. The following named persons came forward and were duly constituted the first Presbyterian church of Baker City and asked that the name be placed on the roll of churches of the Presbytery of Idaho. John Edmunson, Mesdames Edmunson, Mitchell, McComas, Irland and Grey, John Edmunson was … Read more

History of Baker County Oregon Newspapers

On Wednesday, May 11, 1870, the first number of the Bedrock Democrat was issued-the first newspaper published in Baker County Abbott & McArthur, proprietors. The editor in his address to the public promises devotion to the interests of the people of Eastern Oregon in all things pertaining to the material interests of the people, and fidelity to the Democratic Party in political matters. In the editorial columns the public debt and other political questions of the time are discussed. In the local columns the different mining camps of the county all receive a notice. The miners at Auburn were jubilant … Read more

History of Baker City Oregon Government

Pursuant to an act of the legislature in 1874 the people of Baker City proceeded to form a city government, by electing the officers required by the terms of the charter. The trustees were S. B. McCord, J. A. Reid, S. Grier, J. H. Parker and G. J. Bowman. The first meeting of the board was held at the Court House, November 25, 1874, at which Bowman was elected president. The minutes of the meeting were signed by R. H. Cardwell, recorder. At a meeting of the board November 28, Wm. M. Constable was elected city marshal. On December 2, … Read more

Gold Discovery on Giffin’s Gulch

A little more than thirty-one years have passed away since the first discovery of gold on Griffin’s Gulch an event which led to the first permanent settlement in Eastern Oregon southwest of the blue mountains. Many of the pioneers of thirty years ago are still living, but their number is growing less year after year, and soon there will be no living witness to the stirring events. The toils, hardships and adventures of those gold seekers who first made known the resources of the country. True, the old emigrant road passes through Powder river valley, and most of the early … Read more

Events in Baker County, Oregon History

Most of the miners about Auburn, and throughout the country also, during the first years of the development of the mining business, were Californians, and that there was a difference betwixt them and Oregonians at that time, was apparent to any one who met a considerable number of persons from each of the two states. It seems remarkable that such a difference should exist between the people of two adjoining states which had been settled by immigrants from the same sections of the country east of the Missouri river, and that settlement, too, of so recent date that the youths … Read more

Employees by Seniority Service at Baker

Abbott, Jerry 9-6-49 Adamson, Paul 4-18-49 Aldous, Gladys 2-20-48 Anderson, Frieda 4-12-51 Anderson, Otto 4-0-54 Ashby, Geneva 9-6-50 Bailey, C.R. 5-1-52 Barron, Robert 4-8-24 Bence, Paul 9-30-57 Blank, Leona 4-20-59 Boles, James 2-15-45 Boles, Jewell 4-11-47 Boles, William 8-11-47 Boyce, Charles 4-18-49 Brenton, Ray 7-22-47 Brickey, Wiley J. 9-13-60 Brock, Morris 7-16-57 Buker, John 7-17-40 Bystrom, Axel 7-6-40 Calloway, Roy D. 0-0-29 Castle, Mike 10-1-57 Castle, Paul 5-29-40 Castles, Freda 9-0-49 Coalwell, Ronald 1-14-46 Cook, Lloyd 5-0-40 Cox, Thomas 7-24-46 Craig, Delbert 8-12-52 Crane, Carl 3-13-45 Crane, Valda 8-6-46 Culley, Don 3-3-52 Culley, Ralph 2-25-52 DePee, O.W. 8-8-49 DeRoest, Francis … Read more

Early Education in Baker County Oregon

Permanent among the educational institutions of Baker County is the Baker City Normal and Business College which has just finished its sixth year of usefulness. This school of education for business pursuits and the preparation of persons for the teaching profession, was organized January 10, 1887, by Mr. C. H. Whitney, a graduate of the National Business College. At first the branches taught included single and double entry bookkeeping, business penmanship, commercial arithmetic, business correspondence, etc. together with an actual business department in which the student received practical instruction in the branches passed over in theory. During the autumn of … Read more

Business and Fun in ’62 And ’63

About the Middle of October 1862, the first church organization in Baker County was effected under the supervision of Father Mesplie, of the Catholic Church, who came from Canyon City for that purpose. A long building was secured at the cost of six hundred dollars, but services were not held regularly, owning to the distance the priest had to travel. About the same time Miss O’Brien, now Mrs. Packwood, commenced the first school taught in Baker County, having about forty pupils in attendance. A lot was donated to her for school purposes and a sum of money raised by subscription … Read more

Burnt River Ditch

In 1863, some work was done on a ditch which had been surveyed from Clarks Creek mines to Burnt River, and the next year a company was incorporated to prosecute the work, under the name of the Burnt River Ditch company, W. H. Packwood, Jasper Hall, Robert Kitchen and Lamar stockholders. There was not much done towards constructing the ditch, however, until 1867, when the matter came up again on a proposition to build a ditch to convey water to the Shasta district, and the work was begun, eleven miles being dug that season. The next year, 1868, it was … Read more

Baker Valley Oregon Churches

Ministers of various denominations visited Baker County and held meetings at different places, but no one was a resident minister within the county prior to 1868. The Rev. Ellsworth, of La Grande, came to Powder River Valley frequently in 1864-5, and later Elder Newton of the Methodist church, south, held meetings, frequently at Auburn and in the valley. The Rev. Koger of the Baptist church preached at Wingville a number of times, but the Methodist Episcopal church was the first to appoint a resident pastor and hold regular services. The following sketch of the work of the church was kindly … Read more

Baker County Oregon Sketches

Sydney Abell, Justice of the Peace opened the first legally constituted court in Baker County, October 29th 1862. The first case was that of the people vs. D. Scott, action to bind defendant to keep the peace, entered on complaint of Thomas Ricketts. The prosecuting witness failed to appear and the case was dismissed. Of the thirty-two cases docketed up to January 1st, 1863, there were four of the kind above cited, three suits about town lots in Auburn, Fifteen to recover money, five replevin cases, one unlawful detention, one felonious intent to cheat, one petty larceny, one assault and … Read more